Oh, it is indeed Vaith then It seems the action for Jamison is far from over, if he is indeed going to be caught between the Wild Suns and the Vaith witch. Then again, he's technically on the same side as the Wild Suns, though I hope they find a way to notice this during the fighting. I am not sure if there's reason to, but I am surely concerned, because this dream felt so oddly fitting for the events we know will happen in Vaith, with fire, a shadow and a city by the river. Well, if there is anything more behind these dreams, perhaps they will come again. I will surely keep my eyes open for any more that could be interpreted and until then, I will remain extra cautious when making choices for Jamison. Speaking of, I am now not sure if we made the right one here, because now Jamison will likely draw the wrong conclusions. Then again, Morgan is a grade-A asshole, to put it mildly, so I wouldn't mind Jamison screwing him over by voicing such a suspicion to Lucifer. Right now, though I don't really like either, I prefer Esperence over that jerk.
Also, I must say I have become very interested in Dianna's storyline here, mostly because I consider Bjorn to be an intriguing character, so I definitely look forward for her next part a lot. Same goes for Verro. This whole Efran situation is quickly growing on me
Voting is closed!
This was a clear one, Jamison will leave Emerson alone. Well, the first and most obvious consequence will be that Emers… moreon's next part will be a bit shorter, not having a scene with Jamison. Another thing is that now Jamison will leave Godsgrace with the suspicion that Morgan had to be somehow involved in the assasination attempt, whereas a conversation with Emerson may have convinced him that perhaps that's not the case. All the same, Jamison and his convoy will now head towards Vaith, where they are supposed to reunite with Ser Rolan Nightfall and Lyreon Nightfall.
However, in the next part we'll have two PoVs, Dianna and Verro. Dianna's part is almost ready, and I've made some good progress with Verro's part as well. Hopefully I'll have them ready tomorrow. Last time we saw Dianna, she lost the skirmish at the Griefhill against Bjorn Harlaw's crew, which ended with basically all her soldiers killed, including Javor a… [view original content]
That is a good point and one I had not thought about. Jamison probably still holds Morgan responsible and talking with Emerson could have potentially erased those thoughts from his mind. I would not say it is good to Morgan to have a Dayne for an enemy but who knows? That may actually help Emerson in the long run. With that said, I am going to miss the Jamison-Emerson interactions since I enjoyed them alot. Since Jamison is not going to confront Emerson, what would have happened if he did, would he have been able to get anything out of Emerson?
As for the upcoming Dianna and Verro PoV's, this sounds like it could be either the part before it or maybe these PoV's will show the battle for Lemonwood itself so safe to say I am hyped
Voting is closed!
This was a clear one, Jamison will leave Emerson alone. Well, the first and most obvious consequence will be that Emers… moreon's next part will be a bit shorter, not having a scene with Jamison. Another thing is that now Jamison will leave Godsgrace with the suspicion that Morgan had to be somehow involved in the assasination attempt, whereas a conversation with Emerson may have convinced him that perhaps that's not the case. All the same, Jamison and his convoy will now head towards Vaith, where they are supposed to reunite with Ser Rolan Nightfall and Lyreon Nightfall.
However, in the next part we'll have two PoVs, Dianna and Verro. Dianna's part is almost ready, and I've made some good progress with Verro's part as well. Hopefully I'll have them ready tomorrow. Last time we saw Dianna, she lost the skirmish at the Griefhill against Bjorn Harlaw's crew, which ended with basically all her soldiers killed, including Javor a… [view original content]
Since Jamison is not going to confront Emerson, what would have happened if he did, would he have been able to get anything out of Emerson?
Emerson would've understandably been very cautious and hesitant to reveal anything, but he would have told Jamison that Hordios never worked for Morgan, which Jamison would've believed. This would've confused him a bit though, but with the lack of other options, Jamison would've figured that the most likely person to be behind the attack then had to be Esperence, whom he hadn't even considered so far. Of course, technically Esperence wasn't behind the attack, but at least Jamison would've realized that Esperence might be surprisingly important player in the politics of Godsgrace.
As for the upcoming Dianna and Verro PoV's, this sounds like it could be either the part before it or maybe these PoV's will show the battle for Lemonwood itself so safe to say I am hyped
We are not quite that far yet, but the battle is coming later in this chapter
That is a good point and one I had not thought about. Jamison probably still holds Morgan responsible and talking with Emerson could have po… moretentially erased those thoughts from his mind. I would not say it is good to Morgan to have a Dayne for an enemy but who knows? That may actually help Emerson in the long run. With that said, I am going to miss the Jamison-Emerson interactions since I enjoyed them alot. Since Jamison is not going to confront Emerson, what would have happened if he did, would he have been able to get anything out of Emerson?
As for the upcoming Dianna and Verro PoV's, this sounds like it could be either the part before it or maybe these PoV's will show the battle for Lemonwood itself so safe to say I am hyped
Emerson would've understandably been very cautious and hesitant to reveal anything, but he would have told Jamison that Hordios never worked for Morgan, which Jamison would've believed. This would've confused him a bit though, but with the lack of other options, Jamison would've figured that the most likely person to be behind the attack then had to be Esperence, whom he hadn't even considered so far. Of course, technically Esperence wasn't behind the attack, but at least Jamison would've realized that Esperence might be surprisingly important player in the politics of Godsgrace.
Okay I see. Well now knowing this, we may have made the wrong choice not confronting Emerson. Jamison is out of the loop in regards to Esperence's true capabilities but at the same time, she did not want Jamison killed anyway. Also since Jamison is leaving Godsgrace, I suppose the politics and internal struggle within it should not concern him anymore. Thinking about it again, I don't think this choice will hurt Jamison any and it will help Emerson since he won't have to rat Esperemce out even if it is in a indirect way.
We are not quite that far yet, but the battle is coming later in this chapter
Man Wildling, the end of this chapter sounds like it is going to be a wild one with all of the battles. The battle for Lemonwood will probably be Efran's make or break moment while the battle for Vaith will determine just how much trouble the Dryland's are for the Martell's. I am hyped for these battles to say the least!
Since Jamison is not going to confront Emerson, what would have happened if he did, would he have been able to get anything out of Emerson?
… more
Emerson would've understandably been very cautious and hesitant to reveal anything, but he would have told Jamison that Hordios never worked for Morgan, which Jamison would've believed. This would've confused him a bit though, but with the lack of other options, Jamison would've figured that the most likely person to be behind the attack then had to be Esperence, whom he hadn't even considered so far. Of course, technically Esperence wasn't behind the attack, but at least Jamison would've realized that Esperence might be surprisingly important player in the politics of Godsgrace.
As for the upcoming Dianna and Verro PoV's, this sounds like it could be either the part before it or maybe these PoV's will show the battle for Lemonwood itself so safe to say I am hyped
We are not quite that far yet, but the battle is coming later in this chapter
Okay I see. Well now knowing this, we may have made the wrong choice not confronting Emerson. Jamison is out of the loop in regards to Esperence's true capabilities but at the same time, she did not want Jamison killed anyway. Also since Jamison is leaving Godsgrace, I suppose the politics and internal struggle within it should not concern him anymore. Thinking about it again, I don't think this choice will hurt Jamison any and it will help Emerson since he won't have to rat Esperemce out even if it is in a indirect way.
Yeah, Jamison personally probably won't be involved with the power struggles of Godsgrace, but this could still have big consequences for the story, because Jamison might report these suspicions of his to Lucifer, who certainly will be involved with Godsgrace. But you're right, for Jamison it probably makes little different in the end how much he knows about the political situation of Godsgrace.
Man Wildling, the end of this chapter sounds like it is going to be a wild one with all of the battles. The battle for Lemonwood will probably be Efran's make or break moment while the battle for Vaith will determine just how much trouble the Dryland's are for the Martell's. I am hyped for these battles to say the least!
Indeed, the end of this chapter is something I'm really looking forward for
Emerson would've understandably been very cautious and hesitant to reveal anything, but he would have told Jamison that Hordios never worked… more for Morgan, which Jamison would've believed. This would've confused him a bit though, but with the lack of other options, Jamison would've figured that the most likely person to be behind the attack then had to be Esperence, whom he hadn't even considered so far. Of course, technically Esperence wasn't behind the attack, but at least Jamison would've realized that Esperence might be surprisingly important player in the politics of Godsgrace.
Okay I see. Well now knowing this, we may have made the wrong choice not confronting Emerson. Jamison is out of the loop in regards to Esperence's true capabilities but at the same time, she did not want Jamison killed anyway. Also since Jamison is leaving Godsgrace, I suppose the politics and internal struggle within it should not concern him anymore. Thinki… [view original content]
Dianna sat quietly on the beach, next to the Captain Bjorn Harlaw's tent, looking at the seven ships floating on the sea in front of them. Two of them were Bjorn's longships, the five others belonged to Efran. They were on a cove that offered a natural harbor for the Bandit Lord and his allies. Bjorn's crew, and with them Dianna and Lysera, had arrived last night, but they weren't the only Bandit Lord's men camped on this beach. Dianna could see a colorful collection of pirates, bandits and sellswords walking among the Ironborn.
Then she turned her eyes to the tent of Hargan Harlaw. Hargan had entered his tent about an hour ago, dragging Lysera in with him, and neither of them had come out since. It frustrated and angered Dianna that she could do nothing to defend Lysera, an innocent girl who had shown nothing but loyalty towards her.
"You look upset." Dianna heard the voice of Bjorn say behind her. She let out a sigh, not even turning to look. "And shouldn't I be?" She hissed. Bjorn sat down next to her, glaring at her with narrowed eyes.
"You have been treated well enough." The Ironborn captain spoke with underlying threat on his quiet voice, as if to make clear he could start treating her worse whenever he wanted. Dianna gulped, considering her next words carefully. "My friend hasn't been." She said, keeping her voice calm. Bjorn let out a tired sigh, before taking a gulp from his flask.
"That little bitch belongs to Hargan now." He answered, his voice emotionless and casual. Dianna stayed quiet, wondering for a moment if she should keep arguing about this. Not now, she finally decided, figuring it wouldn't help no matter what she'd say. She felt guilty, but the time to save Lysera would have to come later.
"What is your problem with Dorne?" Dianna suddenly asked, glancing nervously at Bjorn. For a moment Bjorn didn't answer, and Dianna thought the question might have been too touchy for him. However, after a drawn out moment of silence he finally spoke up. "My brother died here." He said quietly, and Dianna wasn't sure if she could spot grief in the Ironborn captain's words, but at the very least they were completely devoid of any kind of joy.
"Well, you still have Hargan, that's more than many have." Dianna remarked dryly, and Bjorn reacted with a cold chuckle. "Aye, I have Hargan." He admitted with unenthusiastic tone. "I also have Harlik and Ivarn, but they are all half-bloods – half iron, half Northmen." Bjorn took another gulp from his flask, and turned his eyes towards the sky. "Olaf was iron to the core, my only true brother."
"And do you have children?" Dianna asked quietly, wondering in her mind what kind of father would this man be. "Yes," Bjorn answered with a sigh, "I have three sons." For some reason there was a bitter look on his eyes as he said this. "But the one who is old enough to call himself a man would rather lick the boots of King Harmund than follow his own father to raid and battle."
"You don't seem to have much love for your king." Dianna noted, and Bjorn reacted with spitting on the sand. "Fucking Hoare's are tainted by the Andal blood." He muttered. "They trade with the Lannister's, when we should raid their lands instead. They bring priests of the Seven to the Iron Isles, shaming the Drowned God with their presence." It was easy to hear this matter irritated Bjorn deeply, though Dianna understood very little of it.
"What kind of god is this... Drowned God?" Dianna asked with genuine interest. Now a small smile was formed on Bjorn's face. "He is a powerful god, who resides on the watery halls beneath the waves, feasting with mermaids and Ironborn warriors who served him in their lives above the waves. In the old days the Drowned God himself roamed the lands among mortal men, conquering wherever he went. And to this day, from time to time he rises from the sea, to battle against his enemy, the Storm God. And when they face each other, a storm rises."
"And you believe all that?" Dianna asked skeptically, and Bjorn narrowed his eyes. "Why wouldn't I believe? I have seen it with my own eyes, when I have sailed the seas, I have seen the Drowned God battle against the Storm God, making the sea roar and the skies thunder."
"I have seen storms too, but I haven't seen your god." Dianna replied coldly. Bjorn pushed his face closer to Dianna, a savage grin on his face. "Ignorant bitch." He whispered. "Only a fool doesn’t recognize the gods when they battle right before their eyes, or hear their sound when it booms in their ears." After saying this Bjorn pulled himself away from Dianna, who let out a small sigh, deciding not to continue this conversation.
"Which god do you worship anyway?" Bjorn suddenly asked, stroking his long beard. Dianna was a bit surprised, though perhaps she should've expected this question to come. "Mother Rhoyne." She answered quietly, uncertainty in her words – after all, they had left Rhoyne behind years ago. Does that mean we have abandoned Mother Rhoyne? This wasn't the first time Dianna had pondered on this question, though she was no closer to the answer now than she was when they first left their homeland behind. She knew some of the Rhoynar still prayed to Mother Rhoyne, but she doubted their prayers were heard. Not anymore, not from here.
"Never heard, sounds like a weak god." Bjorn stated bluntly, standing up now. He stepped in front of Dianna, looking her to the eyes. After the night following her capture, Bjorn had not physically hurt Dianna, but there was just something unsettling in those dark eyes, a constant reminder of the danger and strength this man possessed. "You keep telling me how strong your Princess is... Tell me more about her." Bjorn lowered himself to a crouch, still looking Dianna to the eyes.
"Princess Nymeria... She is a decisive and ambitious woman." Dianna started quietly, and Bjorn nodded, urging her to keep talking. "She is the sole reason why the Rhoynar people survived after the war against Valyrians. When Prince Garin had fallen and all hope was lost, Nymeria stood strong, leading her people away from the Rhoyne, and after a long journey we arrived here to Dorne."
"So, she is good at running away." Bjorn said coldly, a smirk forming on his face. "Is there anything else she can do?" Dianna turned her eyes down, trying her best not to lose her cool. "You don't know her." She finally muttered with a bitter tone, and Bjorn chuckled. He stood up again, turning away from Dianna.
"She will not stop us from taking Lemonwood, no matter what you say." Bjorn's calm voice oozed of confidence and determination. Part of Dianna wanted to argue against Bjorn, mock him and belittle him, but she knew that it would be futile and stupid.
Soon Dianna saw Hargan walking out of his tent, but Lysera didn't follow. "Can I go talk to her?" Dianna asked carefully, but Bjorn just shook his head. "She is not your soldier anymore, Dianna." He said sternly. "He is Hargan's wife, so if you want to see her, better ask Hargan."
"She is too young, too weak to be treated like this!" Dianna argued with a pleading tone, and Bjorn turned to look at her. The expression on his face was stern and merciless. "But not too young and weak to march to war for your princess?" He asked coldly, turning his eyes away again.
"Please, I just want to..."
"No!" Bjorn barked strictly. "I will not have you plotting with that little bitch. You are my prisoner, she is my brother's wife, and there is nothing you two need to talk about. End of discussion." The Ironborn captain's words were rough and strong. Dianna gulped, turning her gaze down in disappointment.
"Bjorn!" A coarse male voice on their right suddenly yelled, and they both turned to look. A tall and pale man on his late thirties, with greasy blonde hair and messy beard, walked towards them, beside him an ebony skinned man with black and red robes. The tall man was the one who captained Bjorn's smaller longship, and his name was Arfast Stonetree. Dianna didn't recognize the other man, but he certainly wasn't one of Bjorn's men.
"Afternoon, gentlemen." Bjorn greeted them calmly as they arrived, and Arfast nodded to him. "Zhobho here brings some long awaited news." He announced, a smirk on his thin face. Bjorn raised an eyebrow, taking a step closer to Arfast and Zhobho. "Well, don't keep me waiting." He said quietly, spreading his arms.
"We have started the preparations for the attack on Lemonwood." Zhobho said with an emotionless voice. "Reinforcements from the west have arrived, Ser Byrron is gathering forces to the Greenblood, and message to Efran has been sent – he should be here within couple days."
"Finally." Bjorn said with almost lustful tone, a wicked grin forming on his face. Arfast placed his hand on Bjorn's shoulder. "The plunder awaits, my brother." He said with excitement, and Bjorn nodded, hugging his friend briefly. "Fuck yes." He replied, and they both bursted into laughter.
These men are monsters, laughing and cheering at the thought of murder and pillage. Dianna looked at the two Ironborn captains with bitter eyes, almost hoping that they had just killed her at Griefhill, instead of dragging her to this madness. Then Hargan arrived, and Arfast explained the situation to him as well. Bjorn's brother screamed in excitement, and soon the news spread throughout the camp, starting a celebration among the crew.
The sun was already starting to set, and most of the camp was drunk, when Bjorn arrived to Dianna again, a bottle of something in his hand. "Want a taste?" He asked, his words slurring a bit. Dianna grabbed the bottle, and took a gulp without even asking what was in it. Rum, she realized quickly, and coughed heavily as she took the bottle away from her lips. Bjorn was amused, and with a drunken laughter he took the bottle back. Without saying anything more, Bjorn walked away, back to drinking and singing with his own men. Dianna turned her eyes to Hargan's tent. She knew Lysera was there, and she knew that girl needed her support. This could be the best chance I'll get.
[Go talk to Lysera][Stay away from Hargan's tent]
-
-
Verro
Verro looked at the small road between the two hills, seeing the sand and dust stained with blood, a dozen bodies laying dead on the ground. Three of them were Efran's men, the rest soldiers of House Bravespear that they had ambushed. Verro himself had stayed on the back, not even getting to swing his sword once in this skirmish.
He dismounted his horse, and walked closer to the bodies. Efran and Malanos Vynos stood next to the body of a man named Rogon, who had apparently been part of the Thunder Crew for a long time.
"It's a bitter loss." Verro heard Malanos saying with stern tone. "Especially when it comes in such an insignificant skirmish."
"I'm sorry for your loss, Malanos." Efran said smoothly, kneeling next to Rogon's body, and closing his eyes. "Let this be another reminder, that for a warrior any day could be the last." He added with a sigh as he stood up.
"My Lord, one of them escaped." Axel informed Efran, while also sending a resentful glare at Verro. Verro had tried to apologize to him earlier, even if he didn't think he had really done anything wrong, but Axel was a stubborn and unforgiving man. In all honesty, Verro believed that the only thing keeping Axel from murdering him in his sleep was Efran.
"So, Lord Bravespear will be informed of our location before sunset." The Bandit Lord said laconically, a thoughtful expression on his face. He walked away from Rogon's body, past Malanos and Axel, and arrived to Verro. Verro glanced around nervously, wondering why Efran had approached him.
"I see you have a clean sword." He said quietly, eyeing Verro's weapon. Verro nodded with a gulp, considering his reply for a moment. "Unfortunately." He finally said with a nervous grin. Efran chuckled softly, and tapped him on the shoulder. "Better luck next time." He whispered as he walked past him.
Axel now approached Verro, but instead of saying anything he just purposely bumped into his shoulder as he walked past him, a murderous look on his eyes. Verro sighed, turning away from the bodies and walking after Efran. The Bandit Lord walked to his horse and mounted it.
"What is our next move, my Lord?" Malanos asked, a touch of impatience in his voice. Efran was quiet for a moment, observing his surroundings calmly. "We'll continue our raid, for now." He said nonchalantly, but just then Zaltha Qo, who was standing on guard atop the hill with Nesila, shouted: "Messengers coming!" And indeed, very soon they saw two riders coming towards them. One of them was a young soldier, but the other one was a woman with long blonde hair. And as they got closer, Verro recognized the woman – she was Efran's lover.
"Elise, what are you doing here?" Efran asked immediately with concerned tone. Elise flashed him a smirk, riding closer to him, so that she could give him a short kiss on the lips. "I bring a message, my Lord." She announced with a seductive tone. Even dressed on a thick leather armor and dirty boots this woman managed to be attractive – mostly because of her beautiful dark blue eyes, which now observed the Bandit Lord sharply.
"What is this message?" Efran asked calmly, glancing at the soldiers who were also impatiently waiting what Elise had to say. "Bjorn defeated the Dalt and Martell forces that tried to take Griefhill from him." She begun, and Efran nodded, a mildly pleased look on his face. "And?" He asked, knowing that couldn't be all the news.
"Corren and the help from King Lucifer have arrived, and Byrron is starting to gather the army to the Greenblood. The Ironborn are on their way to the ships, and you should return as well – we are ready to take Lemonwood now." There was excitement in the eyes of this woman when she spoke, excitement that made clear she was filled with ambition. The look on Efran's eyes was somewhat surprised, though he found his composure quickly.
"Good... I've been looking forward to this." He said quietly. "Any word from Dono?" He asked, but Elise shook her head. "I'm afraid we'll have to make do without the support of the Tolands." She answered, and Efran let out a sigh. "So be it." He said after a moment of silence, a reserved smile forming on his face.
Efran galloped a couple dozen feet away, and then turned towards his troops. He raised his Valyrian steel sword up, to get everyone's attention. "Hear me!" He shouted with a serious tone, and his men listened. "Few of you have been by my side for years, some have only just joined the cause... That doesn't matter, in what's coming soon we will all need to trust each other, and be strong together!" Elise raised her fist in the air and cheered for Efran, and many of the Thunder Crew followed her example. "We will make our way back to the ships, and sail towards the battle that will decide the fate of this rebellion. We will take Lemonwood!"
Now they all cheered, and even Verro joined in, though not quite as enthusiastically as some of the others. Soon they all got on their horses, and started their journey towards the Bandit Lord's ships. They rode for hours, before finally setting their camp on a hill, where they could easily guard all directions.
Verro walked through the camp, seeing Efran slip into his tent with Elise, Malanos Vynos speaking with Axel, and Cullen drinking and joking around with a bunch of soldiers. He walked past all them, until he reached Nesila and Zaltha Qo, who were keeping guard at the edge of the camp.
"Are you on guard duty?" Zaltha Qo asked with mild confusion, and Verro shook his head. "No, I'm just... Well, I can't sleep with so much noise, and I'm not in the mood for drinking." He explained calmly, and Nesila nodded to him.
"What do you think about the attack to Lemonwood?" She asked casually, and Verro shrugged. "I've never seen Lemonwood, I'm still not sure how big exactly are Efran's forces... so, hard to say." He answered with a sigh, and Nesila's mouth formed a small smirk. "Well, I can tell you it's not going to be easy," she said nonchalantly, "but perhaps we can do it."
