Alright, while I'm obviously not going to confirm or debunk this theory, I thought I could show you where exactly are these characters right now. Gwendis, Aisha and Trentan are indeed pretty deep into the Manwoody lands already, but not really close enough to see Kingsgrave yet. Anyway, here's a map with the red dot representing where Gwen & co. are, and the blue one representing where the army of Ferris and Kegan is right now (and they are moving towards Kingsgrave):
This theory just came out of the blue for me as well and while I can certainly admit that it is probably a long shot, there is a chance for … moreit nonetheless. If I remember correctly in the last Gwendis part, it was said that they were not very far from Kingsgrave with them actually being able to see it from where they stood so they are very much deep into the Manwoody Lands. The Fowler-Blackmont army on the other hand, their location is something that I am taking a guess on but I don't think it is that far out of the realm of possibility either. The Ser Russal PoV that showed the Battle on the Wide Way happened a least a couple months ago if not further back and with it being mentioned in the Isabella and Missy parts that they are chasing the Manwoody army back to Kingsgrave with plans to eventually besiege it, I believe that their army has to be very close to Kingsgrave by now with them probably arriving within the next Missy part or maybe wit… [view original content]
Oh okay, I had felt like I remembered Kingsgrave being mentioned in the last Gwendis part as if they were actually close to there but it turned out that it said they were in the Kingdom of Kingsgrave rather than close to the actual keep of Kingsgrave. Thanks for clearing this up for us Wildling! Safe to say with this theory and the Desmor idea that Liquid brought up, there is definitely some potential for a wrench to be thrown in Aisha's plans
Alright, while I'm obviously not going to confirm or debunk this theory, I thought I could show you where exactly are these characters right… more now. Gwendis, Aisha and Trentan are indeed pretty deep into the Manwoody lands already, but not really close enough to see Kingsgrave yet. Anyway, here's a map with the red dot representing where Gwen & co. are, and the blue one representing where the army of Ferris and Kegan is right now (and they are moving towards Kingsgrave):
Happy one year anniversary to Nymeria's War! This is the first interactive story that I have actively participated in. In fact, it is this story that pushed me to make my own telltale account because I really wanted to contribute characters to the story. Who knows, I might contribute some more soon. I've greatly enjoyed the characters and just the story in general. You have done an excellent job writing this amazing story Wildlingking. I looked at the tv trope page and is quite interesting. Thanks Liquid, Wildling, and anyone else involved in making it. I also like the picture of Benedict.
Voting is closed!
And Naemon will stay at the table. You could say this is the rational choice here, as confronting Noctis would've been … morea very impulsive action from Naemon. That said, by ranting to Noctis Naemon could've vent out a bit, whereas now he is just bottling up his anger. Obviously one rant to a sorcerer wouldn't have been enough to release Naemon from all of his frustration and stress, but it would've been a small relief for him.
The next part, which should be ready today or tomorrow, will be a Gwendis PoV. Last time on her storyline, Gwendis, Aisha and Trentan made it to the lands of Manwoody. There Aisha took them to some kind of ancient cave, and deep inside that cave was a stony altar. Aisha implied that the First Men used to worship the Great Other there. At the end of the part Aisha urged Gwen to put her hand on the altar, and Gwendis did feel a temptation to do it. However, you voted for her to refuse to do it, and th… [view original content]
"No", Gwendis said quietly, steering her hand away from the altar. She turned her eyes up, to see the sharp and piercing look on Aisha's eyes. The usually calm and calculative purple eyes were now filled with anger and disappointment. "I'm sorry", Aisha whispered, and grabbed Gwendis right hand from the wrist. Before Gwendis could react, the Dark Priestess pushed her hand forcibly against the cold stony surface of the altar. And darkness swallowed her.
She was falling in eternal darkness, and as she tried to scream, no voice came out of her mouth. She could still feel Aisha's hand around her wrist, biting to her skin like a cold chain of iron. Slowly the darkness faded, replaced by a vision. Gwendis saw a narrow and dusty alley, and in the middle of it stood a warrior of darkness, its eyes empty and lifeless. Behind the warrior lurked a shadow, hiding from something. Fire, Gwendis realized – in front of the warrior of darkness were flames that grew higher and higher. The flames tossed the warrior to the dust, but meanwhile the shadow had disappeared.
"She will hate you, and in her hate she will try to destroy you", Gwendis heard the screeching voice of the Great Other. "Who?" Gwendis asked, and now she saw the blue eyes opening in front of her. "The one who will seek for your help, the one who loves the darkness", the screeching voice answered. And then the eyes disappeared, and darkness took over once again. Gwendis started feeling weak and dizzy, and soon she lost her consciousness.
-
Gwendis woke up to the cracking of fire. As she turned her head she saw Trentan sitting next to a fire he had built by the mouth of the cave, and Aisha standing just outside the cave and gazing at the distance. Slowly Gwendis pulled herself to a sitting position, and Trentan turned to look at him. The young thief had a slightly nervous expression on his face. Almost immediately Aisha turned towards the cave and Gwendis.
"You're finally awake, princess", she said with calm and friendly tone. Gwendis didn't answer, and only glared silently at the Dark Priestess. With a sigh Aisha walked into the cave, past Trentan's fire and right next to Gwendis. "What did our lord show you?" She asked, narrowing her eyes as she spoke.
"Nothing", Gwendis lied quietly, but it was easy to see from Aisha's face that she didn't believe her. "Fine," she said after a moment of silence, "we can talk about this later... I have something else to take care of now. Our warrior, to be precise."
"So, are you going somewhere?" Trentan asked with a timid tone, and Aisha nodded. "I will fetch Mordekhai, it shouldn't take more than a day. Meanwhile, I need you two to stay here and wait." Aisha turned her eyes to Gwendis again with her last words, giving her a meaningful look. Gwendis stayed silent, feeling both anger and fear as she looked at Aisha. Without any further conversation, Aisha walked out of the cave, leaving Trentan and Gwendis alone.
It took several minutes after Aisha left before Trentan finally spoke up. "What she did... it was wrong", he said quietly, staring at the fire. "She shouldn't have forced you to... well, to push your hand on that altar."
"I'm glad to hear that's your opinion", Gwendis replied, her voice only a tad sarcastic. Trentan's sympathy wouldn't do much to help Gwendis in this situation, but she was still genuinely glad to notice that Trentan wasn't completely blinded by his affection for Aisha.
"What was it that you saw?" Trentan now asked, his voice uncertain, and the look on his eye nervous. Gwendis took in a deep breath. "Did she tell you to ask this?" She asked calmly, and Trentan shook his head.
"No, it's not like you think... Aisha doesn't command me", Trentan answered, his voice a bit more confident now. "If you say so", Gwendis replied with a sigh, and a frown was formed on Trentan's face. "So, you're not going to tell me what you saw?" He asked.
"It was nothing pleasant", Gwendis answered sternly, keeping her eyes away from Trentan, the words of the Great Other echoing in her mind. She will hate you, and in her hate she will try to destroy you. The Great Other was warning her, but of whom? Aisha? Trentan nodded to Gwendis, though his expression was mildly disappointed. "I understand", he mumbled, turning towards the fire again.
As the fire slowly burned out, Gwendis and Trentan both spent the rest of the day silently, dwelling in their own thoughts, until finally night arrived. Trentan was the first to fall asleep, and Gwendis soon after.
She had expected the nightmares about the Great Other to haunt her again, but this time she woke up before they even begun. She felt a hand on her mouth. As Gwendis opened her eyes, she saw a shady slim figure above her. It was a dark-haired woman, but it wasn't Aisha. Lyla Sand, Gwendis suddenly realized, as she looked into those big dark eyes. Gwendis couldn't say anything as Lyla was keeping her right hand on Gwendis' mouth. "Shh", Lyla whispered, and moved her hand away from Gwendis' mouth. Silently she gestured her to stand up, and Gwendis obeyed.
"I'm taking you back home, princess", she said quietly, and they started to move towards the mouth of the cave. Then, Trentan woke up. The young thief looked at them with tired and confused eyes. "What is going on here?" He asked, but instead of giving any kind of answer, Lyla pulled out her dagger and jumped on Trentan. She pushed him against the ground, putting the blade of the dagger on his throat. Panic took over Trentan's eyes, and Gwendis could see that Lyla was ready to make the finishing move any second now. "Wait!" She yelled, and Lyla turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow.
"We have to kill him", she said with decisive words. "If we leave him alive, he is going to help Aisha to find us."
Gwendis gulped, she was feeling conflicted. She didn’t want to kill Trentan, but she knew that what Lyla said could very well be the truth.
Gwendis
"No", Gwendis said quietly, steering her hand away from the altar. She turned her eyes up, to see the sharp and piercing look on … moreAisha's eyes. The usually calm and calculative purple eyes were now filled with anger and disappointment. "I'm sorry", Aisha whispered, and grabbed Gwendis right hand from the wrist. Before Gwendis could react, the Dark Priestess pushed her hand forcibly against the cold stony surface of the altar. And darkness swallowed her.
She was falling in eternal darkness, and as she tried to scream, no voice came out of her mouth. She could still feel Aisha's hand around her wrist, biting to her skin like a cold chain of iron. Slowly the darkness faded, replaced by a vision. Gwendis saw a narrow and dusty alley, and in the middle of it stood a warrior of darkness, its eyes empty and lifeless. Behind the warrior lurked a shadow, hiding from something. Fire, Gwendis realized – in front of the warrior of darkness w… [view original content]
Alright, I gotta get the vote out of the way first, because my comment is surely going to be a bit longer. I seriously hope that this option wins and that perhaps my reasoning can convince people to spare Trentan. Sure, allowing him to live is a risk, but it is one of the rare risks I am willing to take when it comes to Gwendis, because I could see killing him as just as much of a risk, maybe even more. The thing is, he just expressed his sympathy, he voiced his disapproval of Aisha's actions and this shows to me that he is finally warming up to Gwen, maybe even to the point where he sympathizes with her. Killing him here would not only be wrong, it would also go against Gwendis' morals quite heavily. Instead, I'd be in favour of just knocking him out or something like that, so that he cannot help Aisha with locating them. Even then, Lyla is an expert. I doubt Trentan can offer any valuable service to Aisha here that she cannot outbalance with her own skills. And just imagine the worst case scenario, Aisha catches up with them. If Gwen spares Trentan's life here, she might be displeased, but otherwise still professional. If Gwen allows Lyla to kill him, then I am sure this is going to bring out the worst inside of that bitch before we had any time to prepare for it. And if Lyla kills him regardless, at least Gwendis can rightfully claim that she tried to stop her, something that Aisha might reward by sparing her the worst of her anger. Lyla wants to kill him to get an advantage, but I think sparing him, a potential ally even, is far better, as he poses no threat at all. That said, if he actually helps Aisha with dragging Gwendis back to this evil cult she clearly wants to have no part in, I'm certainly going to lose this sympathy I currently hold for him, but well, I do start to like him and this means I don't want to kill him. This is a feeling I am sure Gwen shares. And most importantly, sparing him will eventually spare Gwendis, if the worst happens. Besides, it would give Aisha a lot less reason to go after her. I mean, Gwendis has made it very clear that she wishes to have no part in all of that. Aisha has made it clear that she holds no respect at all for Gwendis wishes, but wasting valuable time to chase after an unwilling girl? She'd need a seriously good reason to do that and I'd rather want that reason to be professional interest instead of anger and hatred due to the death of her bedslave.
Now, my thoughts. Ooooh man, this part gave me the chills. Well, all of them do, but this was a lot less terrifying than I thought and I am actually slightly relieved. And naturally, there is a lot I would like to mention. Prepare for probably one of the longest comments I have ever written for this story.
First of all, the demon god in the room, the Great Other. This part surprised me here, because for the first time, he didn't seem malicious towards Gwendis. Hell, he even answered her when she had a question. While I am sure this is going to make things worse for her in the long run, because it strenghtened his hold in her head, his advice here has surely been helpful. At the same time, it confused me greatly. So, first he tells her to embrace the darkness, now he tells her that one who loves the darkness will seek to destroy her? I'm getting mixed messages there, make up your mind, you demon god. However, this clearly does not hint at Dalia and Desi, because they are far from loving the darkness. If he would want to warn her of them, he would tell her that the ones who wish to destroy her are the ones who love the light. The logical option here would be Aisha. Who else could love the darkness as much as her? While she is almost too easy an option, I am sure the Great Other, being some sort of a god, is well aware of the conclusion Gwendis will draw and if he would have wanted her to trust Aisha, he would have worded this differently. This draws the conclusion that well, the Great Other is at least perfectly fine with Gwendis not trusting Aisha. It is kind of hilarious that even the god of evil barely seems to tolerate that bitch, despite how devout she is. Tells you just what a massively insufferable cunt she is. It also gave me this interesting thought, what if the Great Other doesn't want worship? Regardless of wether or not he warned Gwen of Aisha, he certainly didn't do anything to make her trust that bitch more. This means, maybe he is actually against her worship. Sure, he probably likes her service, but maybe he dislikes her devotion? I mean, would a god of evil even want to be worshipped? He is evil, he likely wants total domination and control, or annihilation of all existence, but worship? There has to be a reason why he has so few cultists, especially compared to the major religion that is the cult of R'hllor. He exists and I bet that if he would want to, he could have ten thousands of cultists. The fact that he hasn't can only partially be a result of how utterly creepy he is. Maybe he doesn't want it, maybe he doesn't need it and maybe he considers Aisha to be genuinely misguided in her fanatical devotion. This makes things even more funny, as it means that she is so creepy that she even managed to creep out the demon god of evil.
However, back to the one who loves the darkness, there is another option. Aisha is not the only follower of the Great Other in Dorne and while no one loves the darkness as much as she does, there is at least one other cultist we know of, namely the witch of Vaith. I don't know if she follows the Great Other out of devotion or lust for power, but she could be this person that seeks to destroy Gwendis as well. It is reassuring that they haven't met yet, but now I fear that this will only be a matter of time. I also have an idea why she might seek Gwendis' help in the future. But first, the vision. Naturally, this could mean Worstley's death at the hands of Dalia, the flame, while Aisha, the shadow, manages to escape, to become a further danger to Gwendis and to Dalia as well. However, it could also mean the Vaith witch, given that the vision took place in an alleyway, likely a town, possibly Vaith. She has a warrior, Dalia defeats this warrior, but she manages to escape. And I am having a tinfoil-y and scary, yet sort of logical thought. If the shadow Gwen saw in her vision was the Vaith witch, then I am having a bad idea on who her warrior might be: Jamison.
Hear me out on this sort of confusing string of thoughts. The warrior was described as having empty, lifeless eyes, as if he would be controlled by someone else. Worstley has similar eyes, but I am not sure if they have ever been described as lifeless. So here is what might happen: Jamison's nightmare was not a nightmare, but the first attempt of the Vaith witch to get into his head, to control him and to get a warrior that can protect her. This explains his nightmare in which he is surrounded by flames, not literal flames, but a warrior of R'hllor. Under her control, Jamison fights against Dalia and is defeated, though I am absolutely convinced he will survive this encounter and regain control over his mind. The witch flees and seeks the help of Gwendis, who seems to hold immense powers. However, for some reason, maybe envy, the witch will grow to hate Gwendis and will become a major enemy to her and a massive threat to her life and well-being. That is the only alternative to Aisha and Worstley I see. Naturally, she'd still be less horrible than Aisha.
Speaking of Aishatollah GO-meini, she surely is the worst. Worstley is undeserving of his name as long as she so effortlessly manages to be even worse than him. At the same time, calling him Wesley would be an insult to Wesley Crusher and every other Wesley. I can't even call him Jar-Jar, because that would be an insult to Jar-Jar. Frankly, I expected even worse from her, but at the same time, I should have expected this. She holds not even the tiniest respect for Gwendis' wishes, she doesn't want an ally or even an apprentice, she wants a mindless follower and the fact that she has literally less than nothing to offer seems to be increasingly frustrating for her. Maybe even she notices that her actions make her the absolute worst being in all of Dorne, which is likely only further frustrating her. I expected her to force Gwendis to touch the altar and she once more proved that she is not willing to leave her even the tiniest bit of a choice. If Gwendis does not embrace the darkness on her own, as Aisha for some bafflingly retarded reason seems to expect from her, she is going to be forced to embrace it. Given, I expected even worse, but who knew what sort of damage this has done. I believe we almost had her clean again, but Aisha's actions in this part ensured that Gwendis basically got a new dose of heroin in the middle of her rehab. Getting her clean again is going to be even harder of a task now. That said, I am glad the whore finally dropped her mask and proved to me, to Gwen, to Trentant and to all the others what she truly is: A horrible sub-human monster, evil to the core, a manipulative bitch whose mask of affability gets less believable with every time she allows it to crack a bit more. This part made me less angry at her than past parts, mostly due to the vision of the Great Other being less harmful than expected, but it did wonders in really strengthening my hatred. This monster is going to die and I hope she will die screaming.
Finally, Lyla, wooooo! A silver lining! Seeing her has never been as great as it was in this part. I mean, I knew she was going after Gwendis, but I was surprised that she caught up with her so quickly. I love that snarky little murder-person, now not only for 'reasons' but for reasons Trentan might be an ally, but in the current situation, Lyla is an ally, the best Gwen could hope for when it goes against Aisha and Worstley. I am so happy she dragged her out of this before Worstley arrived, because this means there might, just might, be the chance for Gwen to never interact with that mindless monster. However, I am a bit afraid that she has found Gwendis too early, both from an in-story perspective and out of story. In-story, it might be too early for Benedict to have forgotten about that marriage alliance, or to see it as obsolete. Maybe he has learned his lesson, but I bet he'd only make sure that Gwendis will be better guarded on her way to Skyreach next time. He doesn't strike me as the guy to ever learn when it comes to the well-being of his family. And it would mean that Gwendis' struggle to stay out of that forced marriage was all for nothing, that she got a demonic lodger in her head for nothing and that I got about a billion heart attacks for nothing. So, if she truly returns to Blackmont that quickly, I hope Benny will have reconsidered his plans. However, maybe he has, maybe he truly loves Gwendis enough to not risk losing her again. The thing is, I am afraid that Lyla has found Gwendis too early from a story perspective, as I doubt Aisha, Worstley and the Vaith witch are done with her in any way. If this would have happened towards the end of Chapter 3, I would have been far more enthusiastic and not just due to more Gwen/Lyla screentime, but as things are, I cannot trust that this will last. However, it is better than just staying there and it will prove once more to Aisha that she will never, ever control Gwendis no matter what she tries.
Well, this is my super long amount of thoughts. It's about twice as long as the part itself, it seems I finally did it And I still held back in my Aisha rants, mostly because my hatred for her has exceeded mere anger. Now, I really want her to die in agony. She is a threat to Gwendis, she has proven that once more in this part and I will not have any of her demon crap, or her schemes, or her manipulations, ever. She's horrible and the worst and I am glad that Gwendis gets a break from her, even if it is likely just temporary.
Gwendis
"No", Gwendis said quietly, steering her hand away from the altar. She turned her eyes up, to see the sharp and piercing look on … moreAisha's eyes. The usually calm and calculative purple eyes were now filled with anger and disappointment. "I'm sorry", Aisha whispered, and grabbed Gwendis right hand from the wrist. Before Gwendis could react, the Dark Priestess pushed her hand forcibly against the cold stony surface of the altar. And darkness swallowed her.
She was falling in eternal darkness, and as she tried to scream, no voice came out of her mouth. She could still feel Aisha's hand around her wrist, biting to her skin like a cold chain of iron. Slowly the darkness faded, replaced by a vision. Gwendis saw a narrow and dusty alley, and in the middle of it stood a warrior of darkness, its eyes empty and lifeless. Behind the warrior lurked a shadow, hiding from something. Fire, Gwendis realized – in front of the warrior of darkness w… [view original content]
Once I heard that Lyla was going after Gwendis, I was afraid this might happen. Obviously, I am not going to vote for her to kill my own character. As you can see in this part, Trentan is starting to see Aisha's true colors and beginning to feel a lot more sympathy forward Gwendis. Maybe, he can convince them to let him leave and escape with them. That way they can be sure that he won't tell Aisha. Besides, I think he may have been considering wanting to leave based on his interactions with Gwendis this part. Plus, he can prove to be a valuable ally and asset to Gwendis, Lyla, and Blackmont in general not only because of his thieving skills but also due to his earlier relationship with Aisha. Who knows about the things she told him. Perhaps, he has valuable information about Aisha that could lead to her defeat. Also, Liquid was right that if Trentan is murdered by Lyla, than Aisha might be even more determined to capture Gwendis and seek her revenge against Lyla.
Besides letting Lyla murder Trentan will ruin my longtime goal of trying to get Gwendis and Trentan to become good friends.
Gwendis
"No", Gwendis said quietly, steering her hand away from the altar. She turned her eyes up, to see the sharp and piercing look on … moreAisha's eyes. The usually calm and calculative purple eyes were now filled with anger and disappointment. "I'm sorry", Aisha whispered, and grabbed Gwendis right hand from the wrist. Before Gwendis could react, the Dark Priestess pushed her hand forcibly against the cold stony surface of the altar. And darkness swallowed her.
She was falling in eternal darkness, and as she tried to scream, no voice came out of her mouth. She could still feel Aisha's hand around her wrist, biting to her skin like a cold chain of iron. Slowly the darkness faded, replaced by a vision. Gwendis saw a narrow and dusty alley, and in the middle of it stood a warrior of darkness, its eyes empty and lifeless. Behind the warrior lurked a shadow, hiding from something. Fire, Gwendis realized – in front of the warrior of darkness w… [view original content]
Gwendis
"No", Gwendis said quietly, steering her hand away from the altar. She turned her eyes up, to see the sharp and piercing look on … moreAisha's eyes. The usually calm and calculative purple eyes were now filled with anger and disappointment. "I'm sorry", Aisha whispered, and grabbed Gwendis right hand from the wrist. Before Gwendis could react, the Dark Priestess pushed her hand forcibly against the cold stony surface of the altar. And darkness swallowed her.
She was falling in eternal darkness, and as she tried to scream, no voice came out of her mouth. She could still feel Aisha's hand around her wrist, biting to her skin like a cold chain of iron. Slowly the darkness faded, replaced by a vision. Gwendis saw a narrow and dusty alley, and in the middle of it stood a warrior of darkness, its eyes empty and lifeless. Behind the warrior lurked a shadow, hiding from something. Fire, Gwendis realized – in front of the warrior of darkness w… [view original content]
Ummmmmm........ Why????
He can be a very valuable ally to Gwendis and Lyla against Aisha. You already saw that his loyalty to Aisha is wavering.
By the way, Wildling, I sent you a pm.
Lyla Sand is back! I am not going to lie, I have actually missed seeing her in the story since she was without a doubt my favorite among Benedict's inner circle and it is a pleasant surprise that she was able to catch up to Gwendis so quickly! While I am indeed hyped that there is actually a chance that Gwendis can return home now, this is definitely a case just like what other coworkers of mine tell me in regards to hearing about our company obtaining more construction projects for us to work on and that is there is no reason to be happy about it until you are there With that said, now I just hope that Gwendis and Lyla can get far enough ahead of Aisha and "Wesley" that there is no way that they have even a chance of catching up to them before they get back to Blackmont which since Aisha's trip is a day of walking, that is certainly possible! Now onto the choice, this is a tough one and one I hope that I do not regret but I think I am going to have Gwendis [Beg her to spare Trentan] If this choice would have came up when Trentan was first introduced, I would have most likely chosen the other option without doubt since he was pretty hard on Gwendis and I could not see him betraying Aisha. Now however, I believe Trentan has seen the light when it comes to Aisha plus I believe Lyla knows how to put enough ground between them, I figure we should at least try to get her to spare Trentan. Man I am hoping that Lyla succeeds with getting Gwendis home but I am certainly not getting too excited yet. Please don't betray my trust Trentan
Gwendis
"No", Gwendis said quietly, steering her hand away from the altar. She turned her eyes up, to see the sharp and piercing look on … moreAisha's eyes. The usually calm and calculative purple eyes were now filled with anger and disappointment. "I'm sorry", Aisha whispered, and grabbed Gwendis right hand from the wrist. Before Gwendis could react, the Dark Priestess pushed her hand forcibly against the cold stony surface of the altar. And darkness swallowed her.
She was falling in eternal darkness, and as she tried to scream, no voice came out of her mouth. She could still feel Aisha's hand around her wrist, biting to her skin like a cold chain of iron. Slowly the darkness faded, replaced by a vision. Gwendis saw a narrow and dusty alley, and in the middle of it stood a warrior of darkness, its eyes empty and lifeless. Behind the warrior lurked a shadow, hiding from something. Fire, Gwendis realized – in front of the warrior of darkness w… [view original content]
She has a warrior, Dalia defeats this warrior, but she manages to escape. And I am having a tinfoil-y and scary, yet sort of logical thought. If the shadow Gwen saw in her vision was the Vaith witch, then I am having a bad idea on who her warrior might be: Jamison.
Hear me out on this sort of confusing string of thoughts. The warrior was described as having empty, lifeless eyes, as if he would be controlled by someone else. Worstley has similar eyes, but I am not sure if they have ever been described as lifeless. So here is what might happen: Jamison's nightmare was not a nightmare, but the first attempt of the Vaith witch to get into his head, to control him and to get a warrior that can protect her. This explains his nightmare in which he is surrounded by flames, not literal flames, but a warrior of R'hllor. Under her control, Jamison fights against Dalia and is defeated, though I am absolutely convinced he will survive this encounter and regain control over his mind.
Awh no Liquid, you are giving me some horrible flashbacks to season three of GoT While I obviously enjoyed season three, your theory is similar to one moment that really shocked me and that was when Brienne of Tarth literally owned Jaime Lannister. I remember how hyped I was when Jaime cut the rope and took Brienne's extra sword. He was toying with her and I really thought that Brienne has screwed up now especially since he was the best swordsman in Westeros! And then, she pretty much obliterated him From what I have heard though, that battle was much more even in the books and I haven't gotten that far yet but still. I remember how much that fight shocked me Anyway my little rant aside, You have me worried about Jamison again Surely, Dalia could not defeat him fairly one on one especially since Jamison is at full strength while Jaime was not when he faced Brienne. I don't think she really has any advantages over him but after thinking about it, I can see where you are coming from with this theory. I mean I know eventually Jamison and the Dayne's will eventually have to lose in a battle situation to the Martell's but man I hope he doesn't lose to Dalia. On top of that I am still holding on to the hope that Jamison's nightmare will be just that and a coincidence as well All I can say, is that the battle for Vaith is going to be an interesting one for sure!
[Beg her to spare Trentan]
Alright, I gotta get the vote out of the way first, because my comment is surely going to be a bit longer. I s… moreeriously hope that this option wins and that perhaps my reasoning can convince people to spare Trentan. Sure, allowing him to live is a risk, but it is one of the rare risks I am willing to take when it comes to Gwendis, because I could see killing him as just as much of a risk, maybe even more. The thing is, he just expressed his sympathy, he voiced his disapproval of Aisha's actions and this shows to me that he is finally warming up to Gwen, maybe even to the point where he sympathizes with her. Killing him here would not only be wrong, it would also go against Gwendis' morals quite heavily. Instead, I'd be in favour of just knocking him out or something like that, so that he cannot help Aisha with locating them. Even then, Lyla is an expert. I doubt Trentan can offer any valuable service to Aisha here … [view original content]
Ah, apologies, this was not what I wanted, making you nervous and stuff However, I have actually put more thought into this and have found another detail. Back in Gwendis' vision in Chapter 1, she saw a dark knight bowing to a black sun. I don't know if Jamison's meeting with Lucifer can be counted as bowing to him. However, if Jamison falls under the thrall of the Vaith witch and if Dalia does something to free him from her (even if it is knocking some serious sense into him), then I could see him actually bowing to her after such an experience, maybe even promising to help her in return.
Also, keep in mind that Jamison is actually not at full strength. If I remember correctly, he was wounded during that ambush in Godsgrace and I doubt he will have much time to recover in Vaith, so Dalia might actually have an advantage over him which she wouldn't have otherwise. Or maybe we are underestimating Dalia, just like how everyone is underestimating Brienne ever But if they are to fight right now, I could actually see her winning without any tricks, due to Jamison being not in the best condition and since I doubt he is going to fight as well as he otherwise would if he is controlled by a witch.
And well, I certainly hope that his nightmare was a coincidence, but it would fit the pattern. R'hllor seems to work through visions one receives while awake, but the Great Other seems to require sleep as a catalyst for the visions, so Jamison's nightmare could be related to him. And everything was so oddly specific, especially with the shadow, even though Jamison doesn't know of any shadow in Vaith. Maybe we can prevent the worst if we consider this nightmare to be a vision and act accordingly. Perhaps the only good thing Aisha ever said in her life is that these visions, unlike the ones from R'hllor, only ever show a possible future.
That said, I at least doubt that the words of the Great Other showed a possible future, I am sure the one who loves the darkness will at least try to destroy Gwendis. But the things she saw, I could see them as being only possible outcomes, so maybe we can change things with our choices. That said, at this point I am not too scared for Jamison, because I somehow doubt that he is going to die during this, even if he truly is to fight against Dalia. However, it ironically means that Dalia is now a sort-of threat to both of our characters, who are also both my favourites, yet at the same time, she is not the main threat for either. This role falls to Aisha and the Vaith witch respectively. But still, thoughts like that don't quite help me with the hard task of getting to like her
She has a warrior, Dalia defeats this warrior, but she manages to escape. And I am having a tinfoil-y and scary, yet sort of logical thought… more. If the shadow Gwen saw in her vision was the Vaith witch, then I am having a bad idea on who her warrior might be: Jamison.
Hear me out on this sort of confusing string of thoughts. The warrior was described as having empty, lifeless eyes, as if he would be controlled by someone else. Worstley has similar eyes, but I am not sure if they have ever been described as lifeless. So here is what might happen: Jamison's nightmare was not a nightmare, but the first attempt of the Vaith witch to get into his head, to control him and to get a warrior that can protect her. This explains his nightmare in which he is surrounded by flames, not literal flames, but a warrior of R'hllor. Under her control, Jamison fights against Dalia and is defeated, though I am absolutely convinced he will survive this encounte… [view original content]
Hm, you gave me another idea here. I hope that Trentan will at least not help Aisha in locating Gwendis (albeit Wesley has some tracker skills, as far as I know), but you gave me the thought that he might already sympathize enough with Gwen and her yearning for freedom to outright lure her pursuers into the wrong direction. And even if he's just not helping Aisha instead of actively misleading her, I could see him returning the favour if the worst happens and Gwendis is caught again. This is certainly a chance for her to prove to him that she truly cares for people like him and that she is better than he gave her credit for in the beginning.
[Beg her to spare Trentan]
Once I heard that Lyla was going after Gwendis, I was afraid this might happen. Obviously, I am not going to v… moreote for her to kill my own character. As you can see in this part, Trentan is starting to see Aisha's true colors and beginning to feel a lot more sympathy forward Gwendis. Maybe, he can convince them to let him leave and escape with them. That way they can be sure that he won't tell Aisha. Besides, I think he may have been considering wanting to leave based on his interactions with Gwendis this part. Plus, he can prove to be a valuable ally and asset to Gwendis, Lyla, and Blackmont in general not only because of his thieving skills but also due to his earlier relationship with Aisha. Who knows about the things she told him. Perhaps, he has valuable information about Aisha that could lead to her defeat. Also, Liquid was right that if Trentan is murdered by Lyla, than Aisha might be even more determined to… [view original content]
It is no problem, I just thought it was an interesting theory to comment on. Thinking back on it, you are completely correct about Gwendis' vision. Matter of fact, I remember in the second part of Jamison's meeting with Lucifer Dryland where Lucifer actually said that before he would let the Dayne's have Clearhaven, that Jamison must bow to him and be in his service for the time being by going to Godsgrace and the other eastern Dornish houses to convince them to join his side. Of course, they could also be talking about that one knight that works under Lucifer as well Ser Blackheart. I know that probably isn't likely but the guy does fit the description Anyway, yeah I am not really too excited about the idea about this Great Other stuff spreading to Jamison but if it does happen, hopefully someone can snap him out of it without a fight. It would be an interesting sight though if he were temporarily brainwashed by the Great Other though since Jamison himself thinks very little of all of these different gods!
That is a good point as well, he got hit in the shoulder by a crossbow bolt and while he is not in awful shape, he is definitely not at full strength. When it comes to Dalia, I did not realize she is supposed to be a great fighter but thinking about it, it does make sense since she runs her own sellsword company and she is said to be a big woman like Brienne of Tarth. Admittedly I was just thinking about how funny it is that someone who is similar to Brienne in size at least would be someone who would defeat Jamison in a fight since I am not really much of a Brienne fan
I won't discount what you are saying though since you clearly bring up some excellent points and I would be crazy to deny them. There is one thing though that leads me to believing that this could be a way to catch us off guard for whatever is really going to happen in Vaith. If the Vaith witch is really trying to capture Jamison under her spell then showing a vision where he pretty much loses or dies does not seem like the best way to go about it in regards to brainwashing him but this is the Great Other we are talking about. On top of that, Gwendis as not been brainwashed yet and she has had far more interaction with the Great Other if that is even what happened with Jamison anyway.