"I remember you saying earlier that Efran is too ambitious with his goals." Verro remarked, but instead of Nesila, it was Zaltha who answered to him. "His ambition is admirable." He stated firmly, gazing at the distance. "He is a born leader, a charismatic and powerful man."
"Have you praised him enough yet?" Nesila asked dryly, and Zaltha raised an eyebrow. "I'm only telling the truth. Efran is an exceptional young man, like him or not." He spoke with a calm tone on his deep voice, and Verro nodded. "I agree, he is exceptional." He said, and Zaltha gave him a small smile. "That doesn't mean what he is doing here is right though." Verro added, and Zaltha's smile vanished.
"It is disrespectful to speak ill of your commander." He said quietly, and Verro let out a tired little chuckle. "I was merely saying I don't agree with his methods, that doesn't mean I don't respect him." He replied, but the way Zaltha looked at him was very doubtful.
"I see where you're coming from, Verro." Nesila said calmly. "And I've heard what happened with you and Axel." Verro let out a frustrated sigh when he heard this. "Can we just forget that, please?" He didn't regret helping the girl escape, but he was starting to wonder if it had been worth it.
"I wouldn't forget if I was Axel." Nesila remarked with a smirk, and Verro rolled his eyes. "But you are not Axel, and you wouldn't do what he was doing." Nesila chuckled at his words, taking a step closer. "And how do you know that?" She asked with a sly tone. Verro's eyes were slightly widened. "But... You wouldn't, right?" He asked with confusion.
"No, I wouldn't," Nesila admitted, "but you must understand Axel's point of view as well – he thought he had a comrade having his back. Just imagine his shock when the trident hit him in his back."
"I already apologized to him." Verro spoke with apathetic tone, and Nesila nodded to him. "Well that's good, but don't be surprised if he won't save your ass in the battle." She said.
"And who says I need saving?" Verro asked strictly, but Nesila just shook her head. "Sure, not you, Verro the Dothraki pit fighter pirate." She chuckled as she finished her sentence, though Verro wasn't quite as amused. Nesila let out a drawn out sigh, looking at the sunset. Then, she turned her eyes to Verro again. "Tell me, Verro, if we indeed come on top in this war, and Efran becomes the Lord of Lemonwood, what will you do then?"
This question caught Verro off guard, and frankly, it was something he hadn't put much thought into. Nesila eyed him with great interest, impatiently waiting for his answer, so he had to come up with something.
[Say that you don't know][Say that you'll keep serving Efran][Say that you'll start a new life]
Hell, what are they going to do? Bjorn made it clear that he wants to keep Dianna from harm so that Efran can question her. Hargan is going to whatever he wants to Lysera in either way, so it doesn't seem as if either of them has much to lose here. Even more, this could give Dianna an update on Lysera's condition. We don't really know how Hargan is treating her, though I got the impression it's bad, really bad. In that case, maybe Dianna can even start to consider escaping from there together with Lysera, but any such plan is doomed to fail if she doesn't know exactly how much help she can expect from her. One thing is for sure, I want Dianna to have escaped before meeting Efran, as interesting as such a meeting would be, because after giving up her information (which I doubt she'll do out of her own free will), she won't have any value for him. So, her best bet for survival is to escape, but I'd like to give Lysera such a chance as well.
[Say that you'll start a new life]
Now, here's the thing... Maybe Efran will become Lord of Lemonwood for a short amount of time. In the end however, he will fall. Nymeria will take it back and put him and all of his men to death. I don't know if this will truly be such a choice, but it might be one that influences Verro's own plans for the future. Therefore, I see this as the more healthy option for Verro. If he keeps serving Efran forever, well, then he sooner or later will share that jerk's fate and I really wouldn't want that. I got less of a problem with him helping Efran until the conquest of Lemonwood, but if this works out, then he should certainly nope the hell out of there afterwards, to find someone safer to work for.
Dianna
Dianna sat quietly on the beach, next to the Captain Bjorn Harlaw's tent, looking at the seven ships floating on the sea in front … moreof them. Two of them were Bjorn's longships, the five others belonged to Efran. They were on a cove that offered a natural harbor for the Bandit Lord and his allies. Bjorn's crew, and with them Dianna and Lysera, had arrived last night, but they weren't the only Bandit Lord's men camped on this beach. Dianna could see a colorful collection of pirates, bandits and sellswords walking among the Ironborn.
Then she turned her eyes to the tent of Hargan Harlaw. Hargan had entered his tent about an hour ago, dragging Lysera in with him, and neither of them had come out since. It frustrated and angered Dianna that she could do nothing to defend Lysera, an innocent girl who had shown nothing but loyalty towards her.
"You look upset." Dianna heard the voice of Bjorn say behind her. She let out a sigh, not eve… [view original content]
Dianna
Dianna sat quietly on the beach, next to the Captain Bjorn Harlaw's tent, looking at the seven ships floating on the sea in front … moreof them. Two of them were Bjorn's longships, the five others belonged to Efran. They were on a cove that offered a natural harbor for the Bandit Lord and his allies. Bjorn's crew, and with them Dianna and Lysera, had arrived last night, but they weren't the only Bandit Lord's men camped on this beach. Dianna could see a colorful collection of pirates, bandits and sellswords walking among the Ironborn.
Then she turned her eyes to the tent of Hargan Harlaw. Hargan had entered his tent about an hour ago, dragging Lysera in with him, and neither of them had come out since. It frustrated and angered Dianna that she could do nothing to defend Lysera, an innocent girl who had shown nothing but loyalty towards her.
"You look upset." Dianna heard the voice of Bjorn say behind her. She let out a sigh, not eve… [view original content]
She might as well, this may be her only real chance to see her.
[Say that you'll start a new life]
We know that Efran won't stay Lord of Lemonwood very long if he somehow succeeds. I don't want Verro to be on the losing side of a war with Nymeria. Anyways, I really enjoyed this Verro part. My characters had plenty of interactions this part.
"Sure, not you, Verro the Dothraki pit fighter pirate."
Nesila listing off his past like this reminds me that she knows basically everything about Verro, but he knows next to nothing about her. I wonder when she will begin to open up to him about her past.
Dianna
Dianna sat quietly on the beach, next to the Captain Bjorn Harlaw's tent, looking at the seven ships floating on the sea in front … moreof them. Two of them were Bjorn's longships, the five others belonged to Efran. They were on a cove that offered a natural harbor for the Bandit Lord and his allies. Bjorn's crew, and with them Dianna and Lysera, had arrived last night, but they weren't the only Bandit Lord's men camped on this beach. Dianna could see a colorful collection of pirates, bandits and sellswords walking among the Ironborn.
Then she turned her eyes to the tent of Hargan Harlaw. Hargan had entered his tent about an hour ago, dragging Lysera in with him, and neither of them had come out since. It frustrated and angered Dianna that she could do nothing to defend Lysera, an innocent girl who had shown nothing but loyalty towards her.
"You look upset." Dianna heard the voice of Bjorn say behind her. She let out a sigh, not eve… [view original content]
This is probably Dianna's best chance to see Lysera and at this point, Dianna is somewhat safe at least til she talks to Efran whule Lysera does not have much to lose anyway. If we are going to be lucky enough to have Dianna and Lysera escape eventually, risks will most likely have to be made.
[Say that you'll start a new life]
As the others have said, Verro is fighting on what will most likely be the losing side at some point so it is definitely best for Verro not to commit to this cause and keep his options open until somethimg better comes along for him.
Dianna
Dianna sat quietly on the beach, next to the Captain Bjorn Harlaw's tent, looking at the seven ships floating on the sea in front … moreof them. Two of them were Bjorn's longships, the five others belonged to Efran. They were on a cove that offered a natural harbor for the Bandit Lord and his allies. Bjorn's crew, and with them Dianna and Lysera, had arrived last night, but they weren't the only Bandit Lord's men camped on this beach. Dianna could see a colorful collection of pirates, bandits and sellswords walking among the Ironborn.
Then she turned her eyes to the tent of Hargan Harlaw. Hargan had entered his tent about an hour ago, dragging Lysera in with him, and neither of them had come out since. It frustrated and angered Dianna that she could do nothing to defend Lysera, an innocent girl who had shown nothing but loyalty towards her.
"You look upset." Dianna heard the voice of Bjorn say behind her. She let out a sigh, not eve… [view original content]
Alright, so Dianna will go talk to Lysera. It could indeed be a good idea to check on her, though Bjorn certainly won't like it if he finds out.
Verro will say that he'll start a new life once this war is over. This was mostly a character building choice, effecting mainly on what kind of plans Verro will have for his future, and also slightly on Nesila's opinion about him.
Anyway, the next part will be a Nymeria PoV, and I might get it ready before I go to sleep tonight, but if not, then I'll get it done tomorrow. The last time we saw Nymeria she was still in Sandship, about to start her march towards Redclif to confront the alleged conspirator Lord Ormond Bloodspill. Before leaving Mors voiced his concern that General Varyn going to Redclif might be taken as an insult by the Bloodspills (since Varyn killed Ormond's nephew who was caught conspiring against Nymeria). However, you voted for Nymeria to take Varyn with him anyway.
Voting is closed!
Alright, so Dianna will go talk to Lysera. It could indeed be a good idea to check on her, though Bjorn certainly won't… more like it if he finds out.
Verro will say that he'll start a new life once this war is over. This was mostly a character building choice, effecting mainly on what kind of plans Verro will have for his future, and also slightly on Nesila's opinion about him.
Anyway, the next part will be a Nymeria PoV, and I might get it ready before I go to sleep tonight, but if not, then I'll get it done tomorrow. The last time we saw Nymeria she was still in Sandship, about to start her march towards Redclif to confront the alleged conspirator Lord Ormond Bloodspill. Before leaving Mors voiced his concern that General Varyn going to Redclif might be taken as an insult by the Bloodspills (since Varyn killed Ormond's nephew who was caught conspiring against Nymeria). However, you voted for Nymeria to take Varyn with him anyway.
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Aand, this time we got a portrait of Elise:
It was early in the morning, and Nymeria was bathing in her pavilion. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting herself relax, trusting fully on the Royal Guards who were guarding at the door. For just a brief moment the Princess could imagine she was in the bath house of Ny Sar, but the sounds of the camp outside quickly pulled her away from her memories. They had arrived to Redclif late last night, and so far the Bloodspill's had shown no signs of opening their gates, so Nymeria's army had set up a siege encampment outside their walls
Nymeria stood up lazily from the bathtub, proceeding to dry herself and dress up. She strapped on her light and finely decorated armor, sheathed her short sword, and walked out of the pavilion. Outside, Farrah and Ser Boran Sargen stood on guard.
"Your Grace." They said in unison, bowing to her. "General Varyn is waiting for you in the war council, shall we go?" Farrah asked with her calm and kind voice. Nymeria let out a quiet sigh and nodded, gazing at the small fort of Redclif, which stood high on the edge of a cliff above the Narrow Sea. There would be only one direction they could attack from, if it would come to that. "Let's go." The Princess muttered, and they started to walk towards the war council tent.
"It's been a long time since I have last swung my sword, and I really hope I don't have to do it here." Nymeria said with a grim tone as they walked through the camp, and Farrah nodded understandingly. "Would you like to practice later, my Princess?" She asked calmly. Nymeria knew that would probably be needed – she had stopped training with the sword at the age of sixteen when her father died and she inherited the throne of Ny Sar, and that was almost ten years ago.
"Yeah, I definitely need some practice." She spoke quietly, and Farrah nodded again. "I'll train with you, my Princess" she said with a smile, "Whenever you want." Nymeria thanked Farrah politely, and then they arrived to the war council tent. General Varyn stood there in his sturdy armor, a stern look on his eyes.
"Princess Nymeria, Commander Farrah." He greeted them dryly, gesturing for them to sit down, and so they did. "So, what is the situation?" Nymeria asked as she took a seat.
"All the equipment is ready to move now, we could launch an assault as soon as tonight if we wanted." Varyn informed, a very subtle smile on his face. "Good to hear. Has Lord Bloodspill contacted us in any way?" Nymeria asked with a professional tone, and Varyn nodded. "Indeed, he has asked for a meeting at the neutral ground, between the encampment and the castle." The General spoke with an unenthusiastic tone.
"Do you think he wants to surrender?" Farrah asked curiously, and Varyn shrugged. "Could be." He answered shortly. "Or he could have something else in his mind, it's hard to say."
"All the same, we need to hear what he has to say – after all, the sooner we are done with this the better." Nymeria stated calmly, and Varyn nodded in agreement. "What kind of terms has he set for the meeting?" Farrah asked.
"Both can bring three men, no weapons." Varyn answered laconically. Nymeria stayed quiet for a moment, pondering on those terms. "No weapons... You don't think he would try to..."
"That would very foolish of him." Varyn assured calmly, and Nymeria nodded with a gulp. Ormond Bloodspill had very likely been conspiring against her, so it was clear that he wanted her dead. But how much does he want it? This was the question that bothered Nymeria the most, even if Lord Bloodspill didn't strike him as a man who would be ready to give his own life for a cause. All she could base her opinion on though was the word of Mors, and it seemed clear that Ormond had already proven himself to be a different man than the one Nymeria's husband remembered from his childhood.
"When is the meeting?" Nymeria finally asked with a calm and quiet voice. "In a few hours, my Princess." Varyn answered, and Nymeria gave him a decisive nod. "Good, then I have time to eat something before squashing that petty excuse of a lord." She replied with strength and confidence in her words, and an approving smile was formed on Varyn's face.
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Nymeria, Varyn, Farrah and Ser Boran approached the small table on the middle of the neutral ground. Archers at the edge of the encampment stood ready to give supporting fire, and the cavalry lead by Ananba of Volon Therys was ready to charge in, should the Bloodspill's try anything.
Ormond Bloodspill already stood by the table, which was slightly inclined due to the uneven and rocky terrain. The Lord of Redclif was an elegant man on his early forties, with edgy facial features, clean shaven face, dark and calculative eyes, as well as long and silky smooth raven black hair. A subtle smile was formed on his face for a second as Nymeria sat opposed to him. Behind Ormond stood three men – one seemed to be a septon, other one was a maester, and the third one was someone who looked distinctively similar to Ormond, only slightly younger and with short hair.
General Varyn, Commander Farrah, and Ser Boran stood behind Nymeria. For a short moment they were all in silence, and the tension could've been cut with a knife. Finally, Lord Ormond cleared his throat. "Princess Nymeria." He greeted her with his charming and polite tone, but it was still easy to hear he had no love for Nymeria.
"Lord Ormond Bloodspill, you are accused of treason." Nymeria immediately cut to the chase, and Ormond raised an eyebrow. "Forgive me, but who exactly have I committed treason against?" He asked with a perfectly calm and mellow tone.
"You have been conspiring the murder of your liege, Lord Bloodspill." Nymeria answered strictly, a touch of frustration in her voice. Ormond put on a bemused expression, glancing at his maester, who just shrugged to him. "That is quite a serious accusation, princess. Do you have something to back it up?" He asked, still keeping his voice calm and polite.
"Your nephew was caught conspiring against me, and now you refuse to open your gates to me. Stop playing games, Lord Ormond, we know that you are part of the conspiracy against me. This is your last chance to open your gates, kneel in front of me, and swear once again your allegiance to your liege, and no soldier must die here today. We might even consider releasing you of all the charges against you, if you are willing to name your fellow conspirators." Nymeria's tone was harsh, and Ormond gave her a small nod. "There is just a minor issue, Princess Nymeria of Rhoyne – Mors Martell is my liege, and I don't see him here. No, what I see is an army of foreign invaders at my gates. And what comes to my nephew, the poor boy had gotten himself into bad company, no doubt about that, but did you have to kill him for it? Perhaps I should expect no less from the likes of you." For the first time Nymeria noticed anger surfacing on the voice of Lord Ormond, but it was gone as quickly as it came, replaced by his chilling calmness.
"I give you one last warning..." Nymeria started, but Lord Ormond raised his hand to cut her off. "Do you want to know who are these three men I brought with me, Princess Nymeria, and why I brought them?" He asked with a sharp tone. Nymeria just looked at him with confusion, so he continued. "Septon Jullon here says I must keep you and your foreign friends away to protect the Seven from foreign gods." Ormond said, pointing towards the Septon, and next he turned to the maester. "Maester Edric on the other hand says that you have no chance to win your war, so I should just wait inside my castle and see how it devours you. And lastly, my brother Orwen says that I should never forgive the murderers of his son, and my nephew. So, Princess Nymeria, can you give me a reason to go against the advice of these three men I greatly respect?"
"The Seven are my gods just as they are yours, and I believe your maester is severely underestimating me and my army." Nymeria narrowed her eyes as she spoke, glaring at the lord, the septon and the maester. Ormond shrugged with a sigh. "Perhaps what you say is true, but that still leaves my poor brother... However, maybe we could still find a way to agree – I have a proposition for you."
"I'm listening." Nymeria stated, a bit surprised to see that perhaps Ormond would be ready to cooperate after all. Ormond kept Nymeria waiting for a moment, eyeing her with calculating eyes. "You will drop all your charges against me, give me a seat in your council, and make my youngest son Darren a squire for Prince Mors. In return, I will swear my allegiance to you, submit my troops to your army, and I will reveal all the information I have on the conspiracy against you. And then, as you said, no soldier will have to die here today."
Nymeria was left speechless for a moment – she had not expected a proposition like this. "I will have to discuss this first with my officers." Nymeria finally said, and Ormond gave her an understanding nod. "Take your time, I can wait." He said smoothly.
"I'll have an answer for you tomorrow." Nymeria said decisively, turning back towards the encampment now. "Let's go." She said to Varyn, Farrah and Boran, and so they followed her back to the camp.
-
The sun was already setting, but they had yet to come to a decision. General Varyn was strictly against agreeing to Lord Ormond's terms, whereas Farrah saw it as an opportunity to avoid unnecessary bloodshed.
"We cannot trust that man, it is as simple as that." Varyn insisted with a stern tone. "He is trying to get inside your court, and there he will only continue to undermine you. Traitors shouldn't be rewarded, they should be punished."
"It would be helpful to learn more about the conspiracy." Ser Boran noted calmly, but Varyn shook his head. "We have no idea how much does he really know about it, and once again we can't trust a word he'll say. Besides, whatever information he has, there are ways to get it out of him once we have taken his castle and imprisoned him."
"Is that what we really want to be?" Farrah asked with a passionate tone. "Torturers? Unfogiving killers? We have a rare opportunity to solve this conflict without a drop of blood, and I say we should use that opportunity." Varyn let out a frustrated sigh, and spread his arms. "I have already made my opinion clear." With these words he turned towards Nymeria. "It's up to you, my Princess."
Nymeria closed her eyes and sighed. Giving Ormond Bloodspill a seat in the council would be risky. But maybe it would also be a chance to keep a closer eye on him. And if Lord Ormond indeed had information on the conspiracy, it could help bring it down once and for all. The Princess opened her eyes, ready to make the decision.
Oooh man, this was a hard choice. My first thought was to decline the proposal, as it would feel natural. That guy is clearly guilty and he brought very little to actually prove his innocence. In fact, it seemed as if he didn't even try and this is concerning, because it means he is very confident in his victory. I was not sure if giving in to his demands would be a good thing, but at the same time, there was one thing I couldn't get out of my head and it did convince me to accept his offer. The thing is, Nymeria knows he is guilty. I however doubt that he knows that she knows. If he is at the council, maybe we can use him, by feeding him only the information he has to know, perhaps even outright misleading the entire conspiracy if we make smart choices for Nymeria in the future. And since it is pretty clear that the conspiracy is bigger than him, I think by sparing him, we could still give him some purpose. Declining his offer would mean a costly battle at a time where the Martell's can't really need it. By keeping him alive, maybe we will have the choice to get the names out of him later on. This is especially true since we'd get his son as a squire. Sure, it's the youngest son, but I kinda doubt that Ormond will risk the safety of his son by making a move against Nymeria.
Nymeria
It was early in the morning, and Nymeria was bathing in her pavilion. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting herself relax, tr… moreusting fully on the Royal Guards who were guarding at the door. For just a brief moment the Princess could imagine she was in the bath house of Ny Sar, but the sounds of the camp outside quickly pulled her away from her memories. They had arrived to Redclif late last night, and so far the Bloodspill's had shown no signs of opening their gates, so Nymeria's army had set up a siege encampment outside their walls
Nymeria stood up lazily from the bathtub, proceeding to dry herself and dress up. She strapped on her light and finely decorated armor, sheathed her short sword, and walked out of the pavilion. Outside, Farrah and Ser Boran Sargen stood on guard.
"Your Grace." They said in unison, bowing to her. "General Varyn is waiting for you in the war council, shall we go?" Farrah asked with her calm and … [view original content]
I agree with Liquid on this one. This conspiracy against Nymeria I am sure includes more people and probably people more powerful then Ormond Bloodspill so it is definitely a good idea to keep him as close to her as possible. She can learn more about this conspiracy from him even though he likely may not tell the whole truth and most importantly she can have him around to mislead in council meetings and make sure herself that this conspiracy against her does not grow to be more powerful than what he seems to already be. As much as I am interested to see a battle from Nymeria's PoV, I know that there will be plenty of opportunities for that in the future and that this is probably the best choice for Nymeria here. On a side note though, I am pretty curious as to why Mors didn't go with Nymeria to this siege? Was it out of some kind of respect for his childhood friend or is he just aggravated about Nymeria choosing to go to Redclif with an army? I remember you telling me at the end of last chapter that Nymeria's storyline would be pretty exciting in this chapter and I definitely agree with this. Nymeria has moved up the rankings in my list of favorite PoV's that is for sure
Nymeria
It was early in the morning, and Nymeria was bathing in her pavilion. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting herself relax, tr… moreusting fully on the Royal Guards who were guarding at the door. For just a brief moment the Princess could imagine she was in the bath house of Ny Sar, but the sounds of the camp outside quickly pulled her away from her memories. They had arrived to Redclif late last night, and so far the Bloodspill's had shown no signs of opening their gates, so Nymeria's army had set up a siege encampment outside their walls
Nymeria stood up lazily from the bathtub, proceeding to dry herself and dress up. She strapped on her light and finely decorated armor, sheathed her short sword, and walked out of the pavilion. Outside, Farrah and Ser Boran Sargen stood on guard.