As you said though, I would say that most of the visions shown are just possible results and that our choices will determine what truly happens in regards to our reader submitted characters. Admittedly, It is a bit worrying that Jamison could lose a fight so early in the story and as a brainwashed pawn of some witch at that. Jamison's fighting abilities and his personality are both a pretty big part of his character and it would be hard to watch him fight and lose in that manner. Like you said though, if Jamison really is brainwashed, she really is not truly fighting Jamison anyway. However It is safe to say that if Dalia were to fight him and somehow win, I would probably hate her the rest of the story Of course, Jamison is a character that I submitted to the story so I am very much biased. I suppose now all we can do is hope that Lyla suceeds with Gwendis and that nightmare of Jamison's turns out to ve just that. Anyway, I would say you could be right, there is certainly potential for Dalia to be a thorn in both of our character's sides and with this theory, I am pretty much in the dislike Dalia club now until I see what happens with Jamison in Vaith and Gwendis in general
Oh and Wildling, I have no clue why I have never asked this but when I talk about potential story theories and such, do you want me to put spoiler tags in the post? I'll put one in this post just in case and if you decide that you want one in them all the time, I will put them in all posts related to stuff like this from now on.
Ah, apologies, this was not what I wanted, making you nervous and stuff However, I have actually put more thought into this and have found … moreanother detail. Back in Gwendis' vision in Chapter 1, she saw a dark knight bowing to a black sun. I don't know if Jamison's meeting with Lucifer can be counted as bowing to him. However, if Jamison falls under the thrall of the Vaith witch and if Dalia does something to free him from her (even if it is knocking some serious sense into him), then I could see him actually bowing to her after such an experience, maybe even promising to help her in return.
Also, keep in mind that Jamison is actually not at full strength. If I remember correctly, he was wounded during that ambush in Godsgrace and I doubt he will have much time to recover in Vaith, so Dalia might actually have an advantage over him which she wouldn't have otherwise. Or maybe we are underestimating Dalia, just like how everyone is underestim… [view original content]
Gwendis
"No", Gwendis said quietly, steering her hand away from the altar. She turned her eyes up, to see the sharp and piercing look on … moreAisha's eyes. The usually calm and calculative purple eyes were now filled with anger and disappointment. "I'm sorry", Aisha whispered, and grabbed Gwendis right hand from the wrist. Before Gwendis could react, the Dark Priestess pushed her hand forcibly against the cold stony surface of the altar. And darkness swallowed her.
She was falling in eternal darkness, and as she tried to scream, no voice came out of her mouth. She could still feel Aisha's hand around her wrist, biting to her skin like a cold chain of iron. Slowly the darkness faded, replaced by a vision. Gwendis saw a narrow and dusty alley, and in the middle of it stood a warrior of darkness, its eyes empty and lifeless. Behind the warrior lurked a shadow, hiding from something. Fire, Gwendis realized – in front of the warrior of darkness w… [view original content]
Nah, it's not necessary to put speculation or theories in spoiler tags Anyway, I guess I could chime into this conversation a bit without revealing anything
That is a good point as well, he got hit in the shoulder by a crossbow bolt and while he is not in awful shape, he is definitely not at full strength. When it comes to Dalia, I did not realize she is supposed to be a great fighter but thinking about it, it does make sense since she runs her own sellsword company and she is said to be a big woman like Brienne of Tarth. Admittedly I was just thinking about how funny it is that someone who is similar to Brienne in size at least would be someone who would defeat Jamison in a fight since I am not really much of a Brienne fan
Yeah, Dalia is indeed a great fighter, and a very experienced one as well. On mere skill she can't match Jamison, but she has a pretty aggressive and unpredictable style, and as you said she is big, especially for a woman. So, Dalia definitely wouldn't be an easy opponent for Jamison, that much is clear.
I won't discount what you are saying though since you clearly bring up some excellent points and I would be crazy to deny them. There is one thing though that leads me to believing that this could be a way to catch us off guard for whatever is really going to happen in Vaith. If the Vaith witch is really trying to capture Jamison under her spell then showing a vision where he pretty much loses or dies does not seem like the best way to go about it in regards to brainwashing him but this is the Great Other we are talking about. On top of that, Gwendis as not been brainwashed yet and she has had far more interaction with the Great Other if that is even what happened with Jamison anyway.
Well, you can rest easy that Jamison most certainly won't be brainwashed to worship the Great Other. Even if someone would prove the existence of the GO to him, he wouldn't want to reduce himself to a servant of any god. So, if this theory of Jamison being the "warrior of darkness" seen in this vision would come true, it wouldn't be done in the same way that Aisha is trying to brainwash Gwendis, because it would never work on Jamison, especially not that quickly.
Matter of fact, I remember in the second part of Jamison's meeting with Lucifer Dryland where Lucifer actually said that before he would let the Dayne's have Clearhaven, that Jamison must bow to him and be in his service for the time being by going to Godsgrace and the other eastern Dornish houses to convince them to join his side. Of course, they could also be talking about that one knight that works under Lucifer as well Ser Blackheart. I know that probably isn't likely but the guy does fit the description
Hm, I was not aware of this anymore. You are right, this could have been the bow Gwendis saw. At the same time, there might be several meaning to this vision and maybe it stands for both, Jamison bowing to Lucifer and him bowing to Dalia. Maybe the bow isn't even meant as a literal bow, but to symbolize him being defeated by her. There's a number of situations I could imagine that would fit to this. I... somehow doubt this vision referenced to Ser Blackheart though At the same time, maybe this is one of the several meanings of this part of the vision.
Admittedly I was just thinking about how funny it is that someone who is similar to Brienne in size at least would be someone who would defeat Jamison in a fight since I am not really much of a Brienne fan
You know, I actually noticed that this would be even more ironic, given that Jamison holds quite a number of similarities to Jaime Lannister, if he would also lose to a woman that is, at least in terms of size and strength, this stories Brienne of Tarth But hey, I hope that if they fight, Jamison wins, but there are certainly a number of scenarios where Dalia's victory might actually end up as beneficial for him.
If the Vaith witch is really trying to capture Jamison under her spell then showing a vision where he pretty much loses or dies does not seem like the best way to go about it in regards to brainwashing him but this is the Great Other we are talking about. On top of that, Gwendis as not been brainwashed yet and she has had far more interaction with the Great Other if that is even what happened with Jamison anyway.
Yeah, that is a point you bring up there. Albeit at the same time, maybe she is implanting something in his mind, some sort of a trigger that puts him under her control and gives him an instinctive dislike of followers of R'hllor. Under normal circumstances, Jamison would never fight against them, at least not at this point, so if my theory turns out to be correct, then the witch needs to do something that makes him believe that the flames, the follower of R'hllor, pose a threat to him. In regards to the brainwashing, I believe it would be something far quicker and more severe than what Aisha is trying to do. Though her methods are shitty, she is at least trying to genuinely convince Gwendis and leaves her enough free will to resist this dark temptation. I feel that the witch doesn't have as much time, so she probably just reached out to the best swordsman nearby and is now trying to basically override his free will, to take control of him. It is entirely possible that Jamison won't even be conscious during such a fight, whereas Gwendis more or less remains in charge of her thoughts and actions during Aisha's attempts to brainwash her. It's two different approaches and whereas Aisha's way isn't even entirely magical, but relying on persuasion and psychological tricks, anything the witch could try in such a small amount of time would be purely magical, which ultimatly means that anything is possible.
Admittedly, It is a bit worrying that Jamison could lose a fight so early in the story and as a brainwashed pawn of some witch at that. Jamison's fighting abilities and his personality are both a pretty big part of his character and it would be hard to watch him fight and lose in that manner. Like you said though, if Jamison really is brainwashed, she really is not truly fighting Jamison anyway.
I don't know, I think simply losing a fight could be a good thing for Jamison even. His arrogance is very much his biggest problem and if he loses, to a woman on top, then this would likely trigger a change in him, where he sees that he has to change something about himself to truly become the best fighter in Dorne. In that case, I'd rather have him lose against someone such as Dalia (who might even give us the choice on how to deal with the fight) and very early in the story, when the stakes are not as high, as opposed to late in the story and in a fight to the death, where his defeat would mean a lot worse than just some wounded pride. And as good as he is, I fear that sooner or later he will meet someone who can match or even surpass him and in such a case, his attitude might very well be the deciding factor either in favour of him or against him.
However It is safe to say that if Dalia were to fight him and somehow win, I would probably hate her the rest of the story Of course, Jamison is a character that I submitted to the story so I am very much biased. I suppose now all we can do is hope that Lyla suceeds with Gwendis and that nightmare of Jamison's turns out to ve just that. Anyway, I would say you could be right, there is certainly potential for Dalia to be a thorn in both of our character's sides and with this theory, I am pretty much in the dislike Dalia club now until I see what happens with Jamison in Vaith and Gwendis in general
The Dislike Dalia club, yeah It is odd that she is so disliked despite not having done anything bad so far and potentially never doing anything that justifies our opinion. But it's precautionary and I guess being biased is a good enough reason for not liking her. Out of the characters, she currently has far more possibility to be a danger to Jamison and to Gwendis as well than most of the others. That said, if she fights Jamison, my own opinion on this would depend on why she is fighting him and how this ends for him. If he falls under the control of the witch, then being defeated and maybe knocked unconscious is actually a good thing and in that case, Dalia would arguably be helpful for him. It does depend though, if he suffers any serious injury that could have been prevented, then this would naturally change my opinion again. I can fully understand you though. I'd probably still be on Gwendis' side in this conflict even if she would turn into a fullblown Great Other nutjob and I would hate Dalia even if she would kill her in self defense. But as I said, it is still very much up in the air if she even does anything to harm them. Recent developments in her storyline and in Gwendis' have somewhat weakened my conviction about this and gave me a more nuanced feeling about her, but that is still fragile and I am cautiously seeing how things will develop there.
And Gwendis will beg Lyla to spare Trentan. Well, first of all this is obviously a choice that affects on the development of Gwendis' character, and when it comes to that you definitely chose the option with a more positive outcome. We'll what other consequences come from this in the future.
The next part will be a Kortney PoV, and I hope to get it done today. Just like the Gwen part we just had, this will be a pretty short one, but with a very big choice in the end. Last time on Kortney's storyline, she stormed off from her little meeting with the freaks, after she had exposed her true identity to them. On her way to her own chambers, she met Ser Mordekhai Crusher, Albin's creepy cousin, who made a threat that he would kill her as soon as the King would stop caring about her. Then Kortney met with the King, who had received the news that his army had suffered a crippling loss against the united forces of the Fowler's and Blackmont's at the Wide Way. Queen Sofina had suggested Albin to surrender now, so that their enemies might spare him. Alaric in turn had suggested that Albin could seek refuge from Yronwood, which Albin was considering as a possibility. However, Kortney decided to suggest that he should stay in Kingsgrave and hold it against the enemy forces.
I'm so happy about the vote's outcome. Gwendis begging for Trentan's life would definitely greatly improve his impression of her. He will realize that she cares for more than just herself. Perhaps, if he leaves with them, he and Gwendis can become friends. If he doesn't leave with them, he could lie to Aisha and say that when he woke up, Gwendis was gone or some other excuse.
Voting is closed!
And Gwendis will beg Lyla to spare Trentan. Well, first of all this is obviously a choice that affects on the developme… morent of Gwendis' character, and when it comes to that you definitely chose the option with a more positive outcome. We'll what other consequences come from this in the future.
The next part will be a Kortney PoV, and I hope to get it done today. Just like the Gwen part we just had, this will be a pretty short one, but with a very big choice in the end. Last time on Kortney's storyline, she stormed off from her little meeting with the freaks, after she had exposed her true identity to them. On her way to her own chambers, she met Ser Mordekhai Crusher, Albin's creepy cousin, who made a threat that he would kill her as soon as the King would stop caring about her. Then Kortney met with the King, who had received the news that his army had suffered a crippling loss against the united forces of the Fowler's … [view original content]
Ah, I am very glad this option won Of course, this could have bad consequences for Gwendis, but it can just as much have positive consequences, by giving her a friend by Aisha's side, someone who owes her and whom Aisha seems to hold at least some tiny amount of fondness for. If anything, I bet she is more willing to listen to his wishes over Wesley's when it comes to how to deal with that stubborn not-apprentice. And well, it was clearly the right choice in terms of morality for Gwendis, that much I am convinced of. Maybe keeping her own morals more or less in order could also help her with resisting the darker temptations of the Great Other. I bet the demon would like it if she turns into an overall dark and pragmatic person, who kills even people she sympathizes with just because they have gotten inconvenient. Plus, that is really the kind of thing I try to prevent for her. Well, that and her death, but as I said before, I think sparing Trentan holds more potential to save her life than killing him does. If Aisha is able to track her down despite Lyla, then she will do so with or without Trentan and at least by sparing him, he might be willing to return the favour, while Aisha might be more willing to spare Gwendis in return. Though all that thoughts about them being caught again makes me seriously afraid for Lyla now...
Voting is closed!
And Gwendis will beg Lyla to spare Trentan. Well, first of all this is obviously a choice that affects on the developme… morent of Gwendis' character, and when it comes to that you definitely chose the option with a more positive outcome. We'll what other consequences come from this in the future.
The next part will be a Kortney PoV, and I hope to get it done today. Just like the Gwen part we just had, this will be a pretty short one, but with a very big choice in the end. Last time on Kortney's storyline, she stormed off from her little meeting with the freaks, after she had exposed her true identity to them. On her way to her own chambers, she met Ser Mordekhai Crusher, Albin's creepy cousin, who made a threat that he would kill her as soon as the King would stop caring about her. Then Kortney met with the King, who had received the news that his army had suffered a crippling loss against the united forces of the Fowler's … [view original content]
Cool! I didn't think I really needed to but I just wanted to check just in case!
Yeah, Dalia is indeed a great fighter, and a very experienced one as well. On mere skill she can't match Jamison, but she has a pretty aggressive and unpredictable style, and as you said she is big, especially for a woman. So, Dalia definitely wouldn't be an easy opponent for Jamison, that much is clear.
Okay well this makes tons of sense especially since you couldn't go down her career path and not be able to fight. This is also a really good point as well, I don't know how old Dalia is but if I had to guess, she has probably been fighting nearly as long as Jamison has been alive So she would obviously have the advantage in that regard but at the same time, as you said, Jamison is very skilled, he also is a pretty big guy and he is willing to fight dirty so it would be an interesting fight to say the least. Admittedly though, I obviously am not too keen on Liquid's theory potentially coming true especially the outcome of it. Also, sorry for my constant talking of Jamison
Well, you can rest easy that Jamison most certainly won't be brainwashed to worship the Great Other. Even if someone would prove the existence of the GO to him, he wouldn't want to reduce himself to a servant of any god. So, if this theory of Jamison being the "warrior of darkness" seen in this vision would come true, it wouldn't be done in the same way that Aisha is trying to brainwash Gwendis, because it would never work on Jamison, especially not that quickly.
Well safe to say that is a huge relief! Jamison just seems like he would be a hard one to brainwash especially considering he has very little belief in any of it especially the Great Other. I mean, he completely dismissed that nightmare he had immediately but if that vision that Gwendis had does come true, it would be interesting to see how it all comes. Of course, that is not me saying I am hyped for that to happen though
Nah, it's not necessary to put speculation or theories in spoiler tags Anyway, I guess I could chime into this conversation a bit without r… moreevealing anything
That is a good point as well, he got hit in the shoulder by a crossbow bolt and while he is not in awful shape, he is definitely not at full strength. When it comes to Dalia, I did not realize she is supposed to be a great fighter but thinking about it, it does make sense since she runs her own sellsword company and she is said to be a big woman like Brienne of Tarth. Admittedly I was just thinking about how funny it is that someone who is similar to Brienne in size at least would be someone who would defeat Jamison in a fight since I am not really much of a Brienne fan
Yeah, Dalia is indeed a great fighter, and a very experienced one as well. On mere skill she can't match Jamison, but she has a pretty aggressive and unpredictable style, and as you said she is big, especi… [view original content]
"I think you should stay here and hold Kingsgrave, Your Grace. Prove your enemies that you will not be so easily defeated", Kortney tried to sound as confident as she could, and apparently it worked, as a maddened grin was formed on King Albin's face. "Yes", he said quietly, staring at Kortney and nodding his head like a madman. "YES!" He shouted, grabbing Kortney from her shoulders. "I love you, Missy!" the King yelled, forcefully kissing her on the lips. "I am the Great King of the Red Mountains, and I will not fall, nor will I run!"
The green eyes of Albin Manwoody were consumed by madness, and his twisted grin only highlighted it. Kortney gulped, uncertain of what would this man do next. However, she could soon let out a sigh of relief, as Albin walked to the door, turning to look at her one more time. He flashed one more crazed smirk to her, before walking out.
Kortney breathed in, and out, feeling the relief as she laid down on her bed. She knew that every day would be more dangerous than the last from now on, as war crept closer and closer to Kingsgrave, but right now she was too tired to feel fear. She closed her eyes, and fell asleep.