"Your Grace." They said in unison, bowing to her. "General Varyn is waiting for you in the war council, shall we go?" Farrah asked with her calm and … [view original content]
On a side note though, I am pretty curious as to why Mors didn't go with Nymeria to this siege? Was it out of some kind of respect for his childhood friend or is he just aggravated about Nymeria choosing to go to Redclif with an army? I remember you telling me at the end of last chapter that Nymeria's storyline would be pretty exciting in this chapter and I definitely agree with this. Nymeria has moved up the rankings in my list of favorite PoV's that is for sure
Oh, that's right, I guess I didn't really explain why Mors didn't come Well, the reason is simply that Nym and Mors thought it's best if one of them stays in Sandship. At some point they will have to leave someone else to hold Sandship, but for this mission it wasn't necessary for both of them to leave. Of course, Mors coming might have been useful, but going with an army was Nymeria's solution so it was her who took the mission. And while Mors might not like the approach, he is at best mildly irritated, so nothing too bad Oh, and Ormond isn't necessarily Mors' childhood friend, but rather Mors' fathers' childhood friend (and friend in general) But anyway, Mors' has mostly fond memories of him.
And yeah, Nymeria's storyline has been one of my own favorites as well in this chapter, but I'm pretty sure Chapter 3 will be even better for her
[Accept Ormond's proposal]
I agree with Liquid on this one. This conspiracy against Nymeria I am sure includes more people and probably p… moreeople more powerful then Ormond Bloodspill so it is definitely a good idea to keep him as close to her as possible. She can learn more about this conspiracy from him even though he likely may not tell the whole truth and most importantly she can have him around to mislead in council meetings and make sure herself that this conspiracy against her does not grow to be more powerful than what he seems to already be. As much as I am interested to see a battle from Nymeria's PoV, I know that there will be plenty of opportunities for that in the future and that this is probably the best choice for Nymeria here. On a side note though, I am pretty curious as to why Mors didn't go with Nymeria to this siege? Was it out of some kind of respect for his childhood friend or is he just aggravated about Nymeria choosing … [view original content]
I read the part when it came out, but couldn't decide about the choice so I decided to read some other opinions first. Well, it didn't help lol I still can't make my mind, but I'll go ahead with other two choices so far so:
Nymeria
It was early in the morning, and Nymeria was bathing in her pavilion. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting herself relax, tr… moreusting fully on the Royal Guards who were guarding at the door. For just a brief moment the Princess could imagine she was in the bath house of Ny Sar, but the sounds of the camp outside quickly pulled her away from her memories. They had arrived to Redclif late last night, and so far the Bloodspill's had shown no signs of opening their gates, so Nymeria's army had set up a siege encampment outside their walls
Nymeria stood up lazily from the bathtub, proceeding to dry herself and dress up. She strapped on her light and finely decorated armor, sheathed her short sword, and walked out of the pavilion. Outside, Farrah and Ser Boran Sargen stood on guard.
"Your Grace." They said in unison, bowing to her. "General Varyn is waiting for you in the war council, shall we go?" Farrah asked with her calm and … [view original content]
I basically was in the same situation as APlegends. If we do this, we need to make sure that he doesn't lie to us or withhold information when revealing the others involved in the conspiracy. Hopefully we can prevent him from consistently undermining us when he is in our council. I just hope this decision won't end up hurting us in the future.
Nymeria
It was early in the morning, and Nymeria was bathing in her pavilion. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting herself relax, tr… moreusting fully on the Royal Guards who were guarding at the door. For just a brief moment the Princess could imagine she was in the bath house of Ny Sar, but the sounds of the camp outside quickly pulled her away from her memories. They had arrived to Redclif late last night, and so far the Bloodspill's had shown no signs of opening their gates, so Nymeria's army had set up a siege encampment outside their walls
Nymeria stood up lazily from the bathtub, proceeding to dry herself and dress up. She strapped on her light and finely decorated armor, sheathed her short sword, and walked out of the pavilion. Outside, Farrah and Ser Boran Sargen stood on guard.
"Your Grace." They said in unison, bowing to her. "General Varyn is waiting for you in the war council, shall we go?" Farrah asked with her calm and … [view original content]
Nymeria will accept Ormond's proposal, dropping the charges of treason against him, taking him into her council, and making his youngest son a squire for Prince Mors. In return, Ormond has promised to reveal what he knows of the conspiracy. Even if it's very questionable if Ormond can be trusted to truly tell everything he knows, it might still be useful - and at least now he will constantly be under the watchful eye of Nym and her allies. This is also a risk though - Ormond Bloodspill clearly doesn't have much respect for Nymeria, so him lurking in Sandship will be... well, stressful for Nym. Btw, this exact deal would've been the result of sending Mors to Redclif Oh, and one of the more clear and obvious positives to this choice will be that now Nymeria can quickly move on with her war, without spending time, lives and resources in taking Redclif.
The next part is going to be Emerson PoV. It's about half done, and I'd say tomorrow is a safe bet for when I get it ready. Last time Emerson took part in a family dinner with Lord Morgan, Lady Vita, Esperence and Emmett. The atmosphere was quite tense from the beginning, as they conversed the situation of House Allyrion now being in alliance with King Lucifer. However, the dinner was interrupted by Jamison, who brought with him the severed head of Horidos, urging Morgan to solve who was behind the assassination attempt. As he left, Jamison thanked Emerson for warning him earlier. After Morgan and Vita left, Emerson and Esperence got into a bit of an argument, and Esperence brought up how Emerson probably seemed suspicious in Morgan's eyes right now. At the end Esperence tried to make Emerson swear he wouldn't sell her out to Morgan, and you voted for him to swear it.
Anyway, before this Emerson part, we should be getting a new H&L!
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Also, here is a portrait of our newest character, Lord Ormond Bloodspill:
Here is my very first H&L. I hope you guys enjoy it!
Eraehra Galnaris - The Broken Promise
That day in Valyria began like any other for Eraehra Galnaris, calm and peaceful. However, little did she know that this would be the day that would change not only her life, but the entire Galnaris family forever. On the morning Eraehra was being tutored by her mentor Maemar. It was not too long ago that her father did not approve of her being so inquisitive about wanting to learn and understand the histories and cultures of other people, but he had eventually relented. Unbeknownst to him though, Maemar had been secretly fueling Eraehra's curiosity and tutoring her for years.
Eraehra listened to the teachings of Maemar, her older brother Raevon was feeding the family dragon and checking on her eggs, and her younger sister, Vaela, was waking up late and getting ready for the day. It seemed like just another day for this Dragonlord family.
This time Eraehra was learning about the people, land, and culture of Naath. The bodyguard Jaelor was standing in guard nearby as the lesson was ending. “So Eraehra, tell me, what do you find most interesting about the people of Naath?” Maemar inquired. Eraehra pondered on the question for a moment, and then answered, "I am impressed by their peacefulness and aversion to war. I wish all people could share their view of the world.” Maemar looked at her with sincerity in his wrinkled eyes. “Yes, that would be nice", he said with a small sigh, "However, it is highly unrealistic. You should also remember that it is their own passivity that allows the people of Naath to be so easily captured and enslaved. Even their Butterfly fever can’t always protect them.” Just as Eraehra was about to answer, Grezhan burst through the door. The Ghiscari bodyguard had to catch his breath for a moment, and Jaelor who stood next to him looked at him with mild confusion. “Lady Eraehra, you father requests the presence of you and your siblings immediately”, Grezhan said with a serious tone on his voice.
Grezhan and Jaelor escorted Eraehra through the palace, and as they arrived to the Great Hall she noticed that her father, Lord Daehron, and her siblings Raevon and Vaela were already there. She did not see her mother, Lady Vysaela, but she could hear her faint crying from the corridor. Lord Daehron looked a little disheveled, with glazed and weak look on his eyes. Never before had Eraehra seen her father in such a state.
Raevon was the first to speak up. “What is this about father?” He asked carefully. “Why did you call us here?” Their father looked at them intently and said, “As you know your brother Jaevon has been serving as my brother’s…”, he paused for a moment, let out a sigh, and continued, “Jaevon has been your Uncle Jaegaron’s squire. As you also know, they were supposed to return here in a couple of years. However, that is no longer going to happen.”
“What do you mean?” Vaela interjected, though it was clear from her shaky voice that she had the same bad feeling that Eraehra had. And so, Daehron continued, “Your Uncle was leading a small retinue of soldiers down a path between two cliffs. Your brother was with him, and…” Daehron stopped, closing his eyes and clenching his teeth to keep his composure. “Apparently, the cowardly Rhoynar ambushed the retinue and blocked their escapes. Their blasted water witches used their magic to trap and drown many, and the rest... the rest were slain. Your uncle and brother did not make it.” For a moment silence lingered in the hall, and Eraehra could see the shock and grief taking over her sibling’s expressions. “No… It can’t be”, Raevon muttered, tears coming to his eyes. NOO!,” he wailed as he buried his face in his hands, his silver hair falling over them. Vaela fainted after hearing the news, but the guards and servants quickly attended to her. Eraehra just stood there staring at her father, and for a while she was unable to say anything. “No, no, this has to be some sort of mistake”, she finally said weakly, looking at her father for support, but Daehron shook his head subtly, a devastated look on his eyes.
“What was uncle even doing leading a retinue? And why was Jaevon with him?” Eraehra asked these questions with strict and angered tone, but there were no answers. “This doesn’t make sense, this can’t be right.”
“I am afraid it is, Eraehra”, Daehron finally said with a grim tone. “I remember you saying some time ago that you admired the culture of the Rhoynar… I guess they aren’t as great as you claim them to be.” After hearing this, Eraehra ran from the great hall, bursting into tears.
Eraehra ran through the courtyard, the wind making her silver hair flow, and tears running down her cheeks. Once she reached her chambers, she buried her face in her pillow, weeping as the memories of her younger brother came racing through her mind. She remembered the time Jaevon had walked in on her studies. It had been earlier that same day when her father had furiously forbidden her from studying foreign cultures and histories. Eraehra remembered the playful smirk on Jaevon’s face as he found her once again being mentored by Maemar. “Well, well, well, what do we have here? A rule breaker perhaps”, Eraehra remembered him saying gleefully. In order to keep her secret Jaevon had demanded Eraehra to tell him what Maemar was teaching her. This had surprised Eraehra, but she gladly shared with her brother the information about Dothrakies that Maemar had just told her.
“Hordes of over ten thousand horse warriors, you say? That is awesome!” Jaevon excitedly proclaimed as Eraehra had finished her lecture. “Well, I’m glad you found all this interesting”, She responded with a raised eyebrow.
“Hey Eraehra, you did not really think I was going to tell father, did you?” Jaevon asked softly, and Eraehra looked at him inquisitively. With the warmest smile on his face, Jaevon said the words Eraehra would always remember, “You know I love you, sis.”
Those words echoing in her head, Eraehra wiped the tears from her eyes, letting out a weak sigh. Another memory came to her mind - something that had occurred on the day Jaevon left with Uncle Jaegaron. Right before he had to leave, he had pulled Eraehra aside. “Hey sis, I know you’re planning to go and see many exciting places... When I come back, could you take me somewhere?” He had asked, a genuine look on his eyes.
“Of course, I’ll take you wherever you want to go, Jaevon”, she had answered gently, and a weak smile was formed on her brother’s face. “Do you promise?” He asked. Eraehra looked at him intently and answered, “Yes, I promise.”
A few weeks after the news had arrived, there was a funeral for the fallen members of the Galnaris family. At the funeral, Eraehra touched the coffin of her younger brother. I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise, she thought with sadness. Eraehra held her brother’s favorite dagger in her hand and whispered, “However, I will always take a part of you with me, wherever my journeys take me... and I will remember the people who did this to you.” Eraehra backed away, and a flaming arrow landed into Jaevon’s coffin and bursted it into flames, as the Galnaris family looked on. The fire reflected in Eraehra’s violet eyes, as she thought about those who had taken her brother’s life. The Rhoynar.
This part is a really nice glance to Eraehra's past. It also gives a pretty unique perspective to the whole Second Spice War, which is usually seen as a great tragedy for the people of Rhoyne, but obviously the war had its casualties on both sides. Good job!
Here is my very first H&L. I hope you guys enjoy it!
Eraehra Galnaris - The Broken Promise
That day in Valyria began like any othe… morer for Eraehra Galnaris, calm and peaceful. However, little did she know that this would be the day that would change not only her life, but the entire Galnaris family forever. On the morning Eraehra was being tutored by her mentor Maemar. It was not too long ago that her father did not approve of her being so inquisitive about wanting to learn and understand the histories and cultures of other people, but he had eventually relented. Unbeknownst to him though, Maemar had been secretly fueling Eraehra's curiosity and tutoring her for years.
Eraehra listened to the teachings of Maemar, her older brother Raevon was feeding the family dragon and checking on her eggs, and her younger sister, Vaela, was waking up late and getting ready for the day. It seemed like just another day for this Dragonlord family.
… [view original content]
Oh, and one of the more clear and obvious positives to this choice will be that now Nymeria can quickly move on with her war, without spending time, lives and resources in taking Redclif.
Ah, that was something I have put into consideration, though I haven't really wrote it down. I bet at the current stage of her war, the last thing Nymeria needs is war with one of her bannermen, especially as Lucifer is trying his best to win allies among the lords of Central Dorne and has certainly made good progress with that. Don't want to support that guy too much. Or, better yet, don't want to support him at all, even though I hope he at least manages to take Vaith. That said, I hope we won't regret giving Ormond this chance, even if it might be wise for Nymeria to keep her enemies close.
Also, here is a portrait of our newest character, Lord Ormond Bloodspill:
It is amazing how this guy looks exactly how I imagined him to look This is the image I had in mind while reading the part. I mean, most of the portraits end up resembling the image I already got from the way you described them, but it has never been that uncanny before. Well done
Voting is closed!
Nymeria will accept Ormond's proposal, dropping the charges of treason against him, taking him into her council, and ma… moreking his youngest son a squire for Prince Mors. In return, Ormond has promised to reveal what he knows of the conspiracy. Even if it's very questionable if Ormond can be trusted to truly tell everything he knows, it might still be useful - and at least now he will constantly be under the watchful eye of Nym and her allies. This is also a risk though - Ormond Bloodspill clearly doesn't have much respect for Nymeria, so him lurking in Sandship will be... well, stressful for Nym. Btw, this exact deal would've been the result of sending Mors to Redclif Oh, and one of the more clear and obvious positives to this choice will be that now Nymeria can quickly move on with her war, without spending time, lives and resources in taking Redclif.
The next part is going to be Emerson PoV. It's about half done, and I… [view original content]
This is an amazing H&L! I had such a thought before that there is a lot more to Eraehra than it seemed at first and as a Valyrian noblewoman, she certainly has one of the most unique perspectives on Nymeria's war, so I was already rather curious about her past before this part. You definitely managed to make me even more intrigued by her now and it was pretty great to get this deeper glimpse on her personality.
And well, keeping with the unique role Eraehra has in the main story, this one also gave a different view on the Second Spice War, as Wildling already stated. I must say, I have not expected such feels from her H&L, but that was seriously sad So far, my sympathies in the Spice War have laid almost completely with the Rhoynar, given that they have been the huge underdogs, but this H&L managed to warm me up a bit more to the Valyrians. All in all, a wonderfully written part, thank you for writing and sharing it
Here is my very first H&L. I hope you guys enjoy it!
Eraehra Galnaris - The Broken Promise
That day in Valyria began like any othe… morer for Eraehra Galnaris, calm and peaceful. However, little did she know that this would be the day that would change not only her life, but the entire Galnaris family forever. On the morning Eraehra was being tutored by her mentor Maemar. It was not too long ago that her father did not approve of her being so inquisitive about wanting to learn and understand the histories and cultures of other people, but he had eventually relented. Unbeknownst to him though, Maemar had been secretly fueling Eraehra's curiosity and tutoring her for years.
Eraehra listened to the teachings of Maemar, her older brother Raevon was feeding the family dragon and checking on her eggs, and her younger sister, Vaela, was waking up late and getting ready for the day. It seemed like just another day for this Dragonlord family.
… [view original content]
This is an amazing H&L! I had such a thought before that there is a lot more to Eraehra than it seemed at first and as a Valyrian noblew… moreoman, she certainly has one of the most unique perspectives on Nymeria's war, so I was already rather curious about her past before this part. You definitely managed to make me even more intrigued by her now and it was pretty great to get this deeper glimpse on her personality.
And well, keeping with the unique role Eraehra has in the main story, this one also gave a different view on the Second Spice War, as Wildling already stated. I must say, I have not expected such feels from her H&L, but that was seriously sad So far, my sympathies in the Spice War have laid almost completely with the Rhoynar, given that they have been the huge underdogs, but this H&L managed to warm me up a bit more to the Valyrians. All in all, a wonderfully written part, thank you for writing and sharing it
This was truly an excellent H&L! You have made many characters that I really enjoy in this story so it is nice that you decided to write an H&L. Like the others have said, this really showed a great glimpse inside Eraehra's head and it shows that war takes a toll on everyone involved even the people who are said to be the victors. This H&L was very well written and I am glad you decided to write it. Great job and thanks Tales
Here is my very first H&L. I hope you guys enjoy it!
Eraehra Galnaris - The Broken Promise
That day in Valyria began like any othe… morer for Eraehra Galnaris, calm and peaceful. However, little did she know that this would be the day that would change not only her life, but the entire Galnaris family forever. On the morning Eraehra was being tutored by her mentor Maemar. It was not too long ago that her father did not approve of her being so inquisitive about wanting to learn and understand the histories and cultures of other people, but he had eventually relented. Unbeknownst to him though, Maemar had been secretly fueling Eraehra's curiosity and tutoring her for years.
Eraehra listened to the teachings of Maemar, her older brother Raevon was feeding the family dragon and checking on her eggs, and her younger sister, Vaela, was waking up late and getting ready for the day. It seemed like just another day for this Dragonlord family.
… [view original content]
Once again Emerson stood alone in the crypt of Godsgrace, staring silently at the tomb of his father. "I wish you could be here to guide me, father." He said quietly, observing the face of the statue, wondering if it was anything like what Lord Mason had really looked like. "Everyone says you were a wise and good man... I wish I could be too, but I feel uncertain. How could I have wisdom and courage of a lord, when Morgan brought me up as a bastard?" Emerson let out a sigh, turning his gaze down. He stood there in silence for minutes, thinking about all that had happened recently. His family was divided in two, and both sides wanted to use him. War was coming, a war that could end up destroying the legacy Emerson had dreamed he would one day inherit.
"Esperence made me swear by the gods." He whispered, turning his eyes to the statue of Mason again. "Made me swear I would not reveal her plans to Morgan... Is that the right thing to do? It feels like no matter what I choose to do I'm betraying my own blood... There is no honorable option, not in this conflict. If only you could be here to guide me, father." After these wistful words, Emerson turned around, and walked out of the crypts.
As he came to the courtyard, he saw the Dayne convoy getting ready to leave. The Dayne knights were glancing around nervously as they spoke to each other, and the atmosphere on the courtyard was tense. For a moment Emerson's eyes met with Jamison's, but for once the Dayne prince's expression wasn't cocky or arrogant. Instead he eyed at Emerson with stern curiosity, and for a moment Emerson thought the Prince would approach him, but he didn't. Emerson kept walking, finally arriving to the doors of the keep, where Morgan was waiting for him.
"Emerson." Morgan said dryly, and Emerson nodded to him. "Yes, my Lord?" He replied calmly, but for a moment Morgan gave him no answer, just glaring at him. "We ought to have a conversation... Follow." With these cold words Morgan walked back inside the keep. Emerson glanced once more towards the Dayne's, who were now riding out of the gates. With a gulp her turned to follow his uncle.
In silence they made their way to the office of the Lord, and Emerson could feel his heartbeat getting faster. He was nervous, there was no denying that, and the intense look on Morgan's eyes certainly didn't help. The Lord of Godsgrace sat down to his chair, gazing sharply at Emerson, who remained standing in front of the desk.
"Tell me, Emerson, what is the most important thing for us in this conflict between the Dryland's and Martell's?" Morgan was tapping on the surface of the desk as he spoke, and Emerson gulped subtly. "Survival." He answered quietly, and Morgan nodded.
"Exactly." He said strictly, standing up again. "I couldn't care less if King Lucifer wins his war, or if the Rhoynar princess wins, but House Allyrion must survive. I will not have my legacy burned to ashes, do you understand?"
"I understand, my Lord." Emerson answered sternly. Morgan looked at him for a moment, and then walked closer, putting his hand on his shoulder. "Had my eldest son survived things would've been different, but now... You are the only heir I have Emerson, so I expect you to prove to me that you are worth it." Morgan spoke with quiet but tense words. Emerson listened quietly, unsure what his uncle wanted from him.
"And how can I prove myself?" He asked, and a thin smile was formed on Morgan's face. Without giving an answer, the Lord walked back to his chair and sat down. "I know that this thug named Horidos had worked for Esperence earlier." Morgan revealed casually, narrowing his eyes now. "I'm assuming you know this too." Morgan looked at Emerson, but he gave him no answer, so the lord continued. "Perhaps you even knew that Esperence would try to have Jamison killed, which is why you warned him."
"That's not how it went..." Emerson started, but his uncle raised his hand to interrupt him. "Don't waste your time, Emerson... I know you have more love for your cousin than you have for me. And I love my daughter too, why else would I turn a blind eye to her meddling with criminals and cutthroats? But this is not about love, Emerson, this is about survival. And in order to survive, we cannot have a war amongst ourselves."
"Tell me then, what do you want me to do?" Emerson asked with a touch of frustration in his words. Morgan took his time to answer, and when he finally spoke his words were heavy. "Find Esperence for me." He put emphasis on every word, looking Emerson straight to the eyes.
"Esperence... She is not here?" Emerson asked in confusion, and his uncle shook his head. "She left the castle last night with Emmett, and is now hiding somewhere in the city. I would send my guard to look for her, but I want to avoid any bloodshed on the streets – I know her thugs are protecting her. However, you could... lure her out."
Emerson didn't know what to say – he was shocked of how far this situation had gone. Perhaps a conflict between Esperence and Morgan had been inevitable, but Emerson had never expected it to happen so soon. "I... I will find her." He said quietly. Emerson did want to find his cousin, but whether he wanted to turn her to Morgan was another question. I swore to the gods I would not betray her.
"Good." Morgan replied, letting out a sigh. "Ser Niclas is waiting for you on the courtyard, go talk to him."
Emerson bowed clumsily to Lord Morgan, and backed out of the office. With all kinds of thoughts racing through his mind, Emerson walked the corridor towards the doors of the keep. However, before he made it to the doors, someone approached him. It was Lia, one of Esperence's newest allies.
Lia eyed Emerson with a cold look on her hazel eyes. "Esperence wants to meet you." She said with calm and quiet words, and Emerson raised his eyebrow. "Where is she?" He asked immediately, but Lia just chuckled coldly. "Follow me and I'll take you to her." She answered nonchalantly. Emerson glanced around himself nervously. He knew Ser Niclas was waiting for him, and he knew Morgan would not forgive him siding with Esperence now – and neither would Esperence forgive him siding with Morgan. "Come on, let's go." Lia urged, but Emerson was still uncertain.
Damn... The Godsgrace situation is getting more complicated with every part. I have the feeling it won't be possible for much longer for Emerson to pick a side and that pretty soon, he will be forced into an alliance with either Morgan or Esperence. And well, I am still not sure whom he should ally with. Morgan sliiightly gained some trust in this part, due to him appearing somewhat genuine in his conversation with Emerson. After all, he might be one of the most unpleasant characters in the story, but at the same time, he has few other options when it comes to his heir. However, Esperence is the somewhat more sympathetic one, so I am not exactly willing to ally with Morgan. Thing is, this choice initially looked like the one where Emerson has to pick a choice, but actually, I sense some tiny possibility of following Lia being more of a neutral option than one that favours Esperence. I mean, sure, Morgan wants him to meet Niclas, but he previously told him that he is supposed to find Esperence. By following Lia, he'd do exactly that. By going to Niclas, he'd anger Esperence and probably lose her trust and he'd lose a lead for her whereabouts, meaning that his chances of getting Morgan's favour would also decline.
Emerson
Once again Emerson stood alone in the crypt of Godsgrace, staring silently at the tomb of his father. "I wish you could be here t… moreo guide me, father." He said quietly, observing the face of the statue, wondering if it was anything like what Lord Mason had really looked like. "Everyone says you were a wise and good man... I wish I could be too, but I feel uncertain. How could I have wisdom and courage of a lord, when Morgan brought me up as a bastard?" Emerson let out a sigh, turning his gaze down. He stood there in silence for minutes, thinking about all that had happened recently. His family was divided in two, and both sides wanted to use him. War was coming, a war that could end up destroying the legacy Emerson had dreamed he would one day inherit.
"Esperence made me swear by the gods." He whispered, turning his eyes to the statue of Mason again. "Made me swear I would not reveal her plans to Morgan... Is that the right thing … [view original content]
God damn it, another choice in which I can't make my mind. I want to stay neutral, but this just doesn't seem possible with either choice. Unlike Liquid I thing going with Ser Niclas would be more neutral option since I don't think we can piss off Esperence as much as we can piss off Morgan, however I'll go ahead and choose [Follow Lia] . I have been siding with Esperence this whole story, It's just that I think that Emerson will achieve his goal easier if he first takes down Morgan and then Esperence. My only fear is Nymeria legitimizing Esperence even though Emerson is first in line even by Rhoynish laws (But hell, he comes before Morgan as well and Morgan is the lord so there is that). If we side with Morgan, we are waiting for him to die to be a lord, if we side with Esperence, we are in 1v1 contestion and not waiting for anything.
Emerson
Once again Emerson stood alone in the crypt of Godsgrace, staring silently at the tomb of his father. "I wish you could be here t… moreo guide me, father." He said quietly, observing the face of the statue, wondering if it was anything like what Lord Mason had really looked like. "Everyone says you were a wise and good man... I wish I could be too, but I feel uncertain. How could I have wisdom and courage of a lord, when Morgan brought me up as a bastard?" Emerson let out a sigh, turning his gaze down. He stood there in silence for minutes, thinking about all that had happened recently. His family was divided in two, and both sides wanted to use him. War was coming, a war that could end up destroying the legacy Emerson had dreamed he would one day inherit.
"Esperence made me swear by the gods." He whispered, turning his eyes to the statue of Mason again. "Made me swear I would not reveal her plans to Morgan... Is that the right thing … [view original content]
[Follow Lia] I was very much determined to go to Ser Niclas here after getting to see this different side of Morgan which made me realize he may not be that bad of a guy after all. Morgan flat out told Emerson that he is his only heir so Emerson seems to be in better shape than I thought. However, flat out disobeying too much could very much effect that. Liquid brought up a solid argument and I can say it was the deciding factor for me here. By going with Lia, he would be doing exactly what Morgan wanted him to do by finding Esperence so I don't believe Morgan could be too mad here. Of course with Morgan, it can be hard to tell sometimes.
I will say though that it was really cool getting to learn more about Morgan and getting to see that he seems to have reasonably good intentions or at least he does for someone who took a lordship that does not belong to him and he is making the rightful lord jump through hoops to be his heir It does seem that this situation in Godsgrace could be coming to a boiling point soon and that is not even mentioning the Dryland-Martell war that will be reaching their doorstep soon as well. Soon they will have to truly decide between the Dryland's and Martell's which will be a huge factor in how things go for the Allyrion's going forward. Safe to say that I am really intrigued to see where Emerson's storyline goes from here!
Emerson
Once again Emerson stood alone in the crypt of Godsgrace, staring silently at the tomb of his father. "I wish you could be here t… moreo guide me, father." He said quietly, observing the face of the statue, wondering if it was anything like what Lord Mason had really looked like. "Everyone says you were a wise and good man... I wish I could be too, but I feel uncertain. How could I have wisdom and courage of a lord, when Morgan brought me up as a bastard?" Emerson let out a sigh, turning his gaze down. He stood there in silence for minutes, thinking about all that had happened recently. His family was divided in two, and both sides wanted to use him. War was coming, a war that could end up destroying the legacy Emerson had dreamed he would one day inherit.
"Esperence made me swear by the gods." He whispered, turning his eyes to the statue of Mason again. "Made me swear I would not reveal her plans to Morgan... Is that the right thing … [view original content]
I agree with the others, on this one. By following Lia, he will find Esperence like Morgan asked. If Esperence gives him a better offer, he can side with her. If not, he can give her location to Morgan. It is somewhat of a win win situation for Emerson.
Emerson
Once again Emerson stood alone in the crypt of Godsgrace, staring silently at the tomb of his father. "I wish you could be here t… moreo guide me, father." He said quietly, observing the face of the statue, wondering if it was anything like what Lord Mason had really looked like. "Everyone says you were a wise and good man... I wish I could be too, but I feel uncertain. How could I have wisdom and courage of a lord, when Morgan brought me up as a bastard?" Emerson let out a sigh, turning his gaze down. He stood there in silence for minutes, thinking about all that had happened recently. His family was divided in two, and both sides wanted to use him. War was coming, a war that could end up destroying the legacy Emerson had dreamed he would one day inherit.
"Esperence made me swear by the gods." He whispered, turning his eyes to the statue of Mason again. "Made me swear I would not reveal her plans to Morgan... Is that the right thing … [view original content]
And Emerson will follow Lia. I know, this was an extremely short voting, but the result is clear already, all who have recently been active have already voted, and the next part is ready So, no use to keep this voting open any longer. Anyway, many of you brought up a good point that this could indeed be seen as a neutral option, as it still leaves both options open in terms of who will Emerson side with. Anyway, Esperence should have some interesting things to say to Emerson
However, next we will have Dalia part! Last we saw Dalia, she was at Hellgate Hall with her daughter Desirea, and her sellsword company the Wild Suns. She made a deal with her father, King Lucifer: she'll conquer Vaith for him, and he'll make her his heir. And as we continue, the Wild Suns have started their march, and are closing in Vaith. No action yet in this part, but it should be pretty interesting nonetheless And it comes right away, in the next post!
It was a hot day, perhaps the hottest of the summer so far, but luckily the Wild Suns had found a place for their camp on a shadowy valley between two hills, which made it at least somewhat bearable. Few miles south flowed the upper reaches of the river Vaith, and that's where the road would take them tomorrow.
Dalia walked quietly through the camp, observing her army, making sure the morale was still high. Lucifer had given Dalia around four hundred of his own troops, and those men were led by Ser Howar Uller, the second son of Lord Harrion Uller. Ser Howar claimed to know the Vaith well, which would certainly come useful, since Dalia herself hardly remembered what the city even looked like.
Dalia walked past the pavilion of Howar, but decided to keep going, as she knew Mizro, Khazor and the others were already waiting for her. Finally she made her way to the pavilion of the war council, and indeed her commanders were already there. Mizro was leaning on the table with a calm look on his sharp eyes, Khazor was sitting at the other end of the table with stern expression on his face, Red Maggot standing next to him, while Marduk, Iznein Ironheart and Haridos Fyllah were laughing about something.
"Afternoon, gentlemen", Dalia greeted them dryly, and they all shifted their attention to her. "As you know, we will soon reach the northern coast of Vaith, and after that the rest of the journey should prove to be easier."
"That is good to hear, Commander Dalia", Khazor said quietly, "Some of my men have started to show resentment towards this mission these past few days."
"And have you done anything to uplift their spirits?" Dalia asked with an inquiring tone, and Khazor reacted with narrowing his eyes. "I have reminded them of the spoils and payments that await them", he answered sternly. Dalia settled to giving Khazor an approving nod, and then moved on to the next topic. "Mizro, how are the supplies?" She asked calmly.
"Still plenty of food and drink left", Mizro answered with a laid back tone. "We should be able to siege Vaith for a couple months with what we have."
"Good, though that is not what we are going to do – my father needs Vaith as soon as possible", Dalia spoke decidedly, eyeing at each of her commanders. For a moment they were all silent, until Marduk cleared his throat and spoke up. "Mylady, are you sure we aren't underestimating the defenses of this city?" He asked, and Dalia immediately shook her head.
"Vaith is a small and pathetic excuse of a city, it shouldn't be too hard for an army this size", she explained nonchalantly, and Marduk nodded subtly. "Now, does anyone have..."
Dalia's sentence was interrupted by Captain Zara storming into the tent. "Lady Dalia", the young woman said with a hasty tone, and Dalia urged her to go on. "There is a small force approaching us from the east."
"Enemies?" Dalia asked calmly, but Zara shook her head. "At least they are marching under a white banner. The scouts say there was around hundred of them, led by a strong man with short blonde hair and accompanied by a red priestess."
"A red priestess?" Dalia asked with widened eyes, uncertain if she had heard correctly, and Zara nodded as confirmation. "Alright, take me to them", she said determinantly, and Zara nodded again. "Ser Howar, Vyran, Belan and Lady Desirea are already waiting for you", the captain informed. Dalia turned once more towards her commanders. "Get the men ready, in case these fuckers want a fight", she commanded, and then she left the pavilion with Zara. However, Mizro quickly ran after them.
"What?" He asked with a smirk as Dalia glared at him. "I want to see who these people are, Khazor can take care of the camp." Mizro's tone was genuinely enthusiastic, and Dalia gave him a small nod. They made their way to Howar, Vyran, Belan and Desirea, who were waiting for them at the eastern edge of the camp, which was atop the hill. From there they could see this mysterious force approaching.
"Who the hell are they?" Dalia asked sternly, and for a moment no one said anything. "We better go find out", Howar finally stated, and so they got on their horses and started riding towards their guests. Dalia rode next to her daughter, and tried to look her in the eyes. "Did you know this would happen?" She asked calmly, but Desirea shook her head. "If there really is a priestess of R'hllor, she will know me", the young red priestess spoke with her eyes firmly fixed on the force they were approaching.
Soon they got close enough that Dalia could distinguish the leader of the force. The man looked sturdy and strong, built like a warrior, dressed in black, brown and maroon leather armor, riding a white horse and carrying a white banner on his right hand. His pale blonde hair was short and messy, and his face had masculine angular features, with thick stubble and a chin patch. On the left of the man rode an older woman, dressed fully in red robes, and on his right rode an older man with grey hair, clad in chainmail and orange cloak. Behind those three marched a force of hundred soldiers, or near enough to make no matter. The soldiers were lightly armored, dressed in ragged red and black clothes, and armed mostly with short curved blades. Dalia also noticed that all of the soldiers had iron collars around their necks. Slaves.
They dismounted their horses as they got closer, and the slave soldiers stopped, except for one – a scarred man with long dark hair and olive-skin, who followed the leader, the red priestess and the grey-haired man as they approached Dalia and her company. The four mysterious characters stopped about a dozen feet away from them, and their leader threw the white banner to the ground. "We come in peace, Lady Dalia", he spoke with deep and smooth voice, a sharp look on his green eyes and charming smirk on his full lips. This man was tanned by the sun, and clearly a bit messy and tired from the road, but still Dalia had to admit he was handsome.
"Who are you, and how do you know me?" Dalia asked strictly, cold glare on her eyes. "We have met before, long ago", the man answered softly, "I am Lord Kris Vaith, and I am here to help you take Vaith back from my former wife." Dalia's mouth opened slightly in surprise, and she glanced first at Desi, who kept on a calm face, and then Ser Howar, who stared at this man with widened eyes.
"I don't blame you if you don't remember me, I was hardly a man back then, and you were a wild bastard girl running around Hellgate Hall. Now I am Lord of Vaith and you are commander of the Wild Suns, and we both are servants of R'hllor" Kris chuckled softly as he spoke, now turning her eyes to Desirea. "And you must be Desirea... I've heard so much about you", Kris glanced quickly at the red priestess next to him as he said this.
"Mother Minesa", Desirea said softly, looking at the older woman in red robes. "You remember me", the woman replied with admiring tone, falling on her knees in front of Desirea. Desirea walked closer to her, and offered her hand. "Of course I remember", she said gently, as the older priestess grabbed her hand and stood up again. "But why are you here?"
With a confused expression on her face, Dalia took a couple steps closer, eyeing Kris and this Mother Minesa with narrowed eyes. "We have come to aid you, to drive away the evil from Vaith", Minesa answered to Desirea, who still looked a bit uncertain. "But why you?" She asked quietly, and Minesa turned towards Kris. "Because Lord Kris is my son, and it is my duty to guide her way on this dangerous mission", the priestess explained zealously. "And these soldiers?" Dalia asked sternly, and now it was Kris who answered.
"They have been brought from Volantis, and they are ready to fight for our cause", he answered firmly, the smile on his face a bit thinner now. "You know that slavery is forbidden here in Westeros, right?" Dalia asked dryly, and Kris nodded calmly. "Don't worry, my Lady, they shall be freed once the battle is over", he said. Good enough, Dalia thought, now turning her eyes to the grey-haired man, and then the scarred slave soldier. His greasy dark hair covered part of his face, but Dalia could still see the tattoos on the slave's face.
"This here is Henry, my old friend and trusted advisor", Kris introduced the grey-haired man, and then turned his eyes towards the slave. "And this here is Hangman, captain of the Mother's Favored", while introducing the slave, Kris' voice was clearly less enthusiastic. Both Henry and Hangman gave a small bow to Dalia. With a sigh Dalia turned towards Ser Howar. "Can we trust this man is who he says he is?" She asked with a whisper, and Howar nodded subtly. "Yes, my Lady, I recognize him", he answered quietly, and so Dalia turned back towards Lord Kris and Mother Minesa. "Come on then, let's return to the camp", she said loudly and a grin was formed on the face of Kris.
-
The sun was setting, as Dalia sat in a dimly lit tent with Kris, Minesa, Desirea, and Mizro, while Belan, Vyran, Hangman and Henry guarded the door. "So, you're saying your wife serves the Great Other?" Dalia asked with a grim tone. "My former wife, yes", Kris answered with a sigh. "Lady Myra kept me under her magic for years, corrupting my mind, making me weak. Over a year ago I heard the call of my mother from the flames, and I knew I had to leave Vaith."
"And is Myra the only servant of Great Other in Vaith?" Dalia asked quietly. Kris looked uncertain, and shrugged. "As far as I know, yes", he finally said. "However, she is most likely using her bastard daughter Valerie the way she used me... And how he will use my son." A bitter grief surfaced on Kris' voice as he said this.
"Your son?" Dalia asked gently, and Kris nodded. "I had one son with Myra, that was before I had learned what she truly was... Little Nickon is now three."
"I am afraid the boy has been tainted by the Great Other by now", Minesa said with a sigh, "he will have to be killed with his mother."
"Do not judge this child to death so hastly", Desirea said with strict and passionate words. "Who knows, perhaps the boy can still be brought to the light of R'hllor." Minesa gulped and nodded. "As you say", she replied with a respectful tone, "but we should still prepare for the worst." Dalia could see how uncomfortable Kris was with this topic, and she could certainly sympathize. She turned to look at Desirea, feeling anxious of even the mere thought of being in the situation Kris was in with his child.
"The boy will not be killed unless there is absolutely no other way", Dalia said calmly, looking at Kris. For a moment their eyes connected, and for that short moment it felt like they understood each other perfectly, even if they had known each other merely for a couple of hours.
"Yes", Kris agreed softly, turning his eyes down now. "Is there something more we should talk about?" Mizro asked, a touch of impatience in his words.
"No, I don't think so", Desirea answered with a tired sigh, standing up now, "I need to get some rest, see you tomorrow", with these words the young priestess walked out of the tent, and Mizro walked quickly after her. Next Minesa stood up, silently walking out, leaving only Kris and Dalia inside the tent.
Kris gazed at Dalia, intense look on his green eyes. "You have a very smart daughter, Lady Dalia", he said, and Dalia let out a chuckle. "That has to be the weirdest flirting I have ever received", she chirped and Kris' lips formed a warm grin. "I mean it," he said gently, "and I think you are very smart as well, and strong... and beautiful."
Dalia could feel her blood rushing at this man's smooth words, and she couldn't find the words for an answer. It was weird, not many men could make her feel this way, but there was something exciting and intriguing about Kris. "Perhaps you would like to spend the night with me, my Lady, so we can get to know each other better", he suggested softly, looking Dalia straight to the eyes.
"Do not judge this child to death so hastly", Desirea said with strict and passionate words. "Who knows, perhaps the boy can still be brought to the light of R'hllor."
Hmmm.... hmmmmm, I feel like this is an important piece of information about Desi. Alright then, change of plans! It does appear to me that Desi is at least marginally better than I gave her credit for at first. I will not take back what I said about her before, not yet at least, but my opinion on her has gotten a tiny bit better than before. She is officially only my fifth or sixth least favourite character now and therefore finally more likable than Albin Manwoody and what little remaining hatred I have for her is just a precautionary measure. You're not going to see me cheering for a character who could potentially end up murdering Gwendis, but even I must admit that this has gotten less likely now. I at least see the chance for Desi to end up far better than I claimed her to be at first, but I still take everything she says with a grain of salt. Maybe she'll get a chance to prove that I was wrong about her, but words alone don't mean anything here.
That said, I really don't like this Minesa person. If Desi indeed ends up better than I thought, perhaps even an actually morally good character who is going to help Gwendis instead of killing her, then Minesa certainly is exactly as I claimed Desi to be at first. I hope there will be a way to leave her at Vaith when the time comes to face Aisha, because I doubt Gwendis can expect any mercy from her. She'd probably even kill Trentan for being affiliated with the witch-bitch. However, I liked how she used the word taint to describe the influence of the Great Other. That reminds me of literally everything I ever said about that demon. Let's say, her way is not wrong when it comes to creatures such as Aisha or Wesley, but right now, I see her and her views as the far bigger threat to Gwendis than Desi and maaaybe even Dalia, who, after all, only follows Desi's orders. This newly changed view on Desi also influenced my vote:
[Go to your own tent]
As I said above, I have officially changed my strategy. I might change it later on, but for now, I am more willing than ever before to place my bets on Dalia and Desi when it comes to saving Gwendis' life from a certain rotten bitch. I don't exactly want Gwendis to become a rollmop servant either, but if that is the only alternative, then I still very much prefer it over becoming a servant of the Great Fuckturd and I certainly prefer it over dying. Desi seems unusually reasonable for someone who follows the same religion as Melisandre and her desire to redeem Nickon does strike me as genuine. Make no mistake, I still don't like her, mostly because there's still a remnant of doubt about her, but with Gwen's situation getting more and more dire, I find myself willing to risk Desi's presence more than I am willing to risk her absence. This however means that I want her loyal attack dog, Dalia, with her, because if there is anyone who can stop Wesley, it's her. At the end of the day, I am far more willing to trust Dalia than I am willing to trust Wesley. That said, I should make it clear that as much as my opinion on Desi has gotten at last marginally better, my opinion on Dalia has remained the same. She's ultimately going to have it even harder to win my favour, but with the recent developments and my general strategy to oppose Aisha as much as possible, I find myself at least more open to change my views on Dalia. I'll remain on the fence for the time being, but we will see what the future brings.
And well, all of this means that I want Dalia to have as little personal ties to these people as possible, so when the time comes that Desi has to face the toxic mega cunt and her warrior, she will be at her side, probably the only one capable of taking down that red-eyed monster knight. If Desi keeps this attitude about sparing those that can be redeemed and if we keep Gwendis from giving in to the Great Other taint, then Dalia is far less of a problem than Bitsha and Worstley. So, I don't want her to have any ties to Kris Vaith, even if he seems like an okay guy, because when the time comes, I want nothing to hold her at Hellgate Hall or Vaith, not when she might be the one to actually save Gwendis' life from the ones who are going to kill her for sure if she keeps resisting. Surely I don't want any affection towards Kris getting in the way. I just hope I won't regret putting my trust in Dalia as much as I regret putting my trust in Aisha.
Dalia
It was a hot day, perhaps the hottest of the summer so far, but luckily the Wild Suns had found a place for their camp on a shadowy… more valley between two hills, which made it at least somewhat bearable. Few miles south flowed the upper reaches of the river Vaith, and that's where the road would take them tomorrow.
Dalia walked quietly through the camp, observing her army, making sure the morale was still high. Lucifer had given Dalia around four hundred of his own troops, and those men were led by Ser Howar Uller, the second son of Lord Harrion Uller. Ser Howar claimed to know the Vaith well, which would certainly come useful, since Dalia herself hardly remembered what the city even looked like.
Dalia walked past the pavilion of Howar, but decided to keep going, as she knew Mizro, Khazor and the others were already waiting for her. Finally she made her way to the pavilion of the war council, and indeed her commanders were already … [view original content]
Hmmm.... hmmmmm, I feel like this is an important piece of information about Desi. Alright then, change of plans! It does appear to me that Desi is at least marginally better than I gave her credit for at first. I will not take back what I said about her before, not yet at least, but my opinion on her has gotten a tiny bit better than before. She is officially only my fifth or sixth least favourite character now and therefore finally more likable than Albin Manwoody and what little remaining hatred I have for her is just a precautionary measure. You're not going to see me cheering for a character who could potentially end up murdering Gwendis, but even I must admit that this has gotten less likely now. I at least see the chance for Desi to end up far better than I claimed her to be at first, but I still take everything she says with a grain of salt. Maybe she'll get a chance to prove that I was wrong about her, but words alone don't mean anything here.