-
Kortney observed from the battlements as the army led by Prince Arvin returned to Kingsgrave. Though it was easy to see that this was merely a fragment of the great force that had marched to war less than a month ago. Obviously many had fallen on the Wide Way, but Kortney suspected even more had deserted.
The King sat on an armchair that had been brought for him to the courtyard, welcoming back the remnants of his army. The courtyard was silent, aside from some of the officers giving commands for the troops, as well as the horses keeping some noise. Prince Arvin dismounted his horse, and approached his father. Even from afar Kortney could see that Arvin was nervous, as he kneeled in front of King Albin.
Albin looked at his son for a moment with a stern expression. "You have failed me, son!" He finally yelled, and Arvin muttered something that Kortney couldn't hear. Albin stood up from his chair, and smacked his son across the face. Arvin didn't fall from the hit, but the impact made him turn his head. "You are forgiven", Albin said strongly, and then walked away from Arvin back into the keep. The Prince stayed on his knees for a good minute before finally standing up. Kortney could see him cursing as he walked inside after his father.
"Well that was quite a scene", Kortney heard a male voice say quietly next to her. "Or wouldn't you agree, Kortney Caron?" With surprise and mild panic Kortney turned to see Willem Pyke standing next to her, a thin smirk on his pale face. "Oh yes, I heard who you really are. And here I thought you were just a bedslave... a very dangerous bedslave but still just a bedslave. But no, you are a noblewoman... How a lady of House Caron has made her way as a slave of King Albin Manwoody must be an interesting story. Perhaps you'll tell it to me one day."
"How did you find out?" Kortney asked with quiet but strict words. "Oh, I had a little chat with our mutual friend, Tom", Willem answered smoothly, but Kortney shook her head. "Tom the Animal is not my friend", she stated sternly, and now Willem let out a dry chuckle.
"Nor is he mine", he replied with a cold tone. "Anyway, judging by what I heard from him, I assume you didn't get any information about Carsen out of Larry."
"I didn't", Kortney admitted quietly, and Willem nodded to her. "Well, had I not learned the truth about your identity from Tom, this would've been the last conversation between us. However, now I have decided I'll take you with me when I leave this place tonight with Salladhor." Kortney raised her eyebrows, surprised of what she just heard.
"Why?" She asked with confusion, and Willem smirked at her. "Because I'm sure your lord father will pay a good price for the man who brings you back home, alive and well", he answered calmly. Kortney gulped, studying the face of this young Ironborn.
"You... would really take me home?" The thought of seeing Nightsong again, and her father and brother, perhaps Myke too, it felt unreal, too good to be true. "Well, first I'll take care of Carsen, but after that, I'll take you to Nightsong", Willem explained with a thin smile.
"I don't care about what Carsen did to you, so why would I follow you on your journey of personal vengeance?" Kortney asked harshly, and the smile vanished from Willem's face. "Well, I'd prefer if you wouldn't resist, but if I have to I will keep you as my prisoner, until we make our way to Nightsong of course", he answered emotionlessly. Kortney let out a sigh, turning her gaze to the rocky fields around Kingsgrave. "You can't drag me out of here without drawing too much attention", she said with a calm and confident tone, and Willem nodded.
"Perhaps you're right", he admitted with a shrug. "However, the armies of the Fowler's and Blackmont's will be here in a couple of days. And when they arrive, they will set up a siege. So, if you don't come with me now, you might be stuck here for months, perhaps even years. And when the food starts to run out, well, let's just say bedslaves might not be the first priority."
"King Albin loves me, he wouldn't let me starve", Kortney claimed, but this looked to just amuse Willem. "Would you really trust in the love of a madman to keep you alive?" He asked quietly. "I'll let you consider it, but make up your mind quickly – we leave tonight. And remember, this might be your last chance to get out of here alive." With these words Willem walked away from Kortney, leaving her to consider her chances. She could leave tonight with Willem Pyke and Salladhor, and she'd finally be free... except she would at least temporarily be a prisoner of an Ironborn warrior. However, Willem was right about the siege – it would trap Kortney in Kingsgrave for gods knew how long, and it would make Kingsgrave more dangerous than ever before.
You know, I actually noticed that this would be even more ironic, given that Jamison holds quite a number of similarities to Jaime Lannister, if he would also lose to a woman that is, at least in terms of size and strength, this stories Brienne of Tarth But hey, I hope that if they fight, Jamison wins, but there are certainly a number of scenarios where Dalia's victory might actually end up as beneficial for him.
Admittedly it would be a funny instance because Jamison and Jaime do share a couple of similarities with one another but hopefully it is not one that would relate to Brienne of Tarth in any way She literally went all over the map defeating in battle or even killing most of my favorites. I mean Jaime, the Hound and Stannis clearly all had horrible disadvantages but still it wounds me! Sorry to any Brienne fans for being a baby about it Anyway, if Jamison and Dalia do fight though I just realized that the Dayne and Dryland alliance would pretty much have to be finished I imagine.
Yeah, that is a point you bring up there. Albeit at the same time, maybe she is implanting something in his mind, some sort of a trigger that puts him under her control and gives him an instinctive dislike of followers of R'hllor. Under normal circumstances, Jamison would never fight against them, at least not at this point, so if my theory turns out to be correct, then the witch needs to do something that makes him believe that the flames, the follower of R'hllor, pose a threat to him. In regards to the brainwashing, I believe it would be something far quicker and more severe than what Aisha is trying to do. Though her methods are shitty, she is at least trying to genuinely convince Gwendis and leaves her enough free will to resist this dark temptation. I feel that the witch doesn't have as much time, so she probably just reached out to the best swordsman nearby and is now trying to basically override his free will, to take control of him. It is entirely possible that Jamison won't even be conscious during such a fight, whereas Gwendis more or less remains in charge of her thoughts and actions during Aisha's attempts to brainwash her. It's two different approaches and whereas Aisha's way isn't even entirely magical, but relying on persuasion and psychological tricks, anything the witch could try in such a small amount of time would be purely magical, which ultimatly means that anything is possible.
I can definitely see where you are coming from here and it does make sense but this is also the area where I am holding out the most hope that this theory won't come true. Jamison does not have any kind of belief in any of these gods and I feel like a lot of what put Gwendis where she is now is that she took the initiative by grabbing Aisha'a hand which at least in my mind accelerated the process of this potential Great Other related power that Gwendis seems to have. With the nightmare that Jamison had, he dismissed it immediately chalking it up to being a nightmare and laughing about it if I remember correctly. He has no kind of belief in any of that stuff and at least at this point, I feel like you have to have that belief for it or have a priest or priestess around for it to really take an effect on you to the magnitude that you are speaking of. Of course, I could be completely wrong but I suppose we will find out soon enough which kind of worries me.
I don't know, I think simply losing a fight could be a good thing for Jamison even. His arrogance is very much his biggest problem and if he loses, to a woman on top, then this would likely trigger a change in him, where he sees that he has to change something about himself to truly become the best fighter in Dorne. In that case, I'd rather have him lose against someone such as Dalia (who might even give us the choice on how to deal with the fight) and very early in the story, when the stakes are not as high, as opposed to late in the story and in a fight to the death, where his defeat would mean a lot worse than just some wounded pride. And as good as he is, I fear that sooner or later he will meet someone who can match or even surpass him and in such a case, his attitude might very well be the deciding factor either in favour of him or against him.
Okay you are probably going to think I am insane for saying this but hear me out on it I don't really think that Jamison is quite as arrogant as he seems on the surface at least in regards to fighting. When I think of full fledged arrogance, I think more of Alester Upton than Jamison. With him, I consider it to be more so just self confidence that he has in himself. Unlike Jaime Lannister, Jamison has never flat out told people how good he is or that they can't compete with him. He is actually pretty realistic about his capabilities for the most part. In a lot of Jamison's parts, people have hyped him up to be really good or the best knight in Dorne or whatever but for the most part he always brushes it off claiming that it is just an opinion. The only time that he really bragged himself up as a knight or a fighter being in his H&L when he was seducing Princess Marleina and the Isabella H&L when he ran down Desmor but he was really only doing that because he was pretty much just telling her what he thought she wanted to hear. And with Desmor, he just wanted to get under his skin a little bit. Jamison more so wants to prove he is the best rather than say it, he is dedicated to proving he is the best knight and he wants to make sure there is no doubt in anyone's minds that whenever they think of the best knight or fighter in general that they always think of him but I don't think he feels he is there yet. So that is apart of why he wants to conquer and he has such lofty goals.
Jamison's personality when it comes to social interaction does have an arrogance and jerk like behavior to it though but I feel like in regards to actually fighting, he takes it very seriously and will give any opponent his best no matter who they are. I feel his biggest weakness is probably when he lets his emotions get the best of him and how stubborn he can be at times. Of course I could be wrong and ultimately Wildling is the true judge on who Jamison's character is and this is ultimately just my opinion. As for Jamison meeting someone that can match him at some point, that is certainly possible but I never see Jamison as an underdog in any fight with myself feeling that very few people can match him and even fewer than that defeat him. With there really being one big one who I know could potentially defeat Jamison but well I don't see Jamison and Vorian ever fighting. Of course I am incredibly biased since Jamison is my character and I would never want to say he can lose
The Dislike Dalia club, yeah It is odd that she is so disliked despite not having done anything bad so far and potentially never doing anything that justifies our opinion. But it's precautionary and I guess being biased is a good enough reason for not liking her. Out of the characters, she currently has far more possibility to be a danger to Jamison and to Gwendis as well than most of the others. That said, if she fights Jamison, my own opinion on this would depend on why she is fighting him and how this ends for him. If he falls under the control of the witch, then being defeated and maybe knocked unconscious is actually a good thing and in that case, Dalia would arguably be helpful for him. It does depend though, if he suffers any serious injury that could have been prevented, then this would naturally change my opinion again. I can fully understand you though. I'd probably still be on Gwendis' side in this conflict even if she would turn into a fullblown Great Other nutjob and I would hate Dalia even if she would kill her in self defense. But as I said, it is still very much up in the air if she even does anything to harm them. Recent developments in her storyline and in Gwendis' have somewhat weakened my conviction about this and gave me a more nuanced feeling about her, but that is still fragile and I am cautiously seeing how things will develop there.
Haha yeah, it is not a very catchy name I know but it was all I could think of at the time Yeah just like you, my disliking of Dalia primarily comes from how she is a potential threat to my character so no offense whoever created her! Dalia is pretty much just a victim of circumstance and admittedly she does have a pretty neat storyline, I am actually really hyped for a potential Wild Suns and Fallen Dragons battle myself which I feel would be an epic battle regardless of who wins. Ultimately though like you said, my opinion will depend greatly on if she interacts with Jamison and even Gwendis in any way and how that goes with them. Ultimately, I still think that this may be a trick and that this fight probably won't even happen... or I am just trying to be optimistic!
Matter of fact, I remember in the second part of Jamison's meeting with Lucifer Dryland where Lucifer actually said that before he would let… more the Dayne's have Clearhaven, that Jamison must bow to him and be in his service for the time being by going to Godsgrace and the other eastern Dornish houses to convince them to join his side. Of course, they could also be talking about that one knight that works under Lucifer as well Ser Blackheart. I know that probably isn't likely but the guy does fit the description
Hm, I was not aware of this anymore. You are right, this could have been the bow Gwendis saw. At the same time, there might be several meaning to this vision and maybe it stands for both, Jamison bowing to Lucifer and him bowing to Dalia. Maybe the bow isn't even meant as a literal bow, but to symbolize him being defeated by her. There's a number of situations I could imagine that would fit to this. I... somehow doubt this vision… [view original content]
Well Wildling, you weren't kidding when you said this was another touch choice. In my mind, this could potentially be the toughest choice of the entire story and if not, it is at least very close. Kortney is very much in a difficult situation here with her potentially either letting herself go into danger voluntarily by leaving with an Ironborn warrior that she does not really know or staying in Kingsgrave where a siege is about to happen and not only would she have to deal with the Mad Albin and his freaks, now they will potentially be starving at some point which is obviously very worrying. So I am going to make a choice and than wait and see what the other readers have to say about it.
[Stay in Kingsgrave]
Kortney has been looking for a way out of Kingsgrave all of this time and while it may not be the best one, it is the only chance that she has. Admittedly, I do want Myke to be the one to find her but with the siege that is forthcoming, it will be next to impossible for Myke to be able to get inside Kingsgrave let alone get her out of there and back to safety. Of course, Myke could tell someone from the Fowler and Blackmont armies that she is inside of Kingsgrave but I worry that if he gets back to Albin, that he would kill Kortney out of spite with it very much being a way that he takes everyone he can down with him which I remember you mentioning that was the big question about Albin at one point. I understand that leaving with an Ironborn crew is certainly not a safe plan either, I have a feeling that Willem might actually keep his word on this. He said that he would be rewarded for bringing her home safe and I am sure he is right on that so I do not think he would damage Kortney anymore or at least to the extent that Albin clearly has but at the same time, I also don't want Myke to lose the chance to rescue her which he clearly deserves. Admittedly, I am still very uncomfortable about which choice is the right one here and i would say there is a decent chance that I may change my vote once I see some of the other reader's votes and their reasons for it.
Edit: Well I forgot about the details of Kortney's dream and Stigz has to be right or at least very close here so I am changing my vote. Admittedly, I was already regretting the choice I originally made since I worried that this just may be an easy way out of Kingsgrave only for her to end up becoming Willem's saltwife instead. While staying in Kingsgrave will be really hard on her, I believe it will be the best chance to save her and hopefully have a happy ending for her with Myke hopefully saving her.
Kortney
"I think you should stay here and hold Kingsgrave, Your Grace. Prove your enemies that you will not be so easily defeated", Kortn… moreey tried to sound as confident as she could, and apparently it worked, as a maddened grin was formed on King Albin's face. "Yes", he said quietly, staring at Kortney and nodding his head like a madman. "YES!" He shouted, grabbing Kortney from her shoulders. "I love you, Missy!" the King yelled, forcefully kissing her on the lips. "I am the Great King of the Red Mountains, and I will not fall, nor will I run!"
The green eyes of Albin Manwoody were consumed by madness, and his twisted grin only highlighted it. Kortney gulped, uncertain of what would this man do next. However, she could soon let out a sigh of relief, as Albin walked to the door, turning to look at her one more time. He flashed one more crazed smirk to her, before walking out.
Kortney breathed in, and out, feeling the relief as she laid… [view original content]
FUCK. The prophecy, it's call coming together, Kortney's dream, the old hand and the scaled hand. Fuck me dead. The old hand being too far away, meaning Myke is too far away to be of any help, and Kortney choosing Willem's hand will only resolve in something bad for her. I know this, but will it be worse for her to remain in Kingsgrave? Suppose the siege does go on for months, and Kortney somehow manages to survive (likely through forceful conflict). Will she truly stand a chance with the Fowler's and Blackmont's crashing through the gates? Perhaps, if Myke is there, and that's my only safe bet that I can go with here. Holding out for Myke, who could side with the Blackmont's, is the only good option I can see here. We know Kortney is a survivor, she's fought for her life before, she can do it again. I will not trust this Ironborn scum which I swear is the scaly hand in her dream. If there's one thing we know about dreams, they usually come to light in NW. So I say [Stay in Kingsgrave]. It's a bold and very difficult decision to make, but I feel it could have a brighter outcome than pairing up with this Ironborn shit.
Kortney
"I think you should stay here and hold Kingsgrave, Your Grace. Prove your enemies that you will not be so easily defeated", Kortn… moreey tried to sound as confident as she could, and apparently it worked, as a maddened grin was formed on King Albin's face. "Yes", he said quietly, staring at Kortney and nodding his head like a madman. "YES!" He shouted, grabbing Kortney from her shoulders. "I love you, Missy!" the King yelled, forcefully kissing her on the lips. "I am the Great King of the Red Mountains, and I will not fall, nor will I run!"
The green eyes of Albin Manwoody were consumed by madness, and his twisted grin only highlighted it. Kortney gulped, uncertain of what would this man do next. However, she could soon let out a sigh of relief, as Albin walked to the door, turning to look at her one more time. He flashed one more crazed smirk to her, before walking out.
Kortney breathed in, and out, feeling the relief as she laid… [view original content]
Ooooh, this is one of the times where I am glad I did not vote right before heading to bed yesterday in the evening, because initially I would have voted to go with Willem. Hell, in fact I was convinced this choice would be so logical that it would win for sure. When realizing that there are two votes to stay in Kingsgrave, I was even willing to bring up additional arguments as to why I feel that going with Willem is the only good choice here. I mean, we're talking about a way out of Kingsgrave here! She has reclaimed her identity, now she is in terrible danger at the court an needs to escape before the freaks or Albin notice something off about her. Willem's offer sounds amazing, right?