Indeed, aside from just establishing the situation with Kris and his son, this scene was also meant to show that Desi isn't too big on killing when it's not absolutely necessary. And well, I can say she definitely belongs lower on the list than the likes of Albin Manwoody Of course, the reason you put Desi and Dalia higher on the hate list than is perhaps objectively fair, is very understandable
hat said, I really don't like this Minesa person. If Desi indeed ends up better than I thought, perhaps even an actually morally good character who is going to help Gwendis instead of killing her, then Minesa certainly is exactly as I claimed Desi to be at first. I hope there will be a way to leave her at Vaith when the time comes to face Aisha, because I doubt Gwendis can expect any mercy from her. She'd probably even kill Trentan for being affiliated with the witch-bitch. However, I liked how she used the word taint to describe the influence of the Great Other. That reminds me of literally everything I ever said about that demon. Let's say, her way is not wrong when it comes to creatures such as Aisha or Wesley, but right now, I see her and her views as the far bigger threat to Gwendis than Desi and maaaybe even Dalia, who, after all, only follows Desi's orders.
Now, in case of Minesa I'd say your dislike is more justified, as she is much closer to being someone like Melisandre than Desi is. However, she is not completely rotten, and she really respects Desi. Minesa going against Desirea's wishes is something that is very unlikely to happen.
As I said above, I have officially changed my strategy. I might change it later on, but for now, I am more willing than ever before to place my bets on Dalia and Desi when it comes to saving Gwendis' life from a certain rotten bitch. I don't exactly want Gwendis to become a rollmop servant either, but if that is the only alternative, then I still very much prefer it over becoming a servant of the Great Fuckturd and I certainly prefer it over dying. Desi seems unusually reasonable for someone who follows the same religion as Melisandre and her desire to redeem Nickon does strike me as genuine. Make no mistake, I still don't like her, mostly because there's still a remnant of doubt about her, but with Gwen's situation getting more and more dire, I find myself willing to risk Desi's presence more than I am willing to risk her absence. This however means that I want her loyal attack dog, Dalia, with her, because if there is anyone who can stop Wesley, it's her. At the end of the day, I am far more willing to trust Dalia than I am willing to trust Wesley. That said, I should make it clear that as much as my opinion on Desi has gotten at last marginally better, my opinion on Dalia has remained the same. She's ultimately going to have it even harder to win my favour, but with the recent developments and my general strategy to oppose Aisha as much as possible, I find myself at least more open to change my views on Dalia. I'll remain on the fence for the time being, but we will see what the future brings.
Well, Dalia will have a lot of developement and character building moments coming in her storyline, but considering the reason you dislike her in the first place... I'm pretty sure you'll stay on that fence as long as it takes to be revealed whether she will harm Gwendis or not That said, I'm hoping you'll at least find elements in her storyline enjoyable, even if you can't fully root for her
"Do not judge this child to death so hastly", Desirea said with strict and passionate words. "Who knows, perhaps the boy can still be brough… moret to the light of R'hllor."
Hmmm.... hmmmmm, I feel like this is an important piece of information about Desi. Alright then, change of plans! It does appear to me that Desi is at least marginally better than I gave her credit for at first. I will not take back what I said about her before, not yet at least, but my opinion on her has gotten a tiny bit better than before. She is officially only my fifth or sixth least favourite character now and therefore finally more likable than Albin Manwoody and what little remaining hatred I have for her is just a precautionary measure. You're not going to see me cheering for a character who could potentially end up murdering Gwendis, but even I must admit that this has gotten less likely now. I at least see the chance for Desi to end up far better than I claim… [view original content]
Indeed, aside from just establishing the situation with Kris and his son, this scene was also meant to show that Desi isn't too big on killing when it's not absolutely necessary. And well, I can say she definitely belongs lower on the list than the likes of Albin Manwoody Of course, the reason you put Desi and Dalia higher on the hate list than is perhaps objectively fair, is very understandable
I fully admit to this, my hatred of Dalia and Desi is not objective and might even be seen as unfair from a fully objective point of view. Neither is it all that rational, but that doesn't really change how I feel about them. I just can't help it But yeah, Desi finally gave me something I can like. I mean, killing Aisha and Worstley is absolutely necessary, I fully support her on this, but her general stance on killing makes me hopeful that she is far less willing to kill Gwendis and that she instead would give it a try to remove the Great Other taint from her. After all, our choices with Gwendis so far have been all about keeping that demon as weak as possible and maybe Desi decides that there is still hope to save her. One thing is for sure, as much as I am horribly afraid as to what Aisha is going to do in the near future, I am glad we decided to keep the demon from getting out of hand.
Now, in case of Minesa I'd say your dislike is more justified, as she is much closer to being someone like Melisandre than Desi is. However, she is not completely rotten, and she really respects Desi. Minesa going against Desirea's wishes is something that is very unlikely to happen.
Ah, this is good to hear. It seems Minesa won't end up posing that much of a threat then, at least as long as Desi makes it clear that she wishes no harm against those whose deaths she does not order. I mean, I still don't like her, she seems like way too much of a fanatic, but maybe it can stay at that mere dislike. My hate list is already too long and I'd rather remove names than adding new ones for the time being.
Well, Dalia will have a lot of developement and character building moments coming in her storyline, but considering the reason you dislike her in the first place... I'm pretty sure you'll stay on that fence as long as it takes to be revealed whether she will harm Gwendis or not That said, I'm hoping you'll at least find elements in her storyline enjoyable, even if you can't fully root for her
Yeah, Dalia can have as much development as possible, but it is unlikely to change anything about how I feel when it comes to her. You're very right there, my careful hatred towards her will stay until she meets up with Gwendis, at which point my opinion will either change to something better, or to something much worse. That is the development I am mostly interested about when it comes to her. In terms of sheer character building, Desi is the one I am more curious about, as I am sure that she and not Dalia is going to be the defining factor when it comes to Gwendis' fate, at least as long as Aisha doesn't murder her out of spite or stuff like that. However, I can assure you that I will find Dalia's storyline enjoyable, that much is for sure. I should make it clear, in Dalia's storyline, the only problem I have is Dalia herself, her storyline is perfectly fine and exciting. Vaith should be awesome, especially as it goes against a villain whom I can hate even more than Dalia, at least for now. But yeah, the character of Dalia... she is going to remain someone I am extremely cautious about and whom I can only dislike until I get to see how she is going to act in that situation. To be fair though, I had the same stance towards Desi and I still softened up to her at least a tiny bit, way more than I ever thought I could. However, Dalia has always been the one I have been more cautious about, so she is definitely going to have it a lot harder to win me over and a lot easier to rival Aisha when it comes to my hatred.
Hmmm.... hmmmmm, I feel like this is an important piece of information about Desi. Alright then, change of plans! It does appear to me that … moreDesi is at least marginally better than I gave her credit for at first. I will not take back what I said about her before, not yet at least, but my opinion on her has gotten a tiny bit better than before. She is officially only my fifth or sixth least favourite character now and therefore finally more likable than Albin Manwoody and what little remaining hatred I have for her is just a precautionary measure. You're not going to see me cheering for a character who could potentially end up murdering Gwendis, but even I must admit that this has gotten less likely now. I at least see the chance for Desi to end up far better than I claimed her to be at first, but I still take everything she says with a grain of salt. Maybe she'll get a chance to prove that I was wrong about her, but words alone don't mean anyt… [view original content]
Man Wildling, even in calm parts, you always have something shocking and exciting happen! With the lord of Vaith being a follower of R'hllor and his ex wife being a follower of the Great Other, this is certainly a unique situation. Really, I can't even really be sure of who to root for here but I suppose I will root for Dalia and the Wild Suns at this point since they are technically on Jamison's side or at least I hope so anyway! I also really enjoyed learning more about Desi in this part as well since it seems she is far from your typical fire priestess but I suppose I better not be too positive of her just yet since she is still a fire priestess after all and will no doubt do whatever she feels R'hllor is telling her to do.
[Spend the night with Kris]
Liquid brought up some good arguments and I may still end up changing my vote but for now I am going with this. The way that I see it, this choice more so seems like a character building choice in regards to her personality than anything and along with that, I have gathered already that Dalia's number one goal is to watch over her daughter and help her father win his war. So at this point, I don't think going to Kris' tent will really effect anything for Dalia long term. Even if she shares a romantic night with Kris, it is not going to stop Dalia from accomplishing her true goals and I don't think this part will change her storyline drastically. She will still try to follow Desi wherever she needs to go or go wherever her father wants her to fight, those two choices and her relationship with Desi and King Lucifer are the big factors that will determine how Dalia's storyline that will go in my opinion. I primarily think that spending the night with Kris will more so just be a way for Dalia to maybe enjoy herself a little bit. I could be way wrong on this, so I will probably ending up thinking about it more
Dalia
It was a hot day, perhaps the hottest of the summer so far, but luckily the Wild Suns had found a place for their camp on a shadowy… more valley between two hills, which made it at least somewhat bearable. Few miles south flowed the upper reaches of the river Vaith, and that's where the road would take them tomorrow.
Dalia walked quietly through the camp, observing her army, making sure the morale was still high. Lucifer had given Dalia around four hundred of his own troops, and those men were led by Ser Howar Uller, the second son of Lord Harrion Uller. Ser Howar claimed to know the Vaith well, which would certainly come useful, since Dalia herself hardly remembered what the city even looked like.
Dalia walked past the pavilion of Howar, but decided to keep going, as she knew Mizro, Khazor and the others were already waiting for her. Finally she made her way to the pavilion of the war council, and indeed her commanders were already … [view original content]
Man Wildling, even in calm parts, you always have something shocking and exciting happen! With the lord of Vaith being a follower of R'hllor and his ex wife being a follower of the Great Other, this is certainly a unique situation. Really, I can't even really be sure of who to root for here but I suppose I will root for Dalia and the Wild Suns at this point since they are technically on Jamison's side or at least I hope so anyway! I also really enjoyed learning more about Desi in this part as well since it seems she is far from your typical fire priestess but I suppose I better not be too positive of her just yet since she is still a fire priestess after all and will no doubt do whatever she feels R'hllor is telling her to do.
Hehe, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the part! Indeed, this part at last should've made clear for everyone that the coming battle will not be just about the Dryland-Martell war, but also R'hllor v. Great Other. And yeah, technically the Wild Suns are allies with Jamison. That said, they have no idea about Jamison being in Vaith, and Jamison doesn't know anything about them Yep, that's really the issue with R'hllor priestesses, they might be good people, but there is always the risk that they are willing to go against their own morals if they think R'hllor demands it.
Liquid brought up some good arguments and I may still end up changing my vote but for now I am going with this. The way that I see it, this choice more so seems like a character building choice in regards to her personality than anything and along with that, I have gathered already that Dalia's number one goal is to watch over her daughter and help her father win his war. So at this point, I don't think going to Kris' tent will really effect anything for Dalia long term. Even if she shares a romantic night with Kris, it is not going to stop Dalia from accomplishing her true goals and I don't think this part will change her storyline drastically. She will still try to follow Desi wherever she needs to go or go wherever her father wants her to fight, those two choices and her relationship with Desi and King Lucifer are the big factors that will determine how Dalia's storyline that will go in my opinion. I primarily think that spending the night with Kris will more so just be a way for Dalia to maybe enjoy herself a little bit. I could be way wrong on this, so I will probably ending up thinking about it more
Mm, well I can at least confirm that this is very much a character building moment, whether the choice has other consequences... well, we'll see
Man Wildling, even in calm parts, you always have something shocking and exciting happen! With the lord of Vaith being a follower of R'hllor… more and his ex wife being a follower of the Great Other, this is certainly a unique situation. Really, I can't even really be sure of who to root for here but I suppose I will root for Dalia and the Wild Suns at this point since they are technically on Jamison's side or at least I hope so anyway! I also really enjoyed learning more about Desi in this part as well since it seems she is far from your typical fire priestess but I suppose I better not be too positive of her just yet since she is still a fire priestess after all and will no doubt do whatever she feels R'hllor is telling her to do.
[Spend the night with Kris]
Liquid brought up some good arguments and I may still end up changing my vote but for now I am going with this. The way that I see it, this choice more so seems like a character buildin… [view original content]
Hehe, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the part! Indeed, this part at last should've made clear for everyone that the coming battle will not be just about the Dryland-Martell war, but also R'hllor v. Great Other. And yeah, technically the Wild Suns are allies with Jamison. That said, they have no idea about Jamison being in Vaith, and Jamison doesn't know anything about them Yep, that's really the issue with R'hllor priestesses, they might be good people, but there is always the risk that they are willing to go against their own morals if they think R'hllor demands it.
Indeed, it seems that this battle between the two religions is going to be very important for the future of House Vaith. They are either going to be ruled by a follower of the Lord of Light or the Great Other, either way I am not sure how long Nymeria will let that stand when the time comes With all of these followers of R'hllor running about, I can't help but be curious if someone claiming to be Azor Ahai reborn will appear! In regards to Jamison, what you are saying is so true and it makes me even more nervous for when Jamison gets to Vaith with my main hope being that he does not get there until after the battle but I suppose we will see how that goes soon For sure, it seems Desi is very high regarded by other other followers of R'hllor and I am sure she did not get that way by not following what she feels R'hllor is telling her to do.
Mm, well I can at least confirm that this is very much a character building moment, whether the choice has other consequences... well, we'll see
Well, it seems that I may have some more thinking to do about this choice I will see what the other voters decide upon and that may lead me to change my vote
Man Wildling, even in calm parts, you always have something shocking and exciting happen! With the lord of Vaith being a follower of R'hllor… more and his ex wife being a follower of the Great Other, this is certainly a unique situation. Really, I can't even really be sure of who to root for here but I suppose I will root for Dalia and the Wild Suns at this point since they are technically on Jamison's side or at least I hope so anyway! I also really enjoyed learning more about Desi in this part as well since it seems she is far from your typical fire priestess but I suppose I better not be too positive of her just yet since she is still a fire priestess after all and will no doubt do whatever she feels R'hllor is telling her to do.
Hehe, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the part! Indeed, this part at last should've made clear for everyone that the coming battle will not be just about the Dryland-Martell war, but also R'hllor v. Great Other. A… [view original content]
Dalia
It was a hot day, perhaps the hottest of the summer so far, but luckily the Wild Suns had found a place for their camp on a shadowy… more valley between two hills, which made it at least somewhat bearable. Few miles south flowed the upper reaches of the river Vaith, and that's where the road would take them tomorrow.
Dalia walked quietly through the camp, observing her army, making sure the morale was still high. Lucifer had given Dalia around four hundred of his own troops, and those men were led by Ser Howar Uller, the second son of Lord Harrion Uller. Ser Howar claimed to know the Vaith well, which would certainly come useful, since Dalia herself hardly remembered what the city even looked like.
Dalia walked past the pavilion of Howar, but decided to keep going, as she knew Mizro, Khazor and the others were already waiting for her. Finally she made her way to the pavilion of the war council, and indeed her commanders were already … [view original content]
Dalia
It was a hot day, perhaps the hottest of the summer so far, but luckily the Wild Suns had found a place for their camp on a shadowy… more valley between two hills, which made it at least somewhat bearable. Few miles south flowed the upper reaches of the river Vaith, and that's where the road would take them tomorrow.
Dalia walked quietly through the camp, observing her army, making sure the morale was still high. Lucifer had given Dalia around four hundred of his own troops, and those men were led by Ser Howar Uller, the second son of Lord Harrion Uller. Ser Howar claimed to know the Vaith well, which would certainly come useful, since Dalia herself hardly remembered what the city even looked like.
Dalia walked past the pavilion of Howar, but decided to keep going, as she knew Mizro, Khazor and the others were already waiting for her. Finally she made her way to the pavilion of the war council, and indeed her commanders were already … [view original content]
Comments
Oh, it is indeed Vaith then
It seems the action for Jamison is far from over, if he is indeed going to be caught between the Wild Suns and the Vaith witch. Then again, he's technically on the same side as the Wild Suns, though I hope they find a way to notice this during the fighting. I am not sure if there's reason to, but I am surely concerned, because this dream felt so oddly fitting for the events we know will happen in Vaith, with fire, a shadow and a city by the river. Well, if there is anything more behind these dreams, perhaps they will come again. I will surely keep my eyes open for any more that could be interpreted and until then, I will remain extra cautious when making choices for Jamison. Speaking of, I am now not sure if we made the right one here, because now Jamison will likely draw the wrong conclusions. Then again, Morgan is a grade-A asshole, to put it mildly, so I wouldn't mind Jamison screwing him over by voicing such a suspicion to Lucifer. Right now, though I don't really like either, I prefer Esperence over that jerk.
Also, I must say I have become very interested in Dianna's storyline here, mostly because I consider Bjorn to be an intriguing character, so I definitely look forward for her next part a lot. Same goes for Verro. This whole Efran situation is quickly growing on me
That is a good point and one I had not thought about. Jamison probably still holds Morgan responsible and talking with Emerson could have potentially erased those thoughts from his mind. I would not say it is good to Morgan to have a Dayne for an enemy but who knows? That may actually help Emerson in the long run. With that said, I am going to miss the Jamison-Emerson interactions since I enjoyed them alot. Since Jamison is not going to confront Emerson, what would have happened if he did, would he have been able to get anything out of Emerson?
As for the upcoming Dianna and Verro PoV's, this sounds like it could be either the part before it or maybe these PoV's will show the battle for Lemonwood itself so safe to say I am hyped
Emerson would've understandably been very cautious and hesitant to reveal anything, but he would have told Jamison that Hordios never worked for Morgan, which Jamison would've believed. This would've confused him a bit though, but with the lack of other options, Jamison would've figured that the most likely person to be behind the attack then had to be Esperence, whom he hadn't even considered so far. Of course, technically Esperence wasn't behind the attack, but at least Jamison would've realized that Esperence might be surprisingly important player in the politics of Godsgrace.
We are not quite that far yet, but the battle is coming later in this chapter
Okay I see. Well now knowing this, we may have made the wrong choice not confronting Emerson. Jamison is out of the loop in regards to Esperence's true capabilities but at the same time, she did not want Jamison killed anyway. Also since Jamison is leaving Godsgrace, I suppose the politics and internal struggle within it should not concern him anymore. Thinking about it again, I don't think this choice will hurt Jamison any and it will help Emerson since he won't have to rat Esperemce out even if it is in a indirect way.
Man Wildling, the end of this chapter sounds like it is going to be a wild one with all of the battles. The battle for Lemonwood will probably be Efran's make or break moment while the battle for Vaith will determine just how much trouble the Dryland's are for the Martell's. I am hyped for these battles to say the least!
Yeah, Jamison personally probably won't be involved with the power struggles of Godsgrace, but this could still have big consequences for the story, because Jamison might report these suspicions of his to Lucifer, who certainly will be involved with Godsgrace. But you're right, for Jamison it probably makes little different in the end how much he knows about the political situation of Godsgrace.
Indeed, the end of this chapter is something I'm really looking forward for
Dianna
Dianna sat quietly on the beach, next to the Captain Bjorn Harlaw's tent, looking at the seven ships floating on the sea in front of them. Two of them were Bjorn's longships, the five others belonged to Efran. They were on a cove that offered a natural harbor for the Bandit Lord and his allies. Bjorn's crew, and with them Dianna and Lysera, had arrived last night, but they weren't the only Bandit Lord's men camped on this beach. Dianna could see a colorful collection of pirates, bandits and sellswords walking among the Ironborn.
Then she turned her eyes to the tent of Hargan Harlaw. Hargan had entered his tent about an hour ago, dragging Lysera in with him, and neither of them had come out since. It frustrated and angered Dianna that she could do nothing to defend Lysera, an innocent girl who had shown nothing but loyalty towards her.
"You look upset." Dianna heard the voice of Bjorn say behind her. She let out a sigh, not even turning to look. "And shouldn't I be?" She hissed. Bjorn sat down next to her, glaring at her with narrowed eyes.
"You have been treated well enough." The Ironborn captain spoke with underlying threat on his quiet voice, as if to make clear he could start treating her worse whenever he wanted. Dianna gulped, considering her next words carefully. "My friend hasn't been." She said, keeping her voice calm. Bjorn let out a tired sigh, before taking a gulp from his flask.
"That little bitch belongs to Hargan now." He answered, his voice emotionless and casual. Dianna stayed quiet, wondering for a moment if she should keep arguing about this. Not now, she finally decided, figuring it wouldn't help no matter what she'd say. She felt guilty, but the time to save Lysera would have to come later.
"What is your problem with Dorne?" Dianna suddenly asked, glancing nervously at Bjorn. For a moment Bjorn didn't answer, and Dianna thought the question might have been too touchy for him. However, after a drawn out moment of silence he finally spoke up. "My brother died here." He said quietly, and Dianna wasn't sure if she could spot grief in the Ironborn captain's words, but at the very least they were completely devoid of any kind of joy.
"Well, you still have Hargan, that's more than many have." Dianna remarked dryly, and Bjorn reacted with a cold chuckle. "Aye, I have Hargan." He admitted with unenthusiastic tone. "I also have Harlik and Ivarn, but they are all half-bloods – half iron, half Northmen." Bjorn took another gulp from his flask, and turned his eyes towards the sky. "Olaf was iron to the core, my only true brother."
"And do you have children?" Dianna asked quietly, wondering in her mind what kind of father would this man be. "Yes," Bjorn answered with a sigh, "I have three sons." For some reason there was a bitter look on his eyes as he said this. "But the one who is old enough to call himself a man would rather lick the boots of King Harmund than follow his own father to raid and battle."
"You don't seem to have much love for your king." Dianna noted, and Bjorn reacted with spitting on the sand. "Fucking Hoare's are tainted by the Andal blood." He muttered. "They trade with the Lannister's, when we should raid their lands instead. They bring priests of the Seven to the Iron Isles, shaming the Drowned God with their presence." It was easy to hear this matter irritated Bjorn deeply, though Dianna understood very little of it.