Then I continued to think about it and about the arguments brought up. And I realized how horribly wrong I have most likely been. Here's the thing, I trust Willem. I fully believe that he has every intention to eventually bring Kortney back to Nightsong, because what else would he to with her? At this point, she is still a broken, unstable mess, far from salt wife material. And if he plans on selling her, well, no one will pay better than her father. So, I fully believe him that he wants to bring her back home, if only for the reward he will get. This almost motivated me to choose to go with him. But here comes the problem: I don't think he can do it.
You see, at first I did not think that he is the scaly hand Kortney saw in her dream. I am still not fully convince, but the theory has grown on me. And given what we know about dreams in NW, it is that they occasionally show something that might happen in the future, something we might get to influence or prepare for through our votes. I believe that Willem wants to get Kortney home, but he is likely valuing his own life more than hers, unlike a certain Ser Myke. So, I bet if she accepts his help, he will try to get her out of Kingsgrave, but he will fail and either be imprisoned alongside her, or forced to leave her to escape. In any way, this would prove to Albin and his freaks that she is no longer Missy and this in turn would mean that her torture would start again from the very beginning. And this time, I doubt she will be able to get through this. Whatever is left of Kortney would be gone by the time Myke finds her. No, she very much has only one chance to escape and she must succeed without alerting Albin that she has shaken off his hold on her. The dream, if truly hinting at Willem, clearly shows that she will not succeed if she puts her trust in him, that she will fall and that it will be too late for Myke to save her then.
It is a risk, but I think the Blackmont/Fowler siege if Kingsgrave will give her a chance. Albin and his men will be far too busy to put extensive amount of thought into her, she will be basically invisible and it will give Myke a chance to get into the castle together with the attackers, or maybe to sneak into it during the siege. With Willem most likely being a false hope, a route that is doomed to fail, Myke is very much the only hope she has, as unlikely as it is. Sure is, she cannot remain in Kingsgrave for much longer, or else she is going to lose what she just reclaimed, probably permanently this time. She has to get out of there, but I am not willing to risk the one chance she has on Willem, who, for all his good intentions, doesn't really seem like a guy with a plan. So, with a very heavy heart, I choose to [Stay in Kingsgrave]
Kortney
"I think you should stay here and hold Kingsgrave, Your Grace. Prove your enemies that you will not be so easily defeated", Kortn… moreey tried to sound as confident as she could, and apparently it worked, as a maddened grin was formed on King Albin's face. "Yes", he said quietly, staring at Kortney and nodding his head like a madman. "YES!" He shouted, grabbing Kortney from her shoulders. "I love you, Missy!" the King yelled, forcefully kissing her on the lips. "I am the Great King of the Red Mountains, and I will not fall, nor will I run!"
The green eyes of Albin Manwoody were consumed by madness, and his twisted grin only highlighted it. Kortney gulped, uncertain of what would this man do next. However, she could soon let out a sigh of relief, as Albin walked to the door, turning to look at her one more time. He flashed one more crazed smirk to her, before walking out.
Kortney breathed in, and out, feeling the relief as she laid… [view original content]
I didn't know exactly which to pick when I read the part. I can see why one may decide to go with Willem, but the others have made good points for staying in Kingsgrave. I'll decide to go with the majority and say [Stay in Kingsgrave]. I hope this choice won't hurt her in the long run.
Kortney
"I think you should stay here and hold Kingsgrave, Your Grace. Prove your enemies that you will not be so easily defeated", Kortn… moreey tried to sound as confident as she could, and apparently it worked, as a maddened grin was formed on King Albin's face. "Yes", he said quietly, staring at Kortney and nodding his head like a madman. "YES!" He shouted, grabbing Kortney from her shoulders. "I love you, Missy!" the King yelled, forcefully kissing her on the lips. "I am the Great King of the Red Mountains, and I will not fall, nor will I run!"
The green eyes of Albin Manwoody were consumed by madness, and his twisted grin only highlighted it. Kortney gulped, uncertain of what would this man do next. However, she could soon let out a sigh of relief, as Albin walked to the door, turning to look at her one more time. He flashed one more crazed smirk to her, before walking out.
Kortney breathed in, and out, feeling the relief as she laid… [view original content]
Kortney
"I think you should stay here and hold Kingsgrave, Your Grace. Prove your enemies that you will not be so easily defeated", Kortn… moreey tried to sound as confident as she could, and apparently it worked, as a maddened grin was formed on King Albin's face. "Yes", he said quietly, staring at Kortney and nodding his head like a madman. "YES!" He shouted, grabbing Kortney from her shoulders. "I love you, Missy!" the King yelled, forcefully kissing her on the lips. "I am the Great King of the Red Mountains, and I will not fall, nor will I run!"
The green eyes of Albin Manwoody were consumed by madness, and his twisted grin only highlighted it. Kortney gulped, uncertain of what would this man do next. However, she could soon let out a sigh of relief, as Albin walked to the door, turning to look at her one more time. He flashed one more crazed smirk to her, before walking out.
Kortney breathed in, and out, feeling the relief as she laid… [view original content]
And Kortney will stay in Kingsgrave. Well, I was certainly interested to see how this would go, though I could guess you'd choose this after Stigz's reminder of that dream from Chapter 1 Anyway, whether or not going with Willem would've been dangerous, staying in Kingsgrave certainly has its risks.
The next part will be a Nealia PoV, and I should get it done in a day or two. The last time we saw Nealia, she along with the Rose Company and Corren's men arrived to the eastern Dorne, where they met with Jabar, who is now taking them to the Greenblood, where Ser Byrron Granit is waiting for them. At the end of the last part, Nealia had a moment with Lien. As Lien tried to get intimate with her, Nealia remembered how Ying had urged her not to pursue a romance with her twin sister. Nealia hadn't made promises to Ying, but she still felt a bit uncomfortable about going against her wish. As she started to explain this, Lien demanded to know what had her sister said to Nealia, and you voted for her to reveal it.
Anyway, next week will be a bit slower with the story, as my schedule is very full. In fact, I won't be able to do any writing at all on Monday and Tuesday, and probably very little on Wednesday as well. So, after this Nealia part there will most likely be almost a week's wait for the next part, which I apologize for. However, in May my pace with the story should be getting much faster
"Ying... well, she doesn't like the idea of you and me together", Nealia said with an awkward tone, and she could see the disappointment in Lien's eyes. "So, she forbid you to be close to me?" She asked, and while her voice was emotionless, her eyes were filled with anger and sadness.
"She did try to make me promise that I wouldn't... pursue anything further with you", Nealia explained quietly, and Lien turned her gaze down. "And did you promise that to her?" She asked with a frustrated sigh.
"No, I didn't," Nealia answered quickly, "because I thought making such promises behind your back... it would've been disrespectful towards you." Lien nodded to her words, staying quiet for a moment. "I'm glad you didn't", she finally said, now looking Nealia to the eyes again. "I understand Ying just wants to protect me, but she can't decide what I do with my life." Nealia nodded in agreement, and for a moment they stood there in silence.
"Thank you, for being honest", Lien finally said with a gulp. "We should talk more later... I need some rest now."
"I understand", Nealia replied with a warm smile. "Good night, Lien", she added softly, and the YiTish woman flashed her a smirk, before walking back to the camp. Nealia stayed for a while longer, gazing at the stars with dreamy eyes, thinking about her family.
-
Next day they continued their journey north, towards the Greenblood. The day was just as unbearably hot as the last one, which clearly slowed down their small army. Nonetheless, they managed to avoid any hostile forces, and more than an hour before the sunset they could see the Greenblood in front of them. The lands around the river were slightly more verdant, though the dryness of the hot summer could be seen here as well. The river was flowing rapidly, but it was easy to see that it ran lower than usually. The same happened every summer for Torrentine as well, as Nealia remembered from her childhood.
They camped to the shore of the river for that night. Nealia spent the evening with Lien, Ying and Manda, though the atmosphere was tense. Apparently Lien and Ying had argued earlier, and it was easy to see that Ying was angry with Nealia. Lien on the other hand kept snapping at her sister. Manda and Nealia both stayed out of the arguments, but it's safe to say none of them was having particularly good time.
The next morning they continued their journey, following the Greenblood to east. It didn't take many hours of travel before they found the army of Ser Byrron Granit, which had a large camp erected on the riverbank. Though the camp wasn't quite as organized as one of a professional army would be, Nealia had to admit this force was larger than she had expected. By a quick estimation, she figured there had to be more than five-hundred men here. And now with the addition of the Rose Company and Corren's men, it raised to more than six hundred. Nealia didn't know how big the force that attacked from the sea would be, but she was starting to think this army could actually succeed at taking Lemonwood. It won't be easy though.
"Quite impressive", Tryden Flowers said to Jabar, who gave him a stern nod. "Tryden, Corren, come with me, Ser Byrron is waiting for you", the dark skinned warrior said with his deadpan tone, and so the three of them started to approach the tent that clearly belonged to the leader of the army.
Meanwhile, Illor approached Nealia and Manda, who had just dismounted their horses. "So, what do you think?" He asked with a small smirk, and Nealia shrugged lazily. "This should be enough... my only question is, are these men disciplined enough?" She spoke with skeptical tone, eyeing around the camp as they walked.
"That is my biggest concern as well", Illor admitted with a sigh. "These men are mostly bandits and pirates... good at terrorizing villages perhaps, but I'm yet to be convinced they got what it takes to conquer a fortified stronghold."
"At least they should have experience in fighting", Manda remarked calmly, "The armies of noblemen have their knights and well-trained soldiers, that's true, but the bulk of them are still just peasants who are holding a weapon for the first time in their life." Nealia and Illor both nodded in agreement to the Summer Islanders words.
As the Rose Company were starting to put up their camp, Nealia spotted Lien and Ying conversing with a very colorful group of people at the beach. There was a very tall and bald man, probably on his late thirties. His skin was pale, and he was dressed in white and grey clothes, carrying in his hands a helmet that looked like the head of an elephant. On the man's scabbard was hanging a scimitar with a pale white handle, and if Nealia saw correctly, the blade was Valyrian steel.
However, right next to this tall and pale man was even more interesting sight – a woman who was even taller than this man. In fact, she had to be the tallest person Nealia had ever seen, standing over seven feet high and towering everyone around her. The woman was much younger than the man, probably only few years older than Nealia. She was lean, her skin was slightly tanned, her black hair was tied on a ponytail, and she was clad in a simple leather armor. The look on the tall woman's wide golden eyes was calm and reserved.
Then there was a young and bald woman, with fair skin and pleasant facial features. Next to her tall companions, she looked very short, but in truth she was actually a bit taller than Nealia. The young warrior woman was carrying an axe, and there was also an axe embroidered to the chest of her leather armor. She was the one mostly talking to Lien and Ying, with an enthusiastic look on her eyes. They must've met before, Nealia figured.
Lastly, there was a man who was clearly the oldest of this odd little group. He had to be at least on his late forties, though since he was a Valyrian, it was somehow hard to tell. He had a long silver hair, not so different from King Vorian's, but he also had a long silver beard, which he kept stroking as he listened to the bald girl talking. His purple eyes had a sharp look on them, and his lips formed a soft smirk.
"Oh, it's the White Elephant's crew", Nealia heard Manda say behind her with a joyful tone. "White Elephant?" She asked with a chuckle, and Manda nodded. "Yes, he is the one with the funny helmet", she explained with a small smile on her face.
"And how do you know these people?" Nealia asked with genuine interest, and Manda let out a sigh. "We fought alongside them on Myr, over a year ago", she answered, and Nealia could hear from her voice that the memory wasn't pleasant.
"I remember Lien mentioning about that... she said you lost the battle", Nealia spoke with careful and soft tone, and Manda nodded. "Indeed... We lost many friends that day, though it seems White Elephant and his friends are still alive and well." With these words, Nealia and Manda decided to approach the odd bunch.
"Nealia, Manda, come here!" Lien quipped with a cheerful tone as she saw them getting closer. "Everyone, this is Nealia Sand, the bastard daughter of Vorian Dayne, the King of Torrentine", Lien introduced her with an enthusiastic tone, while Ying just gave her a cold glare. "And you all probably remember Manda", she added with a smile.
"How could I forget such a great warrior", the White Elephant said with his very deep voice, before turning his eyes to Nealia. "And it is a pleasure to meet royalty of this land", he said calmly, offering his hand for Nealia, and as she grabbed it he continued, "I am the White Elephant, leader of this small group."
"Nice to meet you", Nealia said politely as their hands disconnected. She now glanced at the other members of the group, and the bald girl was quick to speak up. "Hello! My name is Sarina Tyrosos, though some call me the Bald Beauty", she introduced herself with a cheerful tone. "I'm not sure if it's just a joke, or if they really think I'm beautiful, but I take it as a compliment anyway!" Nealia was a bit stunned by the vivacity of the girl, and could only answer with a small nod. "I'm from Norvos, that is why I shave my head, to honor my heritage", Sarina continued. "Anyway, it's a pleasure to meet you – if you're friends with Lien, Ying and Manda then you must be a good person."
"I hope so", Nealia answered with an awkward chuckle, which made Sarina grin. As Nealia turned to look at the tall woman, she had to tilt her head backwards. "Hello, I am Jinora Ling, from the Island of Leng", the tall woman introduced herself with a quiet and calm voice, and Nealia gave her a respectful nod, before turning to the Valyrian.
"Gauron Aerarys is my name, and I am an explorer", the man said with a smooth voice. "It's a pleasure to meet you all", Nealia said once more, her gaze traveling from Gauron, to Jinora, to Sarina, and finally to the White Elephant. "As Lien said, I am Nealia Sand, bastard of Starfall. I've known these three less than a month now, but they have all been very kind to me."
"I can imagine that", the White Elephant replied softly. "Lien, Ying and Manda are amazing persons, and it is an honor to fight alongside them once again."
"By the way, is Edric Thorne still part of your group?" Lien asked with a curious tone, and the White Elephant gave her a nod. "Indeed, but he is now in the tent with Ser Byrron and the other leaders", he explained.
"Shouldn't you be there as well?" Ying asked sharply, and the White Elephant shrugged. "Perhaps, but I figured Ser Edric is better at handling these people, since he is from Westeros himself", the bald man responded with a carefree tone, a nonchalant look on his grey eyes. "Anyway, I was about to go for a little scouting route to the east with Jinora, any of you care to join?"
"I'll come", Manda answered immediately. After that, Sarina spoke up. "Or, if you'd prefer less boring company, you could come for a drink with me and Gauron", the Bald Beauty quipped with a smirk. Lien approached her with a smile. "I could use a drink", she said, now looking at her sister. "And you, sis?" She asked, though her tone was a bit less cheerful than usually.
"I don't feel like drinking right now", Ying answered sternly, "I think I'll go for the scouting." Lien turned her eyes to Nealia next. "What about you, Nealia?" She asked softly, a hint of flirting in her mismatched eyes. Nealia let out a sigh, she wasn't really sure what to do. Some wine could do good before marching to war, but Nealia was unsure if it was wise to be so close with Lien, knowing it could have a negative effect on the relationship of the twins. Perhaps she could make a compromise, and spend the evening with Illor instead. Tryden is surely going to be planning the coming battle with Ser Byrron the whole night, so Illor could probably use some company.
[Go scouting with the White Elephant, Jinora, Ying and Manda][Go for a drink with Lien, Sarina and Gauron][Spend the evening with Illor]
Going scouting will cause even more tension between Nealia and Ying. Going drinking with Lien may cause the sisters to fight even more. The best thing we can do is spend the evening with Illor. He is the only one not doing anything, and he is alone. He needs to spend time with a good friend.
Nealia
"Ying... well, she doesn't like the idea of you and me together", Nealia said with an awkward tone, and she could see the disappoi… morentment in Lien's eyes. "So, she forbid you to be close to me?" She asked, and while her voice was emotionless, her eyes were filled with anger and sadness.
"She did try to make me promise that I wouldn't... pursue anything further with you", Nealia explained quietly, and Lien turned her gaze down. "And did you promise that to her?" She asked with a frustrated sigh.
"No, I didn't," Nealia answered quickly, "because I thought making such promises behind your back... it would've been disrespectful towards you." Lien nodded to her words, staying quiet for a moment. "I'm glad you didn't", she finally said, now looking Nealia to the eyes again. "I understand Ying just wants to protect me, but she can't decide what I do with my life." Nealia nodded in agreement, and for a moment they stood there in silence… [view original content]
Hm, took me a bit to decide here, since I have struggled between all three of these options. A part of me wanted to go drinking with Lien, as a big 'Fuck You' towards Ying, but I don't think provoking her would be all that wise. So, I had to decide between going scouting or spending the evening with Illor. Out of these, the scouting option sounds like the more interesting one and the White Elephant is certainly a very interesting character. He's like the sellsword version of the Purple Ocelot in my headcanon now I would love to see more of him, a lot more in fact and I cannot wait for you to feature him more. I also think that a scouting mission could actually help with the trust problem between Ying and Nealia. I don't think it was all that good to tell Lien about her sister's actions, as it not only drove a rift between the siblings, but also made Ying even more angry at Nealia. Then there is Illor, who has been a good friend for Nealia in the past. He will be all by himself and this motivated me to choose him instead, although I am sad that this won't mean more White Elephant for the near future and might be a missed chance to win back Ying's trust. But Illor is a friend and Nealia should prove herself to be a good friend here, by spending some time with him. So, it is [Spend the evening with Illor] for me. On top of that, Tales is absolutely right, he is the neutral option, who won't change Nealia's standing with either of the sisters for the better or the worse, which is at least not a bad thing.
Nealia
"Ying... well, she doesn't like the idea of you and me together", Nealia said with an awkward tone, and she could see the disappoi… morentment in Lien's eyes. "So, she forbid you to be close to me?" She asked, and while her voice was emotionless, her eyes were filled with anger and sadness.
"She did try to make me promise that I wouldn't... pursue anything further with you", Nealia explained quietly, and Lien turned her gaze down. "And did you promise that to her?" She asked with a frustrated sigh.
"No, I didn't," Nealia answered quickly, "because I thought making such promises behind your back... it would've been disrespectful towards you." Lien nodded to her words, staying quiet for a moment. "I'm glad you didn't", she finally said, now looking Nealia to the eyes again. "I understand Ying just wants to protect me, but she can't decide what I do with my life." Nealia nodded in agreement, and for a moment they stood there in silence… [view original content]
[Spend the evening with Illor] As the others have said, lllor is alone this evening and Nealia should take a break from being around the twins. In my opinion at least, lllor seems like the closest friend that Nealia has out there and an evening talking to him may be able to relieve some stress on her part. From what I can tell, they have now met up with Ser Byrron and his men with a majority of Efran's army now being here. With Efran, Verro and the rest of the army along with Bjorn and his Ironborn crew ready as well, the battle for Lemonwood will be here soon enough. Nealia did bring up a really good point though. These men serving under Efran are not disciplined soldiers and while they may be able to take Lemonwood, keeping it is another story entirely since at some point the Martell's will come to take it back as well. Ultimately though, most of these men serving under Efran aren't serving him because they believe in his cause, it is mostly about the gold I imagine. While I still think Efran will at least temporarily take Lemonwood, keeping it will be the true challenge here and hopefully Nealia does not get caught in the crossfire too much during the battle.
Nealia
"Ying... well, she doesn't like the idea of you and me together", Nealia said with an awkward tone, and she could see the disappoi… morentment in Lien's eyes. "So, she forbid you to be close to me?" She asked, and while her voice was emotionless, her eyes were filled with anger and sadness.
"She did try to make me promise that I wouldn't... pursue anything further with you", Nealia explained quietly, and Lien turned her gaze down. "And did you promise that to her?" She asked with a frustrated sigh.
"No, I didn't," Nealia answered quickly, "because I thought making such promises behind your back... it would've been disrespectful towards you." Lien nodded to her words, staying quiet for a moment. "I'm glad you didn't", she finally said, now looking Nealia to the eyes again. "I understand Ying just wants to protect me, but she can't decide what I do with my life." Nealia nodded in agreement, and for a moment they stood there in silence… [view original content]
From what I can tell, they have now met up with Ser Byrron and his men with a majority of Efran's army now being here. With Efran, Verro and the rest of the army along with Bjorn and his Ironborn crew ready as well, the battle for Lemonwood will be here soon enough. Nealia did bring up a really good point though. These men serving under Efran are not disciplined soldiers and while they may be able to take Lemonwood, keeping it is another story entirely since at some point the Martell's will come to take it back as well. Ultimately though, most of these men serving under Efran aren't serving him because they believe in his cause, it is mostly about the gold I imagine. While I still think Efran will at least temporarily take Lemonwood, keeping it will be the true challenge here and hopefully Nealia does not get caught in the crossfire too much during the battle.
Indeed, the army on land is ready to march to Lemonwood now, and the fleet should be ready soon enough as well. So yeah, the battle for Lemonwood is coming And you're absolutely right, even if Efran manages to take Lemonwood, keeping it will be a whole new challenge. And while Efran certainly has his fair share of loyal men who will stand by him, there are also more questionable allies, like Bjorn, Tryden, Corren and so on, whose loyalty certainly isn't guaranteed if things get sour. For example, it won't be easy for Efran to convince the Ironborn to continue following him after they've got to raid the city. After all, beyond the loot, why would they care if Efran succeeds in keeping Lemonwood or not?
[Spend the evening with Illor] As the others have said, lllor is alone this evening and Nealia should take a break from being around the tw… moreins. In my opinion at least, lllor seems like the closest friend that Nealia has out there and an evening talking to him may be able to relieve some stress on her part. From what I can tell, they have now met up with Ser Byrron and his men with a majority of Efran's army now being here. With Efran, Verro and the rest of the army along with Bjorn and his Ironborn crew ready as well, the battle for Lemonwood will be here soon enough. Nealia did bring up a really good point though. These men serving under Efran are not disciplined soldiers and while they may be able to take Lemonwood, keeping it is another story entirely since at some point the Martell's will come to take it back as well. Ultimately though, most of these men serving under Efran aren't serving him because they believe in his cause, it is most… [view original content]
How can I publish the story of my other character Gauron Aerarys?
I would love to see how Naelia interacts with the characters I created so [Go for a drink with Lien, Sarina and Gauron] since Gauron and Sarina are my favorite characters I created. No hard feelings if everyone else thinks otherwise.
From what I can tell, they have now met up with Ser Byrron and his men with a majority of Efran's army now being here. With Efran, Verro and… more the rest of the army along with Bjorn and his Ironborn crew ready as well, the battle for Lemonwood will be here soon enough. Nealia did bring up a really good point though. These men serving under Efran are not disciplined soldiers and while they may be able to take Lemonwood, keeping it is another story entirely since at some point the Martell's will come to take it back as well. Ultimately though, most of these men serving under Efran aren't serving him because they believe in his cause, it is mostly about the gold I imagine. While I still think Efran will at least temporarily take Lemonwood, keeping it will be the true challenge here and hopefully Nealia does not get caught in the crossfire too much during the battle.
Indeed, the army on land is ready to march to Lemonwood now, and the fleet … [view original content]
If you have an idea for a Histories & Lore -part (some kind of sidestory/glimpse to the character's past) for any of your characters, or you already have one written, just send me a private message about it and we can discuss it further
Glad people liked my character The White Elephant
How can I publish the story of my other character Gauron Aerarys?
I would love to se… moree how Naelia interacts with the characters I created so [Go for a drink with Lien, Sarina and Gauron] since Gauron and Sarina are my favorite characters I created. No hard feelings if everyone else thinks otherwise.
If you have an idea for a Histories & Lore -part (some kind of sidestory/glimpse to the character's past) for any of your characters, or you already have one written, just send me a private message about it and we can discuss it further
Just go to my profile, and there should be an option for "private discussion". I can send you one first though, which should then appear on your feed, and you can then answer to it.
After all, beyond the loot, why would they care if Efran succeeds in keeping Lemonwood or not?
This is so true. Thinking about it, Bjorn Harlaw and his Ironborn really are a massive wildcard here. I mean there is a chance that they may just go in there and completely sack Lemonwood if they can which may not be good for Efran. I would imagine Efran would want to take Lemonwood with minimal damage to it since he plans on ruling over it and he needs Lemonwood's defenses to be strong just in case the Martell's send an army there to take it back. Really, this battle will be very interesting since like you said, it remains to be seem if any of these sellswords or bandits are willing to actually die for Efran and his mission. Man I am pretty hyped to see what happens there!
From what I can tell, they have now met up with Ser Byrron and his men with a majority of Efran's army now being here. With Efran, Verro and… more the rest of the army along with Bjorn and his Ironborn crew ready as well, the battle for Lemonwood will be here soon enough. Nealia did bring up a really good point though. These men serving under Efran are not disciplined soldiers and while they may be able to take Lemonwood, keeping it is another story entirely since at some point the Martell's will come to take it back as well. Ultimately though, most of these men serving under Efran aren't serving him because they believe in his cause, it is mostly about the gold I imagine. While I still think Efran will at least temporarily take Lemonwood, keeping it will be the true challenge here and hopefully Nealia does not get caught in the crossfire too much during the battle.
Indeed, the army on land is ready to march to Lemonwood now, and the fleet … [view original content]
Comments
Alright, while I'm obviously not going to confirm or debunk this theory, I thought I could show you where exactly are these characters right now. Gwendis, Aisha and Trentan are indeed pretty deep into the Manwoody lands already, but not really close enough to see Kingsgrave yet. Anyway, here's a map with the red dot representing where Gwen & co. are, and the blue one representing where the army of Ferris and Kegan is right now (and they are moving towards Kingsgrave):
Oh okay, I had felt like I remembered Kingsgrave being mentioned in the last Gwendis part as if they were actually close to there but it turned out that it said they were in the Kingdom of Kingsgrave rather than close to the actual keep of Kingsgrave. Thanks for clearing this up for us Wildling! Safe to say with this theory and the Desmor idea that Liquid brought up, there is definitely some potential for a wrench to be thrown in Aisha's plans
Happy one year anniversary to Nymeria's War! This is the first interactive story that I have actively participated in. In fact, it is this story that pushed me to make my own telltale account because I really wanted to contribute characters to the story. Who knows, I might contribute some more soon. I've greatly enjoyed the characters and just the story in general. You have done an excellent job writing this amazing story Wildlingking. I looked at the tv trope page and is quite interesting. Thanks Liquid, Wildling, and anyone else involved in making it. I also like the picture of Benedict.
Gwendis
"No", Gwendis said quietly, steering her hand away from the altar. She turned her eyes up, to see the sharp and piercing look on Aisha's eyes. The usually calm and calculative purple eyes were now filled with anger and disappointment. "I'm sorry", Aisha whispered, and grabbed Gwendis right hand from the wrist. Before Gwendis could react, the Dark Priestess pushed her hand forcibly against the cold stony surface of the altar. And darkness swallowed her.
She was falling in eternal darkness, and as she tried to scream, no voice came out of her mouth. She could still feel Aisha's hand around her wrist, biting to her skin like a cold chain of iron. Slowly the darkness faded, replaced by a vision. Gwendis saw a narrow and dusty alley, and in the middle of it stood a warrior of darkness, its eyes empty and lifeless. Behind the warrior lurked a shadow, hiding from something. Fire, Gwendis realized – in front of the warrior of darkness were flames that grew higher and higher. The flames tossed the warrior to the dust, but meanwhile the shadow had disappeared.
"She will hate you, and in her hate she will try to destroy you", Gwendis heard the screeching voice of the Great Other. "Who?" Gwendis asked, and now she saw the blue eyes opening in front of her. "The one who will seek for your help, the one who loves the darkness", the screeching voice answered. And then the eyes disappeared, and darkness took over once again. Gwendis started feeling weak and dizzy, and soon she lost her consciousness.
-
Gwendis woke up to the cracking of fire. As she turned her head she saw Trentan sitting next to a fire he had built by the mouth of the cave, and Aisha standing just outside the cave and gazing at the distance. Slowly Gwendis pulled herself to a sitting position, and Trentan turned to look at him. The young thief had a slightly nervous expression on his face. Almost immediately Aisha turned towards the cave and Gwendis.
"You're finally awake, princess", she said with calm and friendly tone. Gwendis didn't answer, and only glared silently at the Dark Priestess. With a sigh Aisha walked into the cave, past Trentan's fire and right next to Gwendis. "What did our lord show you?" She asked, narrowing her eyes as she spoke.
"Nothing", Gwendis lied quietly, but it was easy to see from Aisha's face that she didn't believe her. "Fine," she said after a moment of silence, "we can talk about this later... I have something else to take care of now. Our warrior, to be precise."
"So, are you going somewhere?" Trentan asked with a timid tone, and Aisha nodded. "I will fetch Mordekhai, it shouldn't take more than a day. Meanwhile, I need you two to stay here and wait." Aisha turned her eyes to Gwendis again with her last words, giving her a meaningful look. Gwendis stayed silent, feeling both anger and fear as she looked at Aisha. Without any further conversation, Aisha walked out of the cave, leaving Trentan and Gwendis alone.
It took several minutes after Aisha left before Trentan finally spoke up. "What she did... it was wrong", he said quietly, staring at the fire. "She shouldn't have forced you to... well, to push your hand on that altar."
"I'm glad to hear that's your opinion", Gwendis replied, her voice only a tad sarcastic. Trentan's sympathy wouldn't do much to help Gwendis in this situation, but she was still genuinely glad to notice that Trentan wasn't completely blinded by his affection for Aisha.
"What was it that you saw?" Trentan now asked, his voice uncertain, and the look on his eye nervous. Gwendis took in a deep breath. "Did she tell you to ask this?" She asked calmly, and Trentan shook his head.
"No, it's not like you think... Aisha doesn't command me", Trentan answered, his voice a bit more confident now. "If you say so", Gwendis replied with a sigh, and a frown was formed on Trentan's face. "So, you're not going to tell me what you saw?" He asked.
"It was nothing pleasant", Gwendis answered sternly, keeping her eyes away from Trentan, the words of the Great Other echoing in her mind. She will hate you, and in her hate she will try to destroy you. The Great Other was warning her, but of whom? Aisha? Trentan nodded to Gwendis, though his expression was mildly disappointed. "I understand", he mumbled, turning towards the fire again.
As the fire slowly burned out, Gwendis and Trentan both spent the rest of the day silently, dwelling in their own thoughts, until finally night arrived. Trentan was the first to fall asleep, and Gwendis soon after.
She had expected the nightmares about the Great Other to haunt her again, but this time she woke up before they even begun. She felt a hand on her mouth. As Gwendis opened her eyes, she saw a shady slim figure above her. It was a dark-haired woman, but it wasn't Aisha. Lyla Sand, Gwendis suddenly realized, as she looked into those big dark eyes. Gwendis couldn't say anything as Lyla was keeping her right hand on Gwendis' mouth. "Shh", Lyla whispered, and moved her hand away from Gwendis' mouth. Silently she gestured her to stand up, and Gwendis obeyed.
"I'm taking you back home, princess", she said quietly, and they started to move towards the mouth of the cave. Then, Trentan woke up. The young thief looked at them with tired and confused eyes. "What is going on here?" He asked, but instead of giving any kind of answer, Lyla pulled out her dagger and jumped on Trentan. She pushed him against the ground, putting the blade of the dagger on his throat. Panic took over Trentan's eyes, and Gwendis could see that Lyla was ready to make the finishing move any second now. "Wait!" She yelled, and Lyla turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow.
"We have to kill him", she said with decisive words. "If we leave him alive, he is going to help Aisha to find us."
Gwendis gulped, she was feeling conflicted. She didn’t want to kill Trentan, but she knew that what Lyla said could very well be the truth.
[Let her kill Trentan] [Beg her to spare Trentan]
[Let her kill Trentan]
He started to be likeable, but not likeable enough to risk it.
I'm pretty sure that Desaria is going to kill Mordekhai based on the vision, but other bits of it are still quite mysterious.
[Beg her to spare Trentan]
Alright, I gotta get the vote out of the way first, because my comment is surely going to be a bit longer. I seriously hope that this option wins and that perhaps my reasoning can convince people to spare Trentan. Sure, allowing him to live is a risk, but it is one of the rare risks I am willing to take when it comes to Gwendis, because I could see killing him as just as much of a risk, maybe even more. The thing is, he just expressed his sympathy, he voiced his disapproval of Aisha's actions and this shows to me that he is finally warming up to Gwen, maybe even to the point where he sympathizes with her. Killing him here would not only be wrong, it would also go against Gwendis' morals quite heavily. Instead, I'd be in favour of just knocking him out or something like that, so that he cannot help Aisha with locating them. Even then, Lyla is an expert. I doubt Trentan can offer any valuable service to Aisha here that she cannot outbalance with her own skills. And just imagine the worst case scenario, Aisha catches up with them. If Gwen spares Trentan's life here, she might be displeased, but otherwise still professional. If Gwen allows Lyla to kill him, then I am sure this is going to bring out the worst inside of that bitch before we had any time to prepare for it. And if Lyla kills him regardless, at least Gwendis can rightfully claim that she tried to stop her, something that Aisha might reward by sparing her the worst of her anger. Lyla wants to kill him to get an advantage, but I think sparing him, a potential ally even, is far better, as he poses no threat at all. That said, if he actually helps Aisha with dragging Gwendis back to this evil cult she clearly wants to have no part in, I'm certainly going to lose this sympathy I currently hold for him, but well, I do start to like him and this means I don't want to kill him. This is a feeling I am sure Gwen shares. And most importantly, sparing him will eventually spare Gwendis, if the worst happens. Besides, it would give Aisha a lot less reason to go after her. I mean, Gwendis has made it very clear that she wishes to have no part in all of that. Aisha has made it clear that she holds no respect at all for Gwendis wishes, but wasting valuable time to chase after an unwilling girl? She'd need a seriously good reason to do that and I'd rather want that reason to be professional interest instead of anger and hatred due to the death of her bedslave.