"What kind of god is this... Drowned God?" Dianna asked with genuine interest. Now a small smile was formed on Bjorn's face. "He is a powerful god, who resides on the watery halls beneath the waves, feasting with mermaids and Ironborn warriors who served him in their lives above the waves. In the old days the Drowned God himself roamed the lands among mortal men, conquering wherever he went. And to this day, from time to time he rises from the sea, to battle against his enemy, the Storm God. And when they face each other, a storm rises."
"And you believe all that?" Dianna asked skeptically, and Bjorn narrowed his eyes. "Why wouldn't I believe? I have seen it with my own eyes, when I have sailed the seas, I have seen the Drowned God battle against the Storm God, making the sea roar and the skies thunder."
"I have seen storms too, but I haven't seen your god." Dianna replied coldly. Bjorn pushed his face closer to Dianna, a savage grin on his face. "Ignorant bitch." He whispered. "Only a fool doesn’t recognize the gods when they battle right before their eyes, or hear their sound when it booms in their ears." After saying this Bjorn pulled himself away from Dianna, who let out a small sigh, deciding not to continue this conversation.
"Which god do you worship anyway?" Bjorn suddenly asked, stroking his long beard. Dianna was a bit surprised, though perhaps she should've expected this question to come. "Mother Rhoyne." She answered quietly, uncertainty in her words – after all, they had left Rhoyne behind years ago. Does that mean we have abandoned Mother Rhoyne? This wasn't the first time Dianna had pondered on this question, though she was no closer to the answer now than she was when they first left their homeland behind. She knew some of the Rhoynar still prayed to Mother Rhoyne, but she doubted their prayers were heard. Not anymore, not from here.
"Never heard, sounds like a weak god." Bjorn stated bluntly, standing up now. He stepped in front of Dianna, looking her to the eyes. After the night following her capture, Bjorn had not physically hurt Dianna, but there was just something unsettling in those dark eyes, a constant reminder of the danger and strength this man possessed. "You keep telling me how strong your Princess is... Tell me more about her." Bjorn lowered himself to a crouch, still looking Dianna to the eyes.
"Princess Nymeria... She is a decisive and ambitious woman." Dianna started quietly, and Bjorn nodded, urging her to keep talking. "She is the sole reason why the Rhoynar people survived after the war against Valyrians. When Prince Garin had fallen and all hope was lost, Nymeria stood strong, leading her people away from the Rhoyne, and after a long journey we arrived here to Dorne."
"So, she is good at running away." Bjorn said coldly, a smirk forming on his face. "Is there anything else she can do?" Dianna turned her eyes down, trying her best not to lose her cool. "You don't know her." She finally muttered with a bitter tone, and Bjorn chuckled. He stood up again, turning away from Dianna.
"She will not stop us from taking Lemonwood, no matter what you say." Bjorn's calm voice oozed of confidence and determination. Part of Dianna wanted to argue against Bjorn, mock him and belittle him, but she knew that it would be futile and stupid.
Soon Dianna saw Hargan walking out of his tent, but Lysera didn't follow. "Can I go talk to her?" Dianna asked carefully, but Bjorn just shook his head. "She is not your soldier anymore, Dianna." He said sternly. "He is Hargan's wife, so if you want to see her, better ask Hargan."
"She is too young, too weak to be treated like this!" Dianna argued with a pleading tone, and Bjorn turned to look at her. The expression on his face was stern and merciless. "But not too young and weak to march to war for your princess?" He asked coldly, turning his eyes away again.
"Please, I just want to..."
"No!" Bjorn barked strictly. "I will not have you plotting with that little bitch. You are my prisoner, she is my brother's wife, and there is nothing you two need to talk about. End of discussion." The Ironborn captain's words were rough and strong. Dianna gulped, turning her gaze down in disappointment.
"Bjorn!" A coarse male voice on their right suddenly yelled, and they both turned to look. A tall and pale man on his late thirties, with greasy blonde hair and messy beard, walked towards them, beside him an ebony skinned man with black and red robes. The tall man was the one who captained Bjorn's smaller longship, and his name was Arfast Stonetree. Dianna didn't recognize the other man, but he certainly wasn't one of Bjorn's men.
"Afternoon, gentlemen." Bjorn greeted them calmly as they arrived, and Arfast nodded to him. "Zhobho here brings some long awaited news." He announced, a smirk on his thin face. Bjorn raised an eyebrow, taking a step closer to Arfast and Zhobho. "Well, don't keep me waiting." He said quietly, spreading his arms.
"We have started the preparations for the attack on Lemonwood." Zhobho said with an emotionless voice. "Reinforcements from the west have arrived, Ser Byrron is gathering forces to the Greenblood, and message to Efran has been sent – he should be here within couple days."
"Finally." Bjorn said with almost lustful tone, a wicked grin forming on his face. Arfast placed his hand on Bjorn's shoulder. "The plunder awaits, my brother." He said with excitement, and Bjorn nodded, hugging his friend briefly. "Fuck yes." He replied, and they both bursted into laughter.
These men are monsters, laughing and cheering at the thought of murder and pillage. Dianna looked at the two Ironborn captains with bitter eyes, almost hoping that they had just killed her at Griefhill, instead of dragging her to this madness. Then Hargan arrived, and Arfast explained the situation to him as well. Bjorn's brother screamed in excitement, and soon the news spread throughout the camp, starting a celebration among the crew.
The sun was already starting to set, and most of the camp was drunk, when Bjorn arrived to Dianna again, a bottle of something in his hand. "Want a taste?" He asked, his words slurring a bit. Dianna grabbed the bottle, and took a gulp without even asking what was in it. Rum, she realized quickly, and coughed heavily as she took the bottle away from her lips. Bjorn was amused, and with a drunken laughter he took the bottle back. Without saying anything more, Bjorn walked away, back to drinking and singing with his own men. Dianna turned her eyes to Hargan's tent. She knew Lysera was there, and she knew that girl needed her support. This could be the best chance I'll get.
[Go talk to Lysera] [Stay away from Hargan's tent]
-
-
Verro
Verro looked at the small road between the two hills, seeing the sand and dust stained with blood, a dozen bodies laying dead on the ground. Three of them were Efran's men, the rest soldiers of House Bravespear that they had ambushed. Verro himself had stayed on the back, not even getting to swing his sword once in this skirmish.
He dismounted his horse, and walked closer to the bodies. Efran and Malanos Vynos stood next to the body of a man named Rogon, who had apparently been part of the Thunder Crew for a long time.
"It's a bitter loss." Verro heard Malanos saying with stern tone. "Especially when it comes in such an insignificant skirmish."
"I'm sorry for your loss, Malanos." Efran said smoothly, kneeling next to Rogon's body, and closing his eyes. "Let this be another reminder, that for a warrior any day could be the last." He added with a sigh as he stood up.
"My Lord, one of them escaped." Axel informed Efran, while also sending a resentful glare at Verro. Verro had tried to apologize to him earlier, even if he didn't think he had really done anything wrong, but Axel was a stubborn and unforgiving man. In all honesty, Verro believed that the only thing keeping Axel from murdering him in his sleep was Efran.
"So, Lord Bravespear will be informed of our location before sunset." The Bandit Lord said laconically, a thoughtful expression on his face. He walked away from Rogon's body, past Malanos and Axel, and arrived to Verro. Verro glanced around nervously, wondering why Efran had approached him.
"I see you have a clean sword." He said quietly, eyeing Verro's weapon. Verro nodded with a gulp, considering his reply for a moment. "Unfortunately." He finally said with a nervous grin. Efran chuckled softly, and tapped him on the shoulder. "Better luck next time." He whispered as he walked past him.
Axel now approached Verro, but instead of saying anything he just purposely bumped into his shoulder as he walked past him, a murderous look on his eyes. Verro sighed, turning away from the bodies and walking after Efran. The Bandit Lord walked to his horse and mounted it.
"What is our next move, my Lord?" Malanos asked, a touch of impatience in his voice. Efran was quiet for a moment, observing his surroundings calmly. "We'll continue our raid, for now." He said nonchalantly, but just then Zaltha Qo, who was standing on guard atop the hill with Nesila, shouted: "Messengers coming!" And indeed, very soon they saw two riders coming towards them. One of them was a young soldier, but the other one was a woman with long blonde hair. And as they got closer, Verro recognized the woman – she was Efran's lover.
"Elise, what are you doing here?" Efran asked immediately with concerned tone. Elise flashed him a smirk, riding closer to him, so that she could give him a short kiss on the lips. "I bring a message, my Lord." She announced with a seductive tone. Even dressed on a thick leather armor and dirty boots this woman managed to be attractive – mostly because of her beautiful dark blue eyes, which now observed the Bandit Lord sharply.
"What is this message?" Efran asked calmly, glancing at the soldiers who were also impatiently waiting what Elise had to say. "Bjorn defeated the Dalt and Martell forces that tried to take Griefhill from him." She begun, and Efran nodded, a mildly pleased look on his face. "And?" He asked, knowing that couldn't be all the news.
"Corren and the help from King Lucifer have arrived, and Byrron is starting to gather the army to the Greenblood. The Ironborn are on their way to the ships, and you should return as well – we are ready to take Lemonwood now." There was excitement in the eyes of this woman when she spoke, excitement that made clear she was filled with ambition. The look on Efran's eyes was somewhat surprised, though he found his composure quickly.
"Good... I've been looking forward to this." He said quietly. "Any word from Dono?" He asked, but Elise shook her head. "I'm afraid we'll have to make do without the support of the Tolands." She answered, and Efran let out a sigh. "So be it." He said after a moment of silence, a reserved smile forming on his face.
Efran galloped a couple dozen feet away, and then turned towards his troops. He raised his Valyrian steel sword up, to get everyone's attention. "Hear me!" He shouted with a serious tone, and his men listened. "Few of you have been by my side for years, some have only just joined the cause... That doesn't matter, in what's coming soon we will all need to trust each other, and be strong together!" Elise raised her fist in the air and cheered for Efran, and many of the Thunder Crew followed her example. "We will make our way back to the ships, and sail towards the battle that will decide the fate of this rebellion. We will take Lemonwood!"
Now they all cheered, and even Verro joined in, though not quite as enthusiastically as some of the others. Soon they all got on their horses, and started their journey towards the Bandit Lord's ships. They rode for hours, before finally setting their camp on a hill, where they could easily guard all directions.
Verro walked through the camp, seeing Efran slip into his tent with Elise, Malanos Vynos speaking with Axel, and Cullen drinking and joking around with a bunch of soldiers. He walked past all them, until he reached Nesila and Zaltha Qo, who were keeping guard at the edge of the camp.
"Are you on guard duty?" Zaltha Qo asked with mild confusion, and Verro shook his head. "No, I'm just... Well, I can't sleep with so much noise, and I'm not in the mood for drinking." He explained calmly, and Nesila nodded to him.
"What do you think about the attack to Lemonwood?" She asked casually, and Verro shrugged. "I've never seen Lemonwood, I'm still not sure how big exactly are Efran's forces... so, hard to say." He answered with a sigh, and Nesila's mouth formed a small smirk. "Well, I can tell you it's not going to be easy," she said nonchalantly, "but perhaps we can do it."
"I remember you saying earlier that Efran is too ambitious with his goals." Verro remarked, but instead of Nesila, it was Zaltha who answered to him. "His ambition is admirable." He stated firmly, gazing at the distance. "He is a born leader, a charismatic and powerful man."
"Have you praised him enough yet?" Nesila asked dryly, and Zaltha raised an eyebrow. "I'm only telling the truth. Efran is an exceptional young man, like him or not." He spoke with a calm tone on his deep voice, and Verro nodded. "I agree, he is exceptional." He said, and Zaltha gave him a small smile. "That doesn't mean what he is doing here is right though." Verro added, and Zaltha's smile vanished.
"It is disrespectful to speak ill of your commander." He said quietly, and Verro let out a tired little chuckle. "I was merely saying I don't agree with his methods, that doesn't mean I don't respect him." He replied, but the way Zaltha looked at him was very doubtful.
"I see where you're coming from, Verro." Nesila said calmly. "And I've heard what happened with you and Axel." Verro let out a frustrated sigh when he heard this. "Can we just forget that, please?" He didn't regret helping the girl escape, but he was starting to wonder if it had been worth it.
"I wouldn't forget if I was Axel." Nesila remarked with a smirk, and Verro rolled his eyes. "But you are not Axel, and you wouldn't do what he was doing." Nesila chuckled at his words, taking a step closer. "And how do you know that?" She asked with a sly tone. Verro's eyes were slightly widened. "But... You wouldn't, right?" He asked with confusion.
"No, I wouldn't," Nesila admitted, "but you must understand Axel's point of view as well – he thought he had a comrade having his back. Just imagine his shock when the trident hit him in his back."
"I already apologized to him." Verro spoke with apathetic tone, and Nesila nodded to him. "Well that's good, but don't be surprised if he won't save your ass in the battle." She said.
"And who says I need saving?" Verro asked strictly, but Nesila just shook her head. "Sure, not you, Verro the Dothraki pit fighter pirate." She chuckled as she finished her sentence, though Verro wasn't quite as amused. Nesila let out a drawn out sigh, looking at the sunset. Then, she turned her eyes to Verro again. "Tell me, Verro, if we indeed come on top in this war, and Efran becomes the Lord of Lemonwood, what will you do then?"
This question caught Verro off guard, and frankly, it was something he hadn't put much thought into. Nesila eyed him with great interest, impatiently waiting for his answer, so he had to come up with something.
[Say that you don't know] [Say that you'll keep serving Efran] [Say that you'll start a new life]
[Go talk to Lysera]
Hell, what are they going to do? Bjorn made it clear that he wants to keep Dianna from harm so that Efran can question her. Hargan is going to whatever he wants to Lysera in either way, so it doesn't seem as if either of them has much to lose here. Even more, this could give Dianna an update on Lysera's condition. We don't really know how Hargan is treating her, though I got the impression it's bad, really bad. In that case, maybe Dianna can even start to consider escaping from there together with Lysera, but any such plan is doomed to fail if she doesn't know exactly how much help she can expect from her. One thing is for sure, I want Dianna to have escaped before meeting Efran, as interesting as such a meeting would be, because after giving up her information (which I doubt she'll do out of her own free will), she won't have any value for him. So, her best bet for survival is to escape, but I'd like to give Lysera such a chance as well.
[Say that you'll start a new life]
Now, here's the thing... Maybe Efran will become Lord of Lemonwood for a short amount of time. In the end however, he will fall. Nymeria will take it back and put him and all of his men to death. I don't know if this will truly be such a choice, but it might be one that influences Verro's own plans for the future. Therefore, I see this as the more healthy option for Verro. If he keeps serving Efran forever, well, then he sooner or later will share that jerk's fate and I really wouldn't want that. I got less of a problem with him helping Efran until the conquest of Lemonwood, but if this works out, then he should certainly nope the hell out of there afterwards, to find someone safer to work for.
[Go talk to Lysera]
[Say that you'll start a new life]
[Go talk to Lysera]
She might as well, this may be her only real chance to see her.
[Say that you'll start a new life]
We know that Efran won't stay Lord of Lemonwood very long if he somehow succeeds. I don't want Verro to be on the losing side of a war with Nymeria. Anyways, I really enjoyed this Verro part. My characters had plenty of interactions this part.
Nesila listing off his past like this reminds me that she knows basically everything about Verro, but he knows next to nothing about her. I wonder when she will begin to open up to him about her past.
[Go talk to Lysera]
This is probably Dianna's best chance to see Lysera and at this point, Dianna is somewhat safe at least til she talks to Efran whule Lysera does not have much to lose anyway. If we are going to be lucky enough to have Dianna and Lysera escape eventually, risks will most likely have to be made.
[Say that you'll start a new life]
As the others have said, Verro is fighting on what will most likely be the losing side at some point so it is definitely best for Verro not to commit to this cause and keep his options open until somethimg better comes along for him.
Voting is closed!
Alright, so Dianna will go talk to Lysera. It could indeed be a good idea to check on her, though Bjorn certainly won't like it if he finds out.
Verro will say that he'll start a new life once this war is over. This was mostly a character building choice, effecting mainly on what kind of plans Verro will have for his future, and also slightly on Nesila's opinion about him.
Anyway, the next part will be a Nymeria PoV, and I might get it ready before I go to sleep tonight, but if not, then I'll get it done tomorrow. The last time we saw Nymeria she was still in Sandship, about to start her march towards Redclif to confront the alleged conspirator Lord Ormond Bloodspill. Before leaving Mors voiced his concern that General Varyn going to Redclif might be taken as an insult by the Bloodspills (since Varyn killed Ormond's nephew who was caught conspiring against Nymeria). However, you voted for Nymeria to take Varyn with him anyway.
-
Aand, this time we got a portrait of Elise:
I really like your portrait of Elise. You really nailed the details, especially her piercing dark blue eyes.
Nymeria
It was early in the morning, and Nymeria was bathing in her pavilion. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting herself relax, trusting fully on the Royal Guards who were guarding at the door. For just a brief moment the Princess could imagine she was in the bath house of Ny Sar, but the sounds of the camp outside quickly pulled her away from her memories. They had arrived to Redclif late last night, and so far the Bloodspill's had shown no signs of opening their gates, so Nymeria's army had set up a siege encampment outside their walls
Nymeria stood up lazily from the bathtub, proceeding to dry herself and dress up. She strapped on her light and finely decorated armor, sheathed her short sword, and walked out of the pavilion. Outside, Farrah and Ser Boran Sargen stood on guard.
"Your Grace." They said in unison, bowing to her. "General Varyn is waiting for you in the war council, shall we go?" Farrah asked with her calm and kind voice. Nymeria let out a quiet sigh and nodded, gazing at the small fort of Redclif, which stood high on the edge of a cliff above the Narrow Sea. There would be only one direction they could attack from, if it would come to that. "Let's go." The Princess muttered, and they started to walk towards the war council tent.
"It's been a long time since I have last swung my sword, and I really hope I don't have to do it here." Nymeria said with a grim tone as they walked through the camp, and Farrah nodded understandingly. "Would you like to practice later, my Princess?" She asked calmly. Nymeria knew that would probably be needed – she had stopped training with the sword at the age of sixteen when her father died and she inherited the throne of Ny Sar, and that was almost ten years ago.
"Yeah, I definitely need some practice." She spoke quietly, and Farrah nodded again. "I'll train with you, my Princess" she said with a smile, "Whenever you want." Nymeria thanked Farrah politely, and then they arrived to the war council tent. General Varyn stood there in his sturdy armor, a stern look on his eyes.
"Princess Nymeria, Commander Farrah." He greeted them dryly, gesturing for them to sit down, and so they did. "So, what is the situation?" Nymeria asked as she took a seat.
"All the equipment is ready to move now, we could launch an assault as soon as tonight if we wanted." Varyn informed, a very subtle smile on his face. "Good to hear. Has Lord Bloodspill contacted us in any way?" Nymeria asked with a professional tone, and Varyn nodded. "Indeed, he has asked for a meeting at the neutral ground, between the encampment and the castle." The General spoke with an unenthusiastic tone.
"Do you think he wants to surrender?" Farrah asked curiously, and Varyn shrugged. "Could be." He answered shortly. "Or he could have something else in his mind, it's hard to say."
"All the same, we need to hear what he has to say – after all, the sooner we are done with this the better." Nymeria stated calmly, and Varyn nodded in agreement. "What kind of terms has he set for the meeting?" Farrah asked.
"Both can bring three men, no weapons." Varyn answered laconically. Nymeria stayed quiet for a moment, pondering on those terms. "No weapons... You don't think he would try to..."
"That would very foolish of him." Varyn assured calmly, and Nymeria nodded with a gulp. Ormond Bloodspill had very likely been conspiring against her, so it was clear that he wanted her dead. But how much does he want it? This was the question that bothered Nymeria the most, even if Lord Bloodspill didn't strike him as a man who would be ready to give his own life for a cause. All she could base her opinion on though was the word of Mors, and it seemed clear that Ormond had already proven himself to be a different man than the one Nymeria's husband remembered from his childhood.
"When is the meeting?" Nymeria finally asked with a calm and quiet voice. "In a few hours, my Princess." Varyn answered, and Nymeria gave him a decisive nod. "Good, then I have time to eat something before squashing that petty excuse of a lord." She replied with strength and confidence in her words, and an approving smile was formed on Varyn's face.
-
Nymeria, Varyn, Farrah and Ser Boran approached the small table on the middle of the neutral ground. Archers at the edge of the encampment stood ready to give supporting fire, and the cavalry lead by Ananba of Volon Therys was ready to charge in, should the Bloodspill's try anything.
Ormond Bloodspill already stood by the table, which was slightly inclined due to the uneven and rocky terrain. The Lord of Redclif was an elegant man on his early forties, with edgy facial features, clean shaven face, dark and calculative eyes, as well as long and silky smooth raven black hair. A subtle smile was formed on his face for a second as Nymeria sat opposed to him. Behind Ormond stood three men – one seemed to be a septon, other one was a maester, and the third one was someone who looked distinctively similar to Ormond, only slightly younger and with short hair.
General Varyn, Commander Farrah, and Ser Boran stood behind Nymeria. For a short moment they were all in silence, and the tension could've been cut with a knife. Finally, Lord Ormond cleared his throat. "Princess Nymeria." He greeted her with his charming and polite tone, but it was still easy to hear he had no love for Nymeria.
"Lord Ormond Bloodspill, you are accused of treason." Nymeria immediately cut to the chase, and Ormond raised an eyebrow. "Forgive me, but who exactly have I committed treason against?" He asked with a perfectly calm and mellow tone.
"You have been conspiring the murder of your liege, Lord Bloodspill." Nymeria answered strictly, a touch of frustration in her voice. Ormond put on a bemused expression, glancing at his maester, who just shrugged to him. "That is quite a serious accusation, princess. Do you have something to back it up?" He asked, still keeping his voice calm and polite.
"Your nephew was caught conspiring against me, and now you refuse to open your gates to me. Stop playing games, Lord Ormond, we know that you are part of the conspiracy against me. This is your last chance to open your gates, kneel in front of me, and swear once again your allegiance to your liege, and no soldier must die here today. We might even consider releasing you of all the charges against you, if you are willing to name your fellow conspirators." Nymeria's tone was harsh, and Ormond gave her a small nod. "There is just a minor issue, Princess Nymeria of Rhoyne – Mors Martell is my liege, and I don't see him here. No, what I see is an army of foreign invaders at my gates. And what comes to my nephew, the poor boy had gotten himself into bad company, no doubt about that, but did you have to kill him for it? Perhaps I should expect no less from the likes of you." For the first time Nymeria noticed anger surfacing on the voice of Lord Ormond, but it was gone as quickly as it came, replaced by his chilling calmness.