Now, my thoughts. Ooooh man, this part gave me the chills. Well, all of them do, but this was a lot less terrifying than I thought and I am actually slightly relieved. And naturally, there is a lot I would like to mention. Prepare for probably one of the longest comments I have ever written for this story.
First of all, the demon god in the room, the Great Other. This part surprised me here, because for the first time, he didn't seem malicious towards Gwendis. Hell, he even answered her when she had a question. While I am sure this is going to make things worse for her in the long run, because it strenghtened his hold in her head, his advice here has surely been helpful. At the same time, it confused me greatly. So, first he tells her to embrace the darkness, now he tells her that one who loves the darkness will seek to destroy her? I'm getting mixed messages there, make up your mind, you demon god. However, this clearly does not hint at Dalia and Desi, because they are far from loving the darkness. If he would want to warn her of them, he would tell her that the ones who wish to destroy her are the ones who love the light. The logical option here would be Aisha. Who else could love the darkness as much as her? While she is almost too easy an option, I am sure the Great Other, being some sort of a god, is well aware of the conclusion Gwendis will draw and if he would have wanted her to trust Aisha, he would have worded this differently. This draws the conclusion that well, the Great Other is at least perfectly fine with Gwendis not trusting Aisha. It is kind of hilarious that even the god of evil barely seems to tolerate that bitch, despite how devout she is. Tells you just what a massively insufferable cunt she is. It also gave me this interesting thought, what if the Great Other doesn't want worship? Regardless of wether or not he warned Gwen of Aisha, he certainly didn't do anything to make her trust that bitch more. This means, maybe he is actually against her worship. Sure, he probably likes her service, but maybe he dislikes her devotion? I mean, would a god of evil even want to be worshipped? He is evil, he likely wants total domination and control, or annihilation of all existence, but worship? There has to be a reason why he has so few cultists, especially compared to the major religion that is the cult of R'hllor. He exists and I bet that if he would want to, he could have ten thousands of cultists. The fact that he hasn't can only partially be a result of how utterly creepy he is. Maybe he doesn't want it, maybe he doesn't need it and maybe he considers Aisha to be genuinely misguided in her fanatical devotion. This makes things even more funny, as it means that she is so creepy that she even managed to creep out the demon god of evil.
However, back to the one who loves the darkness, there is another option. Aisha is not the only follower of the Great Other in Dorne and while no one loves the darkness as much as she does, there is at least one other cultist we know of, namely the witch of Vaith. I don't know if she follows the Great Other out of devotion or lust for power, but she could be this person that seeks to destroy Gwendis as well. It is reassuring that they haven't met yet, but now I fear that this will only be a matter of time. I also have an idea why she might seek Gwendis' help in the future. But first, the vision. Naturally, this could mean Worstley's death at the hands of Dalia, the flame, while Aisha, the shadow, manages to escape, to become a further danger to Gwendis and to Dalia as well. However, it could also mean the Vaith witch, given that the vision took place in an alleyway, likely a town, possibly Vaith. She has a warrior, Dalia defeats this warrior, but she manages to escape. And I am having a tinfoil-y and scary, yet sort of logical thought. If the shadow Gwen saw in her vision was the Vaith witch, then I am having a bad idea on who her warrior might be: Jamison.
Hear me out on this sort of confusing string of thoughts. The warrior was described as having empty, lifeless eyes, as if he would be controlled by someone else. Worstley has similar eyes, but I am not sure if they have ever been described as lifeless. So here is what might happen: Jamison's nightmare was not a nightmare, but the first attempt of the Vaith witch to get into his head, to control him and to get a warrior that can protect her. This explains his nightmare in which he is surrounded by flames, not literal flames, but a warrior of R'hllor. Under her control, Jamison fights against Dalia and is defeated, though I am absolutely convinced he will survive this encounter and regain control over his mind. The witch flees and seeks the help of Gwendis, who seems to hold immense powers. However, for some reason, maybe envy, the witch will grow to hate Gwendis and will become a major enemy to her and a massive threat to her life and well-being. That is the only alternative to Aisha and Worstley I see. Naturally, she'd still be less horrible than Aisha.
Speaking of Aishatollah GO-meini, she surely is the worst. Worstley is undeserving of his name as long as she so effortlessly manages to be even worse than him. At the same time, calling him Wesley would be an insult to Wesley Crusher and every other Wesley. I can't even call him Jar-Jar, because that would be an insult to Jar-Jar. Frankly, I expected even worse from her, but at the same time, I should have expected this. She holds not even the tiniest respect for Gwendis' wishes, she doesn't want an ally or even an apprentice, she wants a mindless follower and the fact that she has literally less than nothing to offer seems to be increasingly frustrating for her. Maybe even she notices that her actions make her the absolute worst being in all of Dorne, which is likely only further frustrating her. I expected her to force Gwendis to touch the altar and she once more proved that she is not willing to leave her even the tiniest bit of a choice. If Gwendis does not embrace the darkness on her own, as Aisha for some bafflingly retarded reason seems to expect from her, she is going to be forced to embrace it. Given, I expected even worse, but who knew what sort of damage this has done. I believe we almost had her clean again, but Aisha's actions in this part ensured that Gwendis basically got a new dose of heroin in the middle of her rehab. Getting her clean again is going to be even harder of a task now. That said, I am glad the whore finally dropped her mask and proved to me, to Gwen, to Trentant and to all the others what she truly is: A horrible sub-human monster, evil to the core, a manipulative bitch whose mask of affability gets less believable with every time she allows it to crack a bit more. This part made me less angry at her than past parts, mostly due to the vision of the Great Other being less harmful than expected, but it did wonders in really strengthening my hatred. This monster is going to die and I hope she will die screaming.
Finally, Lyla, wooooo! A silver lining! Seeing her has never been as great as it was in this part. I mean, I knew she was going after Gwendis, but I was surprised that she caught up with her so quickly. I love that snarky little murder-person, now not only for 'reasons' but for reasons
Trentan might be an ally, but in the current situation, Lyla is an ally, the best Gwen could hope for when it goes against Aisha and Worstley. I am so happy she dragged her out of this before Worstley arrived, because this means there might, just might, be the chance for Gwen to never interact with that mindless monster. However, I am a bit afraid that she has found Gwendis too early, both from an in-story perspective and out of story. In-story, it might be too early for Benedict to have forgotten about that marriage alliance, or to see it as obsolete. Maybe he has learned his lesson, but I bet he'd only make sure that Gwendis will be better guarded on her way to Skyreach next time. He doesn't strike me as the guy to ever learn when it comes to the well-being of his family. And it would mean that Gwendis' struggle to stay out of that forced marriage was all for nothing, that she got a demonic lodger in her head for nothing and that I got about a billion heart attacks for nothing. So, if she truly returns to Blackmont that quickly, I hope Benny will have reconsidered his plans. However, maybe he has, maybe he truly loves Gwendis enough to not risk losing her again. The thing is, I am afraid that Lyla has found Gwendis too early from a story perspective, as I doubt Aisha, Worstley and the Vaith witch are done with her in any way. If this would have happened towards the end of Chapter 3, I would have been far more enthusiastic and not just due to more Gwen/Lyla screentime, but as things are, I cannot trust that this will last. However, it is better than just staying there and it will prove once more to Aisha that she will never, ever control Gwendis no matter what she tries.
Well, this is my super long amount of thoughts. It's about twice as long as the part itself, it seems I finally did it
And I still held back in my Aisha rants, mostly because my hatred for her has exceeded mere anger. Now, I really want her to die in agony. She is a threat to Gwendis, she has proven that once more in this part and I will not have any of her demon crap, or her schemes, or her manipulations, ever. She's horrible and the worst and I am glad that Gwendis gets a break from her, even if it is likely just temporary.
[Beg her to spare Trentan]
Once I heard that Lyla was going after Gwendis, I was afraid this might happen. Obviously, I am not going to vote for her to kill my own character. As you can see in this part, Trentan is starting to see Aisha's true colors and beginning to feel a lot more sympathy forward Gwendis. Maybe, he can convince them to let him leave and escape with them. That way they can be sure that he won't tell Aisha. Besides, I think he may have been considering wanting to leave based on his interactions with Gwendis this part. Plus, he can prove to be a valuable ally and asset to Gwendis, Lyla, and Blackmont in general not only because of his thieving skills but also due to his earlier relationship with Aisha. Who knows about the things she told him. Perhaps, he has valuable information about Aisha that could lead to her defeat. Also, Liquid was right that if Trentan is murdered by Lyla, than Aisha might be even more determined to capture Gwendis and seek her revenge against Lyla.
Besides letting Lyla murder Trentan will ruin my longtime goal of trying to get Gwendis and Trentan to become good friends.
[Let her kill Trentan]
Ummmmmm........ Why????
He can be a very valuable ally to Gwendis and Lyla against Aisha. You already saw that his loyalty to Aisha is wavering.
By the way, Wildling, I sent you a pm.
Its a risk either way and i have been watching godfather so I'm taking hints from that and so i just want to clear house.
Lyla Sand is back!
I am not going to lie, I have actually missed seeing her in the story since she was without a doubt my favorite among Benedict's inner circle and it is a pleasant surprise that she was able to catch up to Gwendis so quickly! While I am indeed hyped that there is actually a chance that Gwendis can return home now, this is definitely a case just like what other coworkers of mine tell me in regards to hearing about our company obtaining more construction projects for us to work on and that is there is no reason to be happy about it until you are there 
With that said, now I just hope that Gwendis and Lyla can get far enough ahead of Aisha and "Wesley" that there is no way that they have even a chance of catching up to them before they get back to Blackmont which since Aisha's trip is a day of walking, that is certainly possible! Now onto the choice, this is a tough one and one I hope that I do not regret but I think I am going to have Gwendis [Beg her to spare Trentan] If this choice would have came up when Trentan was first introduced, I would have most likely chosen the other option without doubt since he was pretty hard on Gwendis and I could not see him betraying Aisha. Now however, I believe Trentan has seen the light when it comes to Aisha plus I believe Lyla knows how to put enough ground between them, I figure we should at least try to get her to spare Trentan. Man I am hoping that Lyla succeeds with getting Gwendis home but I am certainly not getting too excited yet. Please don't betray my trust Trentan 
Awh no Liquid, you are giving me some horrible flashbacks to season three of GoT
While I obviously enjoyed season three, your theory is similar to one moment that really shocked me and that was when Brienne of Tarth literally owned Jaime Lannister. I remember how hyped I was when Jaime cut the rope and took Brienne's extra sword. He was toying with her and I really thought that Brienne has screwed up now especially since he was the best swordsman in Westeros! And then, she pretty much obliterated him 
From what I have heard though, that battle was much more even in the books and I haven't gotten that far yet but still. I remember how much that fight shocked me 
Anyway my little rant aside, You have me worried about Jamison again 
Surely, Dalia could not defeat him fairly one on one especially since Jamison is at full strength while Jaime was not when he faced Brienne. I don't think she really has any advantages over him but after thinking about it, I can see where you are coming from with this theory. I mean I know eventually Jamison and the Dayne's will eventually have to lose in a battle situation to the Martell's but man I hope he doesn't lose to Dalia. On top of that I am still holding on to the hope that Jamison's nightmare will be just that and a coincidence as well 
All I can say, is that the battle for Vaith is going to be an interesting one for sure!
Ah, apologies, this was not what I wanted, making you nervous and stuff
However, I have actually put more thought into this and have found another detail. Back in Gwendis' vision in Chapter 1, she saw a dark knight bowing to a black sun. I don't know if Jamison's meeting with Lucifer can be counted as bowing to him. However, if Jamison falls under the thrall of the Vaith witch and if Dalia does something to free him from her (even if it is knocking some serious sense into him), then I could see him actually bowing to her after such an experience, maybe even promising to help her in return.
Also, keep in mind that Jamison is actually not at full strength. If I remember correctly, he was wounded during that ambush in Godsgrace and I doubt he will have much time to recover in Vaith, so Dalia might actually have an advantage over him which she wouldn't have otherwise. Or maybe we are underestimating Dalia, just like how everyone is underestimating Brienne ever
But if they are to fight right now, I could actually see her winning without any tricks, due to Jamison being not in the best condition and since I doubt he is going to fight as well as he otherwise would if he is controlled by a witch.
And well, I certainly hope that his nightmare was a coincidence, but it would fit the pattern. R'hllor seems to work through visions one receives while awake, but the Great Other seems to require sleep as a catalyst for the visions, so Jamison's nightmare could be related to him. And everything was so oddly specific, especially with the shadow, even though Jamison doesn't know of any shadow in Vaith. Maybe we can prevent the worst if we consider this nightmare to be a vision and act accordingly. Perhaps the only good thing Aisha ever said in her life is that these visions, unlike the ones from R'hllor, only ever show a possible future.
That said, I at least doubt that the words of the Great Other showed a possible future, I am sure the one who loves the darkness will at least try to destroy Gwendis. But the things she saw, I could see them as being only possible outcomes, so maybe we can change things with our choices. That said, at this point I am not too scared for Jamison, because I somehow doubt that he is going to die during this, even if he truly is to fight against Dalia. However, it ironically means that Dalia is now a sort-of threat to both of our characters, who are also both my favourites, yet at the same time, she is not the main threat for either. This role falls to Aisha and the Vaith witch respectively. But still, thoughts like that don't quite help me with the hard task of getting to like her
Hm, you gave me another idea here. I hope that Trentan will at least not help Aisha in locating Gwendis (albeit Wesley has some tracker skills, as far as I know), but you gave me the thought that he might already sympathize enough with Gwen and her yearning for freedom to outright lure her pursuers into the wrong direction. And even if he's just not helping Aisha instead of actively misleading her, I could see him returning the favour if the worst happens and Gwendis is caught again. This is certainly a chance for her to prove to him that she truly cares for people like him and that she is better than he gave her credit for in the beginning.
It is no problem, I just thought it was an interesting theory to comment on. Thinking back on it, you are completely correct about Gwendis' vision. Matter of fact, I remember in the second part of Jamison's meeting with Lucifer Dryland where Lucifer actually said that before he would let the Dayne's have Clearhaven, that Jamison must bow to him and be in his service for the time being by going to Godsgrace and the other eastern Dornish houses to convince them to join his side. Of course, they could also be talking about that one knight that works under Lucifer as well Ser Blackheart. I know that probably isn't likely but the guy does fit the description
Anyway, yeah I am not really too excited about the idea about this Great Other stuff spreading to Jamison but if it does happen, hopefully someone can snap him out of it without a fight. It would be an interesting sight though if he were temporarily brainwashed by the Great Other though since Jamison himself thinks very little of all of these different gods!
That is a good point as well, he got hit in the shoulder by a crossbow bolt and while he is not in awful shape, he is definitely not at full strength. When it comes to Dalia, I did not realize she is supposed to be a great fighter but thinking about it, it does make sense since she runs her own sellsword company and she is said to be a big woman like Brienne of Tarth. Admittedly I was just thinking about how funny it is that someone who is similar to Brienne in size at least would be someone who would defeat Jamison in a fight since I am not really much of a Brienne fan
I won't discount what you are saying though since you clearly bring up some excellent points and I would be crazy to deny them. There is one thing though that leads me to believing that this could be a way to catch us off guard for whatever is really going to happen in Vaith. If the Vaith witch is really trying to capture Jamison under her spell then showing a vision where he pretty much loses or dies does not seem like the best way to go about it in regards to brainwashing him but this is the Great Other we are talking about. On top of that, Gwendis as not been brainwashed yet and she has had far more interaction with the Great Other if that is even what happened with Jamison anyway.
As you said though, I would say that most of the visions shown are just possible results and that our choices will determine what truly happens in regards to our reader submitted characters. Admittedly, It is a bit worrying that Jamison could lose a fight so early in the story and as a brainwashed pawn of some witch at that. Jamison's fighting abilities and his personality are both a pretty big part of his character and it would be hard to watch him fight and lose in that manner. Like you said though, if Jamison really is brainwashed, she really is not truly fighting Jamison anyway. However It is safe to say that if Dalia were to fight him and somehow win, I would probably hate her the rest of the story
Of course, Jamison is a character that I submitted to the story so I am very much biased. 