"I give you one last warning..." Nymeria started, but Lord Ormond raised his hand to cut her off. "Do you want to know who are these three men I brought with me, Princess Nymeria, and why I brought them?" He asked with a sharp tone. Nymeria just looked at him with confusion, so he continued. "Septon Jullon here says I must keep you and your foreign friends away to protect the Seven from foreign gods." Ormond said, pointing towards the Septon, and next he turned to the maester. "Maester Edric on the other hand says that you have no chance to win your war, so I should just wait inside my castle and see how it devours you. And lastly, my brother Orwen says that I should never forgive the murderers of his son, and my nephew. So, Princess Nymeria, can you give me a reason to go against the advice of these three men I greatly respect?"
"The Seven are my gods just as they are yours, and I believe your maester is severely underestimating me and my army." Nymeria narrowed her eyes as she spoke, glaring at the lord, the septon and the maester. Ormond shrugged with a sigh. "Perhaps what you say is true, but that still leaves my poor brother... However, maybe we could still find a way to agree – I have a proposition for you."
"I'm listening." Nymeria stated, a bit surprised to see that perhaps Ormond would be ready to cooperate after all. Ormond kept Nymeria waiting for a moment, eyeing her with calculating eyes. "You will drop all your charges against me, give me a seat in your council, and make my youngest son Darren a squire for Prince Mors. In return, I will swear my allegiance to you, submit my troops to your army, and I will reveal all the information I have on the conspiracy against you. And then, as you said, no soldier will have to die here today."
Nymeria was left speechless for a moment – she had not expected a proposition like this. "I will have to discuss this first with my officers." Nymeria finally said, and Ormond gave her an understanding nod. "Take your time, I can wait." He said smoothly.
"I'll have an answer for you tomorrow." Nymeria said decisively, turning back towards the encampment now. "Let's go." She said to Varyn, Farrah and Boran, and so they followed her back to the camp.
-
The sun was already setting, but they had yet to come to a decision. General Varyn was strictly against agreeing to Lord Ormond's terms, whereas Farrah saw it as an opportunity to avoid unnecessary bloodshed.
"We cannot trust that man, it is as simple as that." Varyn insisted with a stern tone. "He is trying to get inside your court, and there he will only continue to undermine you. Traitors shouldn't be rewarded, they should be punished."
"It would be helpful to learn more about the conspiracy." Ser Boran noted calmly, but Varyn shook his head. "We have no idea how much does he really know about it, and once again we can't trust a word he'll say. Besides, whatever information he has, there are ways to get it out of him once we have taken his castle and imprisoned him."
"Is that what we really want to be?" Farrah asked with a passionate tone. "Torturers? Unfogiving killers? We have a rare opportunity to solve this conflict without a drop of blood, and I say we should use that opportunity." Varyn let out a frustrated sigh, and spread his arms. "I have already made my opinion clear." With these words he turned towards Nymeria. "It's up to you, my Princess."
Nymeria closed her eyes and sighed. Giving Ormond Bloodspill a seat in the council would be risky. But maybe it would also be a chance to keep a closer eye on him. And if Lord Ormond indeed had information on the conspiracy, it could help bring it down once and for all. The Princess opened her eyes, ready to make the decision.
[Accept Ormond's proposal] [Decline Ormond's proposal]
[Accept Ormond's proposal]
Oooh man, this was a hard choice. My first thought was to decline the proposal, as it would feel natural. That guy is clearly guilty and he brought very little to actually prove his innocence. In fact, it seemed as if he didn't even try and this is concerning, because it means he is very confident in his victory. I was not sure if giving in to his demands would be a good thing, but at the same time, there was one thing I couldn't get out of my head and it did convince me to accept his offer. The thing is, Nymeria knows he is guilty. I however doubt that he knows that she knows. If he is at the council, maybe we can use him, by feeding him only the information he has to know, perhaps even outright misleading the entire conspiracy if we make smart choices for Nymeria in the future. And since it is pretty clear that the conspiracy is bigger than him, I think by sparing him, we could still give him some purpose. Declining his offer would mean a costly battle at a time where the Martell's can't really need it. By keeping him alive, maybe we will have the choice to get the names out of him later on. This is especially true since we'd get his son as a squire. Sure, it's the youngest son, but I kinda doubt that Ormond will risk the safety of his son by making a move against Nymeria.
[Accept Ormond's proposal]
I agree with Liquid on this one. This conspiracy against Nymeria I am sure includes more people and probably people more powerful then Ormond Bloodspill so it is definitely a good idea to keep him as close to her as possible. She can learn more about this conspiracy from him even though he likely may not tell the whole truth and most importantly she can have him around to mislead in council meetings and make sure herself that this conspiracy against her does not grow to be more powerful than what he seems to already be. As much as I am interested to see a battle from Nymeria's PoV, I know that there will be plenty of opportunities for that in the future and that this is probably the best choice for Nymeria here. On a side note though, I am pretty curious as to why Mors didn't go with Nymeria to this siege? Was it out of some kind of respect for his childhood friend or is he just aggravated about Nymeria choosing to go to Redclif with an army? I remember you telling me at the end of last chapter that Nymeria's storyline would be pretty exciting in this chapter and I definitely agree with this. Nymeria has moved up the rankings in my list of favorite PoV's that is for sure
Oh, that's right, I guess I didn't really explain why Mors didn't come
Well, the reason is simply that Nym and Mors thought it's best if one of them stays in Sandship. At some point they will have to leave someone else to hold Sandship, but for this mission it wasn't necessary for both of them to leave. Of course, Mors coming might have been useful, but going with an army was Nymeria's solution so it was her who took the mission. And while Mors might not like the approach, he is at best mildly irritated, so nothing too bad 
Oh, and Ormond isn't necessarily Mors' childhood friend, but rather Mors' fathers' childhood friend (and friend in general) 
But anyway, Mors' has mostly fond memories of him.
And yeah, Nymeria's storyline has been one of my own favorites as well in this chapter, but I'm pretty sure Chapter 3 will be even better for her
I read the part when it came out, but couldn't decide about the choice so I decided to read some other opinions first. Well, it didn't help lol I still can't make my mind, but I'll go ahead with other two choices so far so:
[Accept Ormond's proposal]
[Accept Ormond's proposal]
I basically was in the same situation as APlegends. If we do this, we need to make sure that he doesn't lie to us or withhold information when revealing the others involved in the conspiracy. Hopefully we can prevent him from consistently undermining us when he is in our council. I just hope this decision won't end up hurting us in the future.
Voting is closed!
Nymeria will accept Ormond's proposal, dropping the charges of treason against him, taking him into her council, and making his youngest son a squire for Prince Mors. In return, Ormond has promised to reveal what he knows of the conspiracy. Even if it's very questionable if Ormond can be trusted to truly tell everything he knows, it might still be useful - and at least now he will constantly be under the watchful eye of Nym and her allies. This is also a risk though - Ormond Bloodspill clearly doesn't have much respect for Nymeria, so him lurking in Sandship will be... well, stressful for Nym. Btw, this exact deal would've been the result of sending Mors to Redclif
Oh, and one of the more clear and obvious positives to this choice will be that now Nymeria can quickly move on with her war, without spending time, lives and resources in taking Redclif.
The next part is going to be Emerson PoV. It's about half done, and I'd say tomorrow is a safe bet for when I get it ready. Last time Emerson took part in a family dinner with Lord Morgan, Lady Vita, Esperence and Emmett. The atmosphere was quite tense from the beginning, as they conversed the situation of House Allyrion now being in alliance with King Lucifer. However, the dinner was interrupted by Jamison, who brought with him the severed head of Horidos, urging Morgan to solve who was behind the assassination attempt. As he left, Jamison thanked Emerson for warning him earlier. After Morgan and Vita left, Emerson and Esperence got into a bit of an argument, and Esperence brought up how Emerson probably seemed suspicious in Morgan's eyes right now. At the end Esperence tried to make Emerson swear he wouldn't sell her out to Morgan, and you voted for him to swear it.
Anyway, before this Emerson part, we should be getting a new H&L!
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Also, here is a portrait of our newest character, Lord Ormond Bloodspill:
Here is my very first H&L. I hope you guys enjoy it!
Eraehra Galnaris - The Broken Promise
That day in Valyria began like any other for Eraehra Galnaris, calm and peaceful. However, little did she know that this would be the day that would change not only her life, but the entire Galnaris family forever. On the morning Eraehra was being tutored by her mentor Maemar. It was not too long ago that her father did not approve of her being so inquisitive about wanting to learn and understand the histories and cultures of other people, but he had eventually relented. Unbeknownst to him though, Maemar had been secretly fueling Eraehra's curiosity and tutoring her for years.
Eraehra listened to the teachings of Maemar, her older brother Raevon was feeding the family dragon and checking on her eggs, and her younger sister, Vaela, was waking up late and getting ready for the day. It seemed like just another day for this Dragonlord family.
This time Eraehra was learning about the people, land, and culture of Naath. The bodyguard Jaelor was standing in guard nearby as the lesson was ending. “So Eraehra, tell me, what do you find most interesting about the people of Naath?” Maemar inquired. Eraehra pondered on the question for a moment, and then answered, "I am impressed by their peacefulness and aversion to war. I wish all people could share their view of the world.” Maemar looked at her with sincerity in his wrinkled eyes. “Yes, that would be nice", he said with a small sigh, "However, it is highly unrealistic. You should also remember that it is their own passivity that allows the people of Naath to be so easily captured and enslaved. Even their Butterfly fever can’t always protect them.” Just as Eraehra was about to answer, Grezhan burst through the door. The Ghiscari bodyguard had to catch his breath for a moment, and Jaelor who stood next to him looked at him with mild confusion. “Lady Eraehra, you father requests the presence of you and your siblings immediately”, Grezhan said with a serious tone on his voice.
Grezhan and Jaelor escorted Eraehra through the palace, and as they arrived to the Great Hall she noticed that her father, Lord Daehron, and her siblings Raevon and Vaela were already there. She did not see her mother, Lady Vysaela, but she could hear her faint crying from the corridor. Lord Daehron looked a little disheveled, with glazed and weak look on his eyes. Never before had Eraehra seen her father in such a state.
Raevon was the first to speak up. “What is this about father?” He asked carefully. “Why did you call us here?” Their father looked at them intently and said, “As you know your brother Jaevon has been serving as my brother’s…”, he paused for a moment, let out a sigh, and continued, “Jaevon has been your Uncle Jaegaron’s squire. As you also know, they were supposed to return here in a couple of years. However, that is no longer going to happen.”
“What do you mean?” Vaela interjected, though it was clear from her shaky voice that she had the same bad feeling that Eraehra had. And so, Daehron continued, “Your Uncle was leading a small retinue of soldiers down a path between two cliffs. Your brother was with him, and…” Daehron stopped, closing his eyes and clenching his teeth to keep his composure. “Apparently, the cowardly Rhoynar ambushed the retinue and blocked their escapes. Their blasted water witches used their magic to trap and drown many, and the rest... the rest were slain. Your uncle and brother did not make it.” For a moment silence lingered in the hall, and Eraehra could see the shock and grief taking over her sibling’s expressions. “No… It can’t be”, Raevon muttered, tears coming to his eyes. NOO!,” he wailed as he buried his face in his hands, his silver hair falling over them. Vaela fainted after hearing the news, but the guards and servants quickly attended to her. Eraehra just stood there staring at her father, and for a while she was unable to say anything. “No, no, this has to be some sort of mistake”, she finally said weakly, looking at her father for support, but Daehron shook his head subtly, a devastated look on his eyes.
“What was uncle even doing leading a retinue? And why was Jaevon with him?” Eraehra asked these questions with strict and angered tone, but there were no answers. “This doesn’t make sense, this can’t be right.”
“I am afraid it is, Eraehra”, Daehron finally said with a grim tone. “I remember you saying some time ago that you admired the culture of the Rhoynar… I guess they aren’t as great as you claim them to be.” After hearing this, Eraehra ran from the great hall, bursting into tears.
Eraehra ran through the courtyard, the wind making her silver hair flow, and tears running down her cheeks. Once she reached her chambers, she buried her face in her pillow, weeping as the memories of her younger brother came racing through her mind. She remembered the time Jaevon had walked in on her studies. It had been earlier that same day when her father had furiously forbidden her from studying foreign cultures and histories. Eraehra remembered the playful smirk on Jaevon’s face as he found her once again being mentored by Maemar. “Well, well, well, what do we have here? A rule breaker perhaps”, Eraehra remembered him saying gleefully. In order to keep her secret Jaevon had demanded Eraehra to tell him what Maemar was teaching her. This had surprised Eraehra, but she gladly shared with her brother the information about Dothrakies that Maemar had just told her.
“Hordes of over ten thousand horse warriors, you say? That is awesome!” Jaevon excitedly proclaimed as Eraehra had finished her lecture. “Well, I’m glad you found all this interesting”, She responded with a raised eyebrow.
“Hey Eraehra, you did not really think I was going to tell father, did you?” Jaevon asked softly, and Eraehra looked at him inquisitively. With the warmest smile on his face, Jaevon said the words Eraehra would always remember, “You know I love you, sis.”
Those words echoing in her head, Eraehra wiped the tears from her eyes, letting out a weak sigh. Another memory came to her mind - something that had occurred on the day Jaevon left with Uncle Jaegaron. Right before he had to leave, he had pulled Eraehra aside. “Hey sis, I know you’re planning to go and see many exciting places... When I come back, could you take me somewhere?” He had asked, a genuine look on his eyes.
“Of course, I’ll take you wherever you want to go, Jaevon”, she had answered gently, and a weak smile was formed on her brother’s face. “Do you promise?” He asked. Eraehra looked at him intently and answered, “Yes, I promise.”
A few weeks after the news had arrived, there was a funeral for the fallen members of the Galnaris family. At the funeral, Eraehra touched the coffin of her younger brother. I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise, she thought with sadness. Eraehra held her brother’s favorite dagger in her hand and whispered, “However, I will always take a part of you with me, wherever my journeys take me... and I will remember the people who did this to you.” Eraehra backed away, and a flaming arrow landed into Jaevon’s coffin and bursted it into flames, as the Galnaris family looked on. The fire reflected in Eraehra’s violet eyes, as she thought about those who had taken her brother’s life. The Rhoynar.
This part is a really nice glance to Eraehra's past. It also gives a pretty unique perspective to the whole Second Spice War, which is usually seen as a great tragedy for the people of Rhoyne, but obviously the war had its casualties on both sides. Good job!
Ah, that was something I have put into consideration, though I haven't really wrote it down. I bet at the current stage of her war, the last thing Nymeria needs is war with one of her bannermen, especially as Lucifer is trying his best to win allies among the lords of Central Dorne and has certainly made good progress with that. Don't want to support that guy too much. Or, better yet, don't want to support him at all, even though I hope he at least manages to take Vaith. That said, I hope we won't regret giving Ormond this chance, even if it might be wise for Nymeria to keep her enemies close.
It is amazing how this guy looks exactly how I imagined him to look
This is the image I had in mind while reading the part. I mean, most of the portraits end up resembling the image I already got from the way you described them, but it has never been that uncanny before. Well done 
This is an amazing H&L! I had such a thought before that there is a lot more to Eraehra than it seemed at first and as a Valyrian noblewoman, she certainly has one of the most unique perspectives on Nymeria's war, so I was already rather curious about her past before this part. You definitely managed to make me even more intrigued by her now and it was pretty great to get this deeper glimpse on her personality.
And well, keeping with the unique role Eraehra has in the main story, this one also gave a different view on the Second Spice War, as Wildling already stated. I must say, I have not expected such feels from her H&L, but that was seriously sad
So far, my sympathies in the Spice War have laid almost completely with the Rhoynar, given that they have been the huge underdogs, but this H&L managed to warm me up a bit more to the Valyrians. All in all, a wonderfully written part, thank you for writing and sharing it 
Your welcome. I'm really glad you enjoyed it!
This was truly an excellent H&L! You have made many characters that I really enjoy in this story so it is nice that you decided to write an H&L. Like the others have said, this really showed a great glimpse inside Eraehra's head and it shows that war takes a toll on everyone involved even the people who are said to be the victors. This H&L was very well written and I am glad you decided to write it. Great job and thanks Tales
Emerson
Once again Emerson stood alone in the crypt of Godsgrace, staring silently at the tomb of his father. "I wish you could be here to guide me, father." He said quietly, observing the face of the statue, wondering if it was anything like what Lord Mason had really looked like. "Everyone says you were a wise and good man... I wish I could be too, but I feel uncertain. How could I have wisdom and courage of a lord, when Morgan brought me up as a bastard?" Emerson let out a sigh, turning his gaze down. He stood there in silence for minutes, thinking about all that had happened recently. His family was divided in two, and both sides wanted to use him. War was coming, a war that could end up destroying the legacy Emerson had dreamed he would one day inherit.
"Esperence made me swear by the gods." He whispered, turning his eyes to the statue of Mason again. "Made me swear I would not reveal her plans to Morgan... Is that the right thing to do? It feels like no matter what I choose to do I'm betraying my own blood... There is no honorable option, not in this conflict. If only you could be here to guide me, father." After these wistful words, Emerson turned around, and walked out of the crypts.
As he came to the courtyard, he saw the Dayne convoy getting ready to leave. The Dayne knights were glancing around nervously as they spoke to each other, and the atmosphere on the courtyard was tense. For a moment Emerson's eyes met with Jamison's, but for once the Dayne prince's expression wasn't cocky or arrogant. Instead he eyed at Emerson with stern curiosity, and for a moment Emerson thought the Prince would approach him, but he didn't. Emerson kept walking, finally arriving to the doors of the keep, where Morgan was waiting for him.
"Emerson." Morgan said dryly, and Emerson nodded to him. "Yes, my Lord?" He replied calmly, but for a moment Morgan gave him no answer, just glaring at him. "We ought to have a conversation... Follow." With these cold words Morgan walked back inside the keep. Emerson glanced once more towards the Dayne's, who were now riding out of the gates. With a gulp her turned to follow his uncle.
In silence they made their way to the office of the Lord, and Emerson could feel his heartbeat getting faster. He was nervous, there was no denying that, and the intense look on Morgan's eyes certainly didn't help. The Lord of Godsgrace sat down to his chair, gazing sharply at Emerson, who remained standing in front of the desk.
"Tell me, Emerson, what is the most important thing for us in this conflict between the Dryland's and Martell's?" Morgan was tapping on the surface of the desk as he spoke, and Emerson gulped subtly. "Survival." He answered quietly, and Morgan nodded.
"Exactly." He said strictly, standing up again. "I couldn't care less if King Lucifer wins his war, or if the Rhoynar princess wins, but House Allyrion must survive. I will not have my legacy burned to ashes, do you understand?"
"I understand, my Lord." Emerson answered sternly. Morgan looked at him for a moment, and then walked closer, putting his hand on his shoulder. "Had my eldest son survived things would've been different, but now... You are the only heir I have Emerson, so I expect you to prove to me that you are worth it." Morgan spoke with quiet but tense words. Emerson listened quietly, unsure what his uncle wanted from him.
"And how can I prove myself?" He asked, and a thin smile was formed on Morgan's face. Without giving an answer, the Lord walked back to his chair and sat down. "I know that this thug named Horidos had worked for Esperence earlier." Morgan revealed casually, narrowing his eyes now. "I'm assuming you know this too." Morgan looked at Emerson, but he gave him no answer, so the lord continued. "Perhaps you even knew that Esperence would try to have Jamison killed, which is why you warned him."
"That's not how it went..." Emerson started, but his uncle raised his hand to interrupt him. "Don't waste your time, Emerson... I know you have more love for your cousin than you have for me. And I love my daughter too, why else would I turn a blind eye to her meddling with criminals and cutthroats? But this is not about love, Emerson, this is about survival. And in order to survive, we cannot have a war amongst ourselves."
"Tell me then, what do you want me to do?" Emerson asked with a touch of frustration in his words. Morgan took his time to answer, and when he finally spoke his words were heavy. "Find Esperence for me." He put emphasis on every word, looking Emerson straight to the eyes.
"Esperence... She is not here?" Emerson asked in confusion, and his uncle shook his head. "She left the castle last night with Emmett, and is now hiding somewhere in the city. I would send my guard to look for her, but I want to avoid any bloodshed on the streets – I know her thugs are protecting her. However, you could... lure her out."
Emerson didn't know what to say – he was shocked of how far this situation had gone. Perhaps a conflict between Esperence and Morgan had been inevitable, but Emerson had never expected it to happen so soon. "I... I will find her." He said quietly. Emerson did want to find his cousin, but whether he wanted to turn her to Morgan was another question. I swore to the gods I would not betray her.
"Good." Morgan replied, letting out a sigh. "Ser Niclas is waiting for you on the courtyard, go talk to him."
Emerson bowed clumsily to Lord Morgan, and backed out of the office. With all kinds of thoughts racing through his mind, Emerson walked the corridor towards the doors of the keep. However, before he made it to the doors, someone approached him. It was Lia, one of Esperence's newest allies.
Lia eyed Emerson with a cold look on her hazel eyes. "Esperence wants to meet you." She said with calm and quiet words, and Emerson raised his eyebrow. "Where is she?" He asked immediately, but Lia just chuckled coldly. "Follow me and I'll take you to her." She answered nonchalantly. Emerson glanced around himself nervously. He knew Ser Niclas was waiting for him, and he knew Morgan would not forgive him siding with Esperence now – and neither would Esperence forgive him siding with Morgan. "Come on, let's go." Lia urged, but Emerson was still uncertain.
[Follow Lia] [Go to Ser Niclas]
[Follow Lia]
Damn... The Godsgrace situation is getting more complicated with every part. I have the feeling it won't be possible for much longer for Emerson to pick a side and that pretty soon, he will be forced into an alliance with either Morgan or Esperence. And well, I am still not sure whom he should ally with. Morgan sliiightly gained some trust in this part, due to him appearing somewhat genuine in his conversation with Emerson. After all, he might be one of the most unpleasant characters in the story, but at the same time, he has few other options when it comes to his heir. However, Esperence is the somewhat more sympathetic one, so I am not exactly willing to ally with Morgan. Thing is, this choice initially looked like the one where Emerson has to pick a choice, but actually, I sense some tiny possibility of following Lia being more of a neutral option than one that favours Esperence. I mean, sure, Morgan wants him to meet Niclas, but he previously told him that he is supposed to find Esperence. By following Lia, he'd do exactly that. By going to Niclas, he'd anger Esperence and probably lose her trust and he'd lose a lead for her whereabouts, meaning that his chances of getting Morgan's favour would also decline.
God damn it, another choice in which I can't make my mind. I want to stay neutral, but this just doesn't seem possible with either choice. Unlike Liquid I thing going with Ser Niclas would be more neutral option since I don't think we can piss off Esperence as much as we can piss off Morgan, however I'll go ahead and choose [Follow Lia] . I have been siding with Esperence this whole story, It's just that I think that Emerson will achieve his goal easier if he first takes down Morgan and then Esperence. My only fear is Nymeria legitimizing Esperence even though Emerson is first in line even by Rhoynish laws (But hell, he comes before Morgan as well and Morgan is the lord so there is that). If we side with Morgan, we are waiting for him to die to be a lord, if we side with Esperence, we are in 1v1 contestion and not waiting for anything.
[Follow Lia] I was very much determined to go to Ser Niclas here after getting to see this different side of Morgan which made me realize he may not be that bad of a guy after all. Morgan flat out told Emerson that he is his only heir so Emerson seems to be in better shape than I thought. However, flat out disobeying too much could very much effect that. Liquid brought up a solid argument and I can say it was the deciding factor for me here. By going with Lia, he would be doing exactly what Morgan wanted him to do by finding Esperence so I don't believe Morgan could be too mad here. Of course with Morgan, it can be hard to tell sometimes.
I will say though that it was really cool getting to learn more about Morgan and getting to see that he seems to have reasonably good intentions or at least he does for someone who took a lordship that does not belong to him and he is making the rightful lord jump through hoops to be his heir
It does seem that this situation in Godsgrace could be coming to a boiling point soon and that is not even mentioning the Dryland-Martell war that will be reaching their doorstep soon as well. Soon they will have to truly decide between the Dryland's and Martell's which will be a huge factor in how things go for the Allyrion's going forward. Safe to say that I am really intrigued to see where Emerson's storyline goes from here!
[Follow Lia]
I agree with the others, on this one. By following Lia, he will find Esperence like Morgan asked. If Esperence gives him a better offer, he can side with her. If not, he can give her location to Morgan. It is somewhat of a win win situation for Emerson.
Voting is closed!
And Emerson will follow Lia. I know, this was an extremely short voting, but the result is clear already, all who have recently been active have already voted, and the next part is ready
So, no use to keep this voting open any longer. Anyway, many of you brought up a good point that this could indeed be seen as a neutral option, as it still leaves both options open in terms of who will Emerson side with. Anyway, Esperence should have some interesting things to say to Emerson 
However, next we will have Dalia part! Last we saw Dalia, she was at Hellgate Hall with her daughter Desirea, and her sellsword company the Wild Suns. She made a deal with her father, King Lucifer: she'll conquer Vaith for him, and he'll make her his heir. And as we continue, the Wild Suns have started their march, and are closing in Vaith. No action yet in this part, but it should be pretty interesting nonetheless
And it comes right away, in the next post!
Dalia
It was a hot day, perhaps the hottest of the summer so far, but luckily the Wild Suns had found a place for their camp on a shadowy valley between two hills, which made it at least somewhat bearable. Few miles south flowed the upper reaches of the river Vaith, and that's where the road would take them tomorrow.
Dalia walked quietly through the camp, observing her army, making sure the morale was still high. Lucifer had given Dalia around four hundred of his own troops, and those men were led by Ser Howar Uller, the second son of Lord Harrion Uller. Ser Howar claimed to know the Vaith well, which would certainly come useful, since Dalia herself hardly remembered what the city even looked like.
Dalia walked past the pavilion of Howar, but decided to keep going, as she knew Mizro, Khazor and the others were already waiting for her. Finally she made her way to the pavilion of the war council, and indeed her commanders were already there. Mizro was leaning on the table with a calm look on his sharp eyes, Khazor was sitting at the other end of the table with stern expression on his face, Red Maggot standing next to him, while Marduk, Iznein Ironheart and Haridos Fyllah were laughing about something.
"Afternoon, gentlemen", Dalia greeted them dryly, and they all shifted their attention to her. "As you know, we will soon reach the northern coast of Vaith, and after that the rest of the journey should prove to be easier."
"That is good to hear, Commander Dalia", Khazor said quietly, "Some of my men have started to show resentment towards this mission these past few days."
"And have you done anything to uplift their spirits?" Dalia asked with an inquiring tone, and Khazor reacted with narrowing his eyes. "I have reminded them of the spoils and payments that await them", he answered sternly. Dalia settled to giving Khazor an approving nod, and then moved on to the next topic. "Mizro, how are the supplies?" She asked calmly.
"Still plenty of food and drink left", Mizro answered with a laid back tone. "We should be able to siege Vaith for a couple months with what we have."
"Good, though that is not what we are going to do – my father needs Vaith as soon as possible", Dalia spoke decidedly, eyeing at each of her commanders. For a moment they were all silent, until Marduk cleared his throat and spoke up. "Mylady, are you sure we aren't underestimating the defenses of this city?" He asked, and Dalia immediately shook her head.
"Vaith is a small and pathetic excuse of a city, it shouldn't be too hard for an army this size", she explained nonchalantly, and Marduk nodded subtly. "Now, does anyone have..."
Dalia's sentence was interrupted by Captain Zara storming into the tent. "Lady Dalia", the young woman said with a hasty tone, and Dalia urged her to go on. "There is a small force approaching us from the east."
"Enemies?" Dalia asked calmly, but Zara shook her head. "At least they are marching under a white banner. The scouts say there was around hundred of them, led by a strong man with short blonde hair and accompanied by a red priestess."
"A red priestess?" Dalia asked with widened eyes, uncertain if she had heard correctly, and Zara nodded as confirmation. "Alright, take me to them", she said determinantly, and Zara nodded again. "Ser Howar, Vyran, Belan and Lady Desirea are already waiting for you", the captain informed. Dalia turned once more towards her commanders. "Get the men ready, in case these fuckers want a fight", she commanded, and then she left the pavilion with Zara. However, Mizro quickly ran after them.
"What?" He asked with a smirk as Dalia glared at him. "I want to see who these people are, Khazor can take care of the camp." Mizro's tone was genuinely enthusiastic, and Dalia gave him a small nod. They made their way to Howar, Vyran, Belan and Desirea, who were waiting for them at the eastern edge of the camp, which was atop the hill. From there they could see this mysterious force approaching.
"Who the hell are they?" Dalia asked sternly, and for a moment no one said anything. "We better go find out", Howar finally stated, and so they got on their horses and started riding towards their guests. Dalia rode next to her daughter, and tried to look her in the eyes. "Did you know this would happen?" She asked calmly, but Desirea shook her head. "If there really is a priestess of R'hllor, she will know me", the young red priestess spoke with her eyes firmly fixed on the force they were approaching.
Soon they got close enough that Dalia could distinguish the leader of the force. The man looked sturdy and strong, built like a warrior, dressed in black, brown and maroon leather armor, riding a white horse and carrying a white banner on his right hand. His pale blonde hair was short and messy, and his face had masculine angular features, with thick stubble and a chin patch. On the left of the man rode an older woman, dressed fully in red robes, and on his right rode an older man with grey hair, clad in chainmail and orange cloak. Behind those three marched a force of hundred soldiers, or near enough to make no matter. The soldiers were lightly armored, dressed in ragged red and black clothes, and armed mostly with short curved blades. Dalia also noticed that all of the soldiers had iron collars around their necks. Slaves.
They dismounted their horses as they got closer, and the slave soldiers stopped, except for one – a scarred man with long dark hair and olive-skin, who followed the leader, the red priestess and the grey-haired man as they approached Dalia and her company. The four mysterious characters stopped about a dozen feet away from them, and their leader threw the white banner to the ground. "We come in peace, Lady Dalia", he spoke with deep and smooth voice, a sharp look on his green eyes and charming smirk on his full lips. This man was tanned by the sun, and clearly a bit messy and tired from the road, but still Dalia had to admit he was handsome.
"Who are you, and how do you know me?" Dalia asked strictly, cold glare on her eyes. "We have met before, long ago", the man answered softly, "I am Lord Kris Vaith, and I am here to help you take Vaith back from my former wife." Dalia's mouth opened slightly in surprise, and she glanced first at Desi, who kept on a calm face, and then Ser Howar, who stared at this man with widened eyes.
"I don't blame you if you don't remember me, I was hardly a man back then, and you were a wild bastard girl running around Hellgate Hall. Now I am Lord of Vaith and you are commander of the Wild Suns, and we both are servants of R'hllor" Kris chuckled softly as he spoke, now turning her eyes to Desirea. "And you must be Desirea... I've heard so much about you", Kris glanced quickly at the red priestess next to him as he said this.
"Mother Minesa", Desirea said softly, looking at the older woman in red robes. "You remember me", the woman replied with admiring tone, falling on her knees in front of Desirea. Desirea walked closer to her, and offered her hand. "Of course I remember", she said gently, as the older priestess grabbed her hand and stood up again. "But why are you here?"
With a confused expression on her face, Dalia took a couple steps closer, eyeing Kris and this Mother Minesa with narrowed eyes. "We have come to aid you, to drive away the evil from Vaith", Minesa answered to Desirea, who still looked a bit uncertain. "But why you?" She asked quietly, and Minesa turned towards Kris. "Because Lord Kris is my son, and it is my duty to guide her way on this dangerous mission", the priestess explained zealously. "And these soldiers?" Dalia asked sternly, and now it was Kris who answered.
"They have been brought from Volantis, and they are ready to fight for our cause", he answered firmly, the smile on his face a bit thinner now. "You know that slavery is forbidden here in Westeros, right?" Dalia asked dryly, and Kris nodded calmly. "Don't worry, my Lady, they shall be freed once the battle is over", he said. Good enough, Dalia thought, now turning her eyes to the grey-haired man, and then the scarred slave soldier. His greasy dark hair covered part of his face, but Dalia could still see the tattoos on the slave's face.
"This here is Henry, my old friend and trusted advisor", Kris introduced the grey-haired man, and then turned his eyes towards the slave. "And this here is Hangman, captain of the Mother's Favored", while introducing the slave, Kris' voice was clearly less enthusiastic. Both Henry and Hangman gave a small bow to Dalia. With a sigh Dalia turned towards Ser Howar. "Can we trust this man is who he says he is?" She asked with a whisper, and Howar nodded subtly. "Yes, my Lady, I recognize him", he answered quietly, and so Dalia turned back towards Lord Kris and Mother Minesa. "Come on then, let's return to the camp", she said loudly and a grin was formed on the face of Kris.
-
The sun was setting, as Dalia sat in a dimly lit tent with Kris, Minesa, Desirea, and Mizro, while Belan, Vyran, Hangman and Henry guarded the door. "So, you're saying your wife serves the Great Other?" Dalia asked with a grim tone. "My former wife, yes", Kris answered with a sigh. "Lady Myra kept me under her magic for years, corrupting my mind, making me weak. Over a year ago I heard the call of my mother from the flames, and I knew I had to leave Vaith."
"And is Myra the only servant of Great Other in Vaith?" Dalia asked quietly. Kris looked uncertain, and shrugged. "As far as I know, yes", he finally said. "However, she is most likely using her bastard daughter Valerie the way she used me... And how he will use my son." A bitter grief surfaced on Kris' voice as he said this.
"Your son?" Dalia asked gently, and Kris nodded. "I had one son with Myra, that was before I had learned what she truly was... Little Nickon is now three."
"I am afraid the boy has been tainted by the Great Other by now", Minesa said with a sigh, "he will have to be killed with his mother."
"Do not judge this child to death so hastly", Desirea said with strict and passionate words. "Who knows, perhaps the boy can still be brought to the light of R'hllor." Minesa gulped and nodded. "As you say", she replied with a respectful tone, "but we should still prepare for the worst." Dalia could see how uncomfortable Kris was with this topic, and she could certainly sympathize. She turned to look at Desirea, feeling anxious of even the mere thought of being in the situation Kris was in with his child.
"The boy will not be killed unless there is absolutely no other way", Dalia said calmly, looking at Kris. For a moment their eyes connected, and for that short moment it felt like they understood each other perfectly, even if they had known each other merely for a couple of hours.
"Yes", Kris agreed softly, turning his eyes down now. "Is there something more we should talk about?" Mizro asked, a touch of impatience in his words.
"No, I don't think so", Desirea answered with a tired sigh, standing up now, "I need to get some rest, see you tomorrow", with these words the young priestess walked out of the tent, and Mizro walked quickly after her. Next Minesa stood up, silently walking out, leaving only Kris and Dalia inside the tent.
Kris gazed at Dalia, intense look on his green eyes. "You have a very smart daughter, Lady Dalia", he said, and Dalia let out a chuckle. "That has to be the weirdest flirting I have ever received", she chirped and Kris' lips formed a warm grin. "I mean it," he said gently, "and I think you are very smart as well, and strong... and beautiful."
Dalia could feel her blood rushing at this man's smooth words, and she couldn't find the words for an answer. It was weird, not many men could make her feel this way, but there was something exciting and intriguing about Kris. "Perhaps you would like to spend the night with me, my Lady, so we can get to know each other better", he suggested softly, looking Dalia straight to the eyes.
[Spend the night with Kris] [Go to your own tent]
Hmmm.... hmmmmm, I feel like this is an important piece of information about Desi. Alright then, change of plans! It does appear to me that Desi is at least marginally better than I gave her credit for at first. I will not take back what I said about her before, not yet at least, but my opinion on her has gotten a tiny bit better than before. She is officially only my fifth or sixth least favourite character now and therefore finally more likable than Albin Manwoody and what little remaining hatred I have for her is just a precautionary measure. You're not going to see me cheering for a character who could potentially end up murdering Gwendis, but even I must admit that this has gotten less likely now. I at least see the chance for Desi to end up far better than I claimed her to be at first, but I still take everything she says with a grain of salt. Maybe she'll get a chance to prove that I was wrong about her, but words alone don't mean anything here.
That said, I really don't like this Minesa person. If Desi indeed ends up better than I thought, perhaps even an actually morally good character who is going to help Gwendis instead of killing her, then Minesa certainly is exactly as I claimed Desi to be at first. I hope there will be a way to leave her at Vaith when the time comes to face Aisha, because I doubt Gwendis can expect any mercy from her. She'd probably even kill Trentan for being affiliated with the witch-bitch. However, I liked how she used the word taint to describe the influence of the Great Other. That reminds me of literally everything I ever said about that demon. Let's say, her way is not wrong when it comes to creatures such as Aisha or Wesley, but right now, I see her and her views as the far bigger threat to Gwendis than Desi and maaaybe even Dalia, who, after all, only follows Desi's orders. This newly changed view on Desi also influenced my vote:
[Go to your own tent]
As I said above, I have officially changed my strategy. I might change it later on, but for now, I am more willing than ever before to place my bets on Dalia and Desi when it comes to saving Gwendis' life from a certain rotten bitch. I don't exactly want Gwendis to become a rollmop servant either, but if that is the only alternative, then I still very much prefer it over becoming a servant of the Great Fuckturd and I certainly prefer it over dying. Desi seems unusually reasonable for someone who follows the same religion as Melisandre and her desire to redeem Nickon does strike me as genuine. Make no mistake, I still don't like her, mostly because there's still a remnant of doubt about her, but with Gwen's situation getting more and more dire, I find myself willing to risk Desi's presence more than I am willing to risk her absence. This however means that I want her loyal attack dog, Dalia, with her, because if there is anyone who can stop Wesley, it's her. At the end of the day, I am far more willing to trust Dalia than I am willing to trust Wesley. That said, I should make it clear that as much as my opinion on Desi has gotten at last marginally better, my opinion on Dalia has remained the same. She's ultimately going to have it even harder to win my favour, but with the recent developments and my general strategy to oppose Aisha as much as possible, I find myself at least more open to change my views on Dalia. I'll remain on the fence for the time being, but we will see what the future brings.
And well, all of this means that I want Dalia to have as little personal ties to these people as possible, so when the time comes that Desi has to face the toxic mega cunt and her warrior, she will be at her side, probably the only one capable of taking down that red-eyed monster knight. If Desi keeps this attitude about sparing those that can be redeemed and if we keep Gwendis from giving in to the Great Other taint, then Dalia is far less of a problem than Bitsha and Worstley. So, I don't want her to have any ties to Kris Vaith, even if he seems like an okay guy, because when the time comes, I want nothing to hold her at Hellgate Hall or Vaith, not when she might be the one to actually save Gwendis' life from the ones who are going to kill her for sure if she keeps resisting. Surely I don't want any affection towards Kris getting in the way. I just hope I won't regret putting my trust in Dalia as much as I regret putting my trust in Aisha.
Indeed, aside from just establishing the situation with Kris and his son, this scene was also meant to show that Desi isn't too big on killing when it's not absolutely necessary. And well, I can say she definitely belongs lower on the list than the likes of Albin Manwoody
Of course, the reason you put Desi and Dalia higher on the hate list than is perhaps objectively fair, is very understandable 
Now, in case of Minesa I'd say your dislike is more justified, as she is much closer to being someone like Melisandre than Desi is. However, she is not completely rotten, and she really respects Desi. Minesa going against Desirea's wishes is something that is very unlikely to happen.
Well, Dalia will have a lot of developement and character building moments coming in her storyline, but considering the reason you dislike her in the first place... I'm pretty sure you'll stay on that fence as long as it takes to be revealed whether she will harm Gwendis or not
That said, I'm hoping you'll at least find elements in her storyline enjoyable, even if you can't fully root for her 
I fully admit to this, my hatred of Dalia and Desi is not objective and might even be seen as unfair from a fully objective point of view. Neither is it all that rational, but that doesn't really change how I feel about them. I just can't help it
But yeah, Desi finally gave me something I can like. I mean, killing Aisha and Worstley is absolutely necessary, I fully support her on this, but her general stance on killing makes me hopeful that she is far less willing to kill Gwendis and that she instead would give it a try to remove the Great Other taint from her. After all, our choices with Gwendis so far have been all about keeping that demon as weak as possible and maybe Desi decides that there is still hope to save her. One thing is for sure, as much as I am horribly afraid as to what Aisha is going to do in the near future, I am glad we decided to keep the demon from getting out of hand.
Ah, this is good to hear. It seems Minesa won't end up posing that much of a threat then, at least as long as Desi makes it clear that she wishes no harm against those whose deaths she does not order. I mean, I still don't like her, she seems like way too much of a fanatic, but maybe it can stay at that mere dislike. My hate list is already too long and I'd rather remove names than adding new ones for the time being.
Yeah, Dalia can have as much development as possible, but it is unlikely to change anything about how I feel when it comes to her. You're very right there, my careful hatred towards her will stay until she meets up with Gwendis, at which point my opinion will either change to something better, or to something much worse. That is the development I am mostly interested about when it comes to her. In terms of sheer character building, Desi is the one I am more curious about, as I am sure that she and not Dalia is going to be the defining factor when it comes to Gwendis' fate, at least as long as Aisha doesn't murder her out of spite or stuff like that. However, I can assure you that I will find Dalia's storyline enjoyable, that much is for sure. I should make it clear, in Dalia's storyline, the only problem I have is Dalia herself, her storyline is perfectly fine and exciting. Vaith should be awesome, especially as it goes against a villain whom I can hate even more than Dalia, at least for now. But yeah, the character of Dalia... she is going to remain someone I am extremely cautious about and whom I can only dislike until I get to see how she is going to act in that situation. To be fair though, I had the same stance towards Desi and I still softened up to her at least a tiny bit, way more than I ever thought I could. However, Dalia has always been the one I have been more cautious about, so she is definitely going to have it a lot harder to win me over and a lot easier to rival Aisha when it comes to my hatred.
Man Wildling, even in calm parts, you always have something shocking and exciting happen! With the lord of Vaith being a follower of R'hllor and his ex wife being a follower of the Great Other, this is certainly a unique situation. Really, I can't even really be sure of who to root for here but I suppose I will root for Dalia and the Wild Suns at this point since they are technically on Jamison's side or at least I hope so anyway! I also really enjoyed learning more about Desi in this part as well since it seems she is far from your typical fire priestess but I suppose I better not be too positive of her just yet since she is still a fire priestess after all and will no doubt do whatever she feels R'hllor is telling her to do.
[Spend the night with Kris]
Liquid brought up some good arguments and I may still end up changing my vote but for now I am going with this. The way that I see it, this choice more so seems like a character building choice in regards to her personality than anything and along with that, I have gathered already that Dalia's number one goal is to watch over her daughter and help her father win his war. So at this point, I don't think going to Kris' tent will really effect anything for Dalia long term. Even if she shares a romantic night with Kris, it is not going to stop Dalia from accomplishing her true goals and I don't think this part will change her storyline drastically. She will still try to follow Desi wherever she needs to go or go wherever her father wants her to fight, those two choices and her relationship with Desi and King Lucifer are the big factors that will determine how Dalia's storyline that will go in my opinion. I primarily think that spending the night with Kris will more so just be a way for Dalia to maybe enjoy herself a little bit. I could be way wrong on this, so I will probably ending up thinking about it more
Hehe, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the part!
Indeed, this part at last should've made clear for everyone that the coming battle will not be just about the Dryland-Martell war, but also R'hllor v. Great Other. And yeah, technically the Wild Suns are allies with Jamison. That said, they have no idea about Jamison being in Vaith, and Jamison doesn't know anything about them 
Yep, that's really the issue with R'hllor priestesses, they might be good people, but there is always the risk that they are willing to go against their own morals if they think R'hllor demands it.
Mm, well I can at least confirm that this is very much a character building moment, whether the choice has other consequences... well, we'll see
Indeed, it seems that this battle between the two religions is going to be very important for the future of House Vaith. They are either going to be ruled by a follower of the Lord of Light or the Great Other, either way I am not sure how long Nymeria will let that stand when the time comes
With all of these followers of R'hllor running about, I can't help but be curious if someone claiming to be Azor Ahai reborn will appear! In regards to Jamison, what you are saying is so true and it makes me even more nervous for when Jamison gets to Vaith with my main hope being that he does not get there until after the battle but I suppose we will see how that goes soon 
For sure, it seems Desi is very high regarded by other other followers of R'hllor and I am sure she did not get that way by not following what she feels R'hllor is telling her to do.
Well, it seems that I may have some more thinking to do about this choice
I will see what the other voters decide upon and that may lead me to change my vote 
[Go to your own tent]
She can't afford to have distractions right before going to battle.
[Spend the night with Kris]