I suppose now all we can do is hope that Lyla suceeds with Gwendis and that nightmare of Jamison's turns out to ve just that. Anyway, I would say you could be right, there is certainly potential for Dalia to be a thorn in both of our character's sides and with this theory, I am pretty much in the dislike Dalia club now until I see what happens with Jamison in Vaith and Gwendis in general 
Oh and Wildling, I have no clue why I have never asked this but when I talk about potential story theories and such, do you want me to put spoiler tags in the post? I'll put one in this post just in case and if you decide that you want one in them all the time, I will put them in all posts related to stuff like this from now on.
[Beg her to spare Trentan]
Nah, it's not necessary to put speculation or theories in spoiler tags
Anyway, I guess I could chime into this conversation a bit without revealing anything 
Yeah, Dalia is indeed a great fighter, and a very experienced one as well. On mere skill she can't match Jamison, but she has a pretty aggressive and unpredictable style, and as you said she is big, especially for a woman. So, Dalia definitely wouldn't be an easy opponent for Jamison, that much is clear.
Well, you can rest easy that Jamison most certainly won't be brainwashed to worship the Great Other. Even if someone would prove the existence of the GO to him, he wouldn't want to reduce himself to a servant of any god. So, if this theory of Jamison being the "warrior of darkness" seen in this vision would come true, it wouldn't be done in the same way that Aisha is trying to brainwash Gwendis, because it would never work on Jamison, especially not that quickly.
Hm, I was not aware of this anymore. You are right, this could have been the bow Gwendis saw. At the same time, there might be several meaning to this vision and maybe it stands for both, Jamison bowing to Lucifer and him bowing to Dalia. Maybe the bow isn't even meant as a literal bow, but to symbolize him being defeated by her. There's a number of situations I could imagine that would fit to this. I... somehow doubt this vision referenced to Ser Blackheart though
At the same time, maybe this is one of the several meanings of this part of the vision.
You know, I actually noticed that this would be even more ironic, given that Jamison holds quite a number of similarities to Jaime Lannister, if he would also lose to a woman that is, at least in terms of size and strength, this stories Brienne of Tarth
But hey, I hope that if they fight, Jamison wins, but there are certainly a number of scenarios where Dalia's victory might actually end up as beneficial for him.
Yeah, that is a point you bring up there. Albeit at the same time, maybe she is implanting something in his mind, some sort of a trigger that puts him under her control and gives him an instinctive dislike of followers of R'hllor. Under normal circumstances, Jamison would never fight against them, at least not at this point, so if my theory turns out to be correct, then the witch needs to do something that makes him believe that the flames, the follower of R'hllor, pose a threat to him. In regards to the brainwashing, I believe it would be something far quicker and more severe than what Aisha is trying to do. Though her methods are shitty, she is at least trying to genuinely convince Gwendis and leaves her enough free will to resist this dark temptation. I feel that the witch doesn't have as much time, so she probably just reached out to the best swordsman nearby and is now trying to basically override his free will, to take control of him. It is entirely possible that Jamison won't even be conscious during such a fight, whereas Gwendis more or less remains in charge of her thoughts and actions during Aisha's attempts to brainwash her. It's two different approaches and whereas Aisha's way isn't even entirely magical, but relying on persuasion and psychological tricks, anything the witch could try in such a small amount of time would be purely magical, which ultimatly means that anything is possible.
I don't know, I think simply losing a fight could be a good thing for Jamison even. His arrogance is very much his biggest problem and if he loses, to a woman on top, then this would likely trigger a change in him, where he sees that he has to change something about himself to truly become the best fighter in Dorne. In that case, I'd rather have him lose against someone such as Dalia (who might even give us the choice on how to deal with the fight) and very early in the story, when the stakes are not as high, as opposed to late in the story and in a fight to the death, where his defeat would mean a lot worse than just some wounded pride. And as good as he is, I fear that sooner or later he will meet someone who can match or even surpass him and in such a case, his attitude might very well be the deciding factor either in favour of him or against him.
The Dislike Dalia club, yeah
It is odd that she is so disliked despite not having done anything bad so far and potentially never doing anything that justifies our opinion. But it's precautionary and I guess being biased is a good enough reason for not liking her. Out of the characters, she currently has far more possibility to be a danger to Jamison and to Gwendis as well than most of the others. That said, if she fights Jamison, my own opinion on this would depend on why she is fighting him and how this ends for him. If he falls under the control of the witch, then being defeated and maybe knocked unconscious is actually a good thing and in that case, Dalia would arguably be helpful for him. It does depend though, if he suffers any serious injury that could have been prevented, then this would naturally change my opinion again. I can fully understand you though. I'd probably still be on Gwendis' side in this conflict even if she would turn into a fullblown Great Other nutjob and I would hate Dalia even if she would kill her in self defense. But as I said, it is still very much up in the air if she even does anything to harm them. Recent developments in her storyline and in Gwendis' have somewhat weakened my conviction about this and gave me a more nuanced feeling about her, but that is still fragile and I am cautiously seeing how things will develop there.
Voting is closed!
And Gwendis will beg Lyla to spare Trentan. Well, first of all this is obviously a choice that affects on the development of Gwendis' character, and when it comes to that you definitely chose the option with a more positive outcome. We'll what other consequences come from this in the future.
The next part will be a Kortney PoV, and I hope to get it done today. Just like the Gwen part we just had, this will be a pretty short one, but with a very big choice in the end. Last time on Kortney's storyline, she stormed off from her little meeting with the freaks, after she had exposed her true identity to them. On her way to her own chambers, she met Ser Mordekhai Crusher, Albin's creepy cousin, who made a threat that he would kill her as soon as the King would stop caring about her. Then Kortney met with the King, who had received the news that his army had suffered a crippling loss against the united forces of the Fowler's and Blackmont's at the Wide Way. Queen Sofina had suggested Albin to surrender now, so that their enemies might spare him. Alaric in turn had suggested that Albin could seek refuge from Yronwood, which Albin was considering as a possibility. However, Kortney decided to suggest that he should stay in Kingsgrave and hold it against the enemy forces.
I'm so happy about the vote's outcome. Gwendis begging for Trentan's life would definitely greatly improve his impression of her. He will realize that she cares for more than just herself. Perhaps, if he leaves with them, he and Gwendis can become friends. If he doesn't leave with them, he could lie to Aisha and say that when he woke up, Gwendis was gone or some other excuse.
Ah, I am very glad this option won
Of course, this could have bad consequences for Gwendis, but it can just as much have positive consequences, by giving her a friend by Aisha's side, someone who owes her and whom Aisha seems to hold at least some tiny amount of fondness for. If anything, I bet she is more willing to listen to his wishes over Wesley's when it comes to how to deal with that stubborn not-apprentice. And well, it was clearly the right choice in terms of morality for Gwendis, that much I am convinced of. Maybe keeping her own morals more or less in order could also help her with resisting the darker temptations of the Great Other. I bet the demon would like it if she turns into an overall dark and pragmatic person, who kills even people she sympathizes with just because they have gotten inconvenient. Plus, that is really the kind of thing I try to prevent for her. Well, that and her death, but as I said before, I think sparing Trentan holds more potential to save her life than killing him does. If Aisha is able to track her down despite Lyla, then she will do so with or without Trentan and at least by sparing him, he might be willing to return the favour, while Aisha might be more willing to spare Gwendis in return. Though all that thoughts about them being caught again makes me seriously afraid for Lyla now...
Cool! I didn't think I really needed to but I just wanted to check just in case!
Okay well this makes tons of sense especially since you couldn't go down her career path and not be able to fight. This is also a really good point as well, I don't know how old Dalia is but if I had to guess, she has probably been fighting nearly as long as Jamison has been alive
So she would obviously have the advantage in that regard but at the same time, as you said, Jamison is very skilled, he also is a pretty big guy and he is willing to fight dirty so it would be an interesting fight to say the least. Admittedly though, I obviously am not too keen on Liquid's theory potentially coming true especially the outcome of it. 
Also, sorry for my constant talking of Jamison 
Well safe to say that is a huge relief! Jamison just seems like he would be a hard one to brainwash especially considering he has very little belief in any of it especially the Great Other. I mean, he completely dismissed that nightmare he had immediately but if that vision that Gwendis had does come true, it would be interesting to see how it all comes. Of course, that is not me saying I am hyped for that to happen though
Kortney
"I think you should stay here and hold Kingsgrave, Your Grace. Prove your enemies that you will not be so easily defeated", Kortney tried to sound as confident as she could, and apparently it worked, as a maddened grin was formed on King Albin's face. "Yes", he said quietly, staring at Kortney and nodding his head like a madman. "YES!" He shouted, grabbing Kortney from her shoulders. "I love you, Missy!" the King yelled, forcefully kissing her on the lips. "I am the Great King of the Red Mountains, and I will not fall, nor will I run!"
The green eyes of Albin Manwoody were consumed by madness, and his twisted grin only highlighted it. Kortney gulped, uncertain of what would this man do next. However, she could soon let out a sigh of relief, as Albin walked to the door, turning to look at her one more time. He flashed one more crazed smirk to her, before walking out.
Kortney breathed in, and out, feeling the relief as she laid down on her bed. She knew that every day would be more dangerous than the last from now on, as war crept closer and closer to Kingsgrave, but right now she was too tired to feel fear. She closed her eyes, and fell asleep.
-
Kortney observed from the battlements as the army led by Prince Arvin returned to Kingsgrave. Though it was easy to see that this was merely a fragment of the great force that had marched to war less than a month ago. Obviously many had fallen on the Wide Way, but Kortney suspected even more had deserted.
The King sat on an armchair that had been brought for him to the courtyard, welcoming back the remnants of his army. The courtyard was silent, aside from some of the officers giving commands for the troops, as well as the horses keeping some noise. Prince Arvin dismounted his horse, and approached his father. Even from afar Kortney could see that Arvin was nervous, as he kneeled in front of King Albin.
Albin looked at his son for a moment with a stern expression. "You have failed me, son!" He finally yelled, and Arvin muttered something that Kortney couldn't hear. Albin stood up from his chair, and smacked his son across the face. Arvin didn't fall from the hit, but the impact made him turn his head. "You are forgiven", Albin said strongly, and then walked away from Arvin back into the keep. The Prince stayed on his knees for a good minute before finally standing up. Kortney could see him cursing as he walked inside after his father.
"Well that was quite a scene", Kortney heard a male voice say quietly next to her. "Or wouldn't you agree, Kortney Caron?" With surprise and mild panic Kortney turned to see Willem Pyke standing next to her, a thin smirk on his pale face. "Oh yes, I heard who you really are. And here I thought you were just a bedslave... a very dangerous bedslave but still just a bedslave. But no, you are a noblewoman... How a lady of House Caron has made her way as a slave of King Albin Manwoody must be an interesting story. Perhaps you'll tell it to me one day."
"How did you find out?" Kortney asked with quiet but strict words. "Oh, I had a little chat with our mutual friend, Tom", Willem answered smoothly, but Kortney shook her head. "Tom the Animal is not my friend", she stated sternly, and now Willem let out a dry chuckle.
"Nor is he mine", he replied with a cold tone. "Anyway, judging by what I heard from him, I assume you didn't get any information about Carsen out of Larry."
"I didn't", Kortney admitted quietly, and Willem nodded to her. "Well, had I not learned the truth about your identity from Tom, this would've been the last conversation between us. However, now I have decided I'll take you with me when I leave this place tonight with Salladhor." Kortney raised her eyebrows, surprised of what she just heard.
"Why?" She asked with confusion, and Willem smirked at her. "Because I'm sure your lord father will pay a good price for the man who brings you back home, alive and well", he answered calmly. Kortney gulped, studying the face of this young Ironborn.
"You... would really take me home?" The thought of seeing Nightsong again, and her father and brother, perhaps Myke too, it felt unreal, too good to be true. "Well, first I'll take care of Carsen, but after that, I'll take you to Nightsong", Willem explained with a thin smile.
"I don't care about what Carsen did to you, so why would I follow you on your journey of personal vengeance?" Kortney asked harshly, and the smile vanished from Willem's face. "Well, I'd prefer if you wouldn't resist, but if I have to I will keep you as my prisoner, until we make our way to Nightsong of course", he answered emotionlessly. Kortney let out a sigh, turning her gaze to the rocky fields around Kingsgrave. "You can't drag me out of here without drawing too much attention", she said with a calm and confident tone, and Willem nodded.
"Perhaps you're right", he admitted with a shrug. "However, the armies of the Fowler's and Blackmont's will be here in a couple of days. And when they arrive, they will set up a siege. So, if you don't come with me now, you might be stuck here for months, perhaps even years. And when the food starts to run out, well, let's just say bedslaves might not be the first priority."
"King Albin loves me, he wouldn't let me starve", Kortney claimed, but this looked to just amuse Willem. "Would you really trust in the love of a madman to keep you alive?" He asked quietly. "I'll let you consider it, but make up your mind quickly – we leave tonight. And remember, this might be your last chance to get out of here alive." With these words Willem walked away from Kortney, leaving her to consider her chances. She could leave tonight with Willem Pyke and Salladhor, and she'd finally be free... except she would at least temporarily be a prisoner of an Ironborn warrior. However, Willem was right about the siege – it would trap Kortney in Kingsgrave for gods knew how long, and it would make Kingsgrave more dangerous than ever before.
[Go with Willem] [Stay in Kingsgrave]
Admittedly it would be a funny instance because Jamison and Jaime do share a couple of similarities with one another but hopefully it is not one that would relate to Brienne of Tarth in any way
She literally went all over the map defeating in battle or even killing most of my favorites. I mean Jaime, the Hound and Stannis clearly all had horrible disadvantages but still it wounds me! Sorry to any Brienne fans for being a baby about it 
Anyway, if Jamison and Dalia do fight though I just realized that the Dayne and Dryland alliance would pretty much have to be finished I imagine.
I can definitely see where you are coming from here and it does make sense but this is also the area where I am holding out the most hope that this theory won't come true. Jamison does not have any kind of belief in any of these gods and I feel like a lot of what put Gwendis where she is now is that she took the initiative by grabbing Aisha'a hand which at least in my mind accelerated the process of this potential Great Other related power that Gwendis seems to have. With the nightmare that Jamison had, he dismissed it immediately chalking it up to being a nightmare and laughing about it if I remember correctly. He has no kind of belief in any of that stuff and at least at this point, I feel like you have to have that belief for it or have a priest or priestess around for it to really take an effect on you to the magnitude that you are speaking of. Of course, I could be completely wrong but I suppose we will find out soon enough which kind of worries me.
Okay you are probably going to think I am insane for saying this but hear me out on it
I don't really think that Jamison is quite as arrogant as he seems on the surface at least in regards to fighting. When I think of full fledged arrogance, I think more of Alester Upton than Jamison. With him, I consider it to be more so just self confidence that he has in himself. Unlike Jaime Lannister, Jamison has never flat out told people how good he is or that they can't compete with him. He is actually pretty realistic about his capabilities for the most part. In a lot of Jamison's parts, people have hyped him up to be really good or the best knight in Dorne or whatever but for the most part he always brushes it off claiming that it is just an opinion. The only time that he really bragged himself up as a knight or a fighter being in his H&L when he was seducing Princess Marleina and the Isabella H&L when he ran down Desmor but he was really only doing that because he was pretty much just telling her what he thought she wanted to hear. And with Desmor, he just wanted to get under his skin a little bit. Jamison more so wants to prove he is the best rather than say it, he is dedicated to proving he is the best knight and he wants to make sure there is no doubt in anyone's minds that whenever they think of the best knight or fighter in general that they always think of him but I don't think he feels he is there yet. So that is apart of why he wants to conquer and he has such lofty goals.
Jamison's personality when it comes to social interaction does have an arrogance and jerk like behavior to it though but I feel like in regards to actually fighting, he takes it very seriously and will give any opponent his best no matter who they are. I feel his biggest weakness is probably when he lets his emotions get the best of him and how stubborn he can be at times. Of course I could be wrong and ultimately Wildling is the true judge on who Jamison's character is and this is ultimately just my opinion. As for Jamison meeting someone that can match him at some point, that is certainly possible but I never see Jamison as an underdog in any fight with myself feeling that very few people can match him and even fewer than that defeat him. With there really being one big one who I know could potentially defeat Jamison but well I don't see Jamison and Vorian ever fighting. Of course I am incredibly biased since Jamison is my character and I would never want to say he can lose
Haha yeah, it is not a very catchy name I know but it was all I could think of at the time
Yeah just like you, my disliking of Dalia primarily comes from how she is a potential threat to my character so no offense whoever created her! 
Dalia is pretty much just a victim of circumstance and admittedly she does have a pretty neat storyline, I am actually really hyped for a potential Wild Suns and Fallen Dragons battle myself which I feel would be an epic battle regardless of who wins. Ultimately though like you said, my opinion will depend greatly on if she interacts with Jamison and even Gwendis in any way and how that goes with them. Ultimately, I still think that this may be a trick and that this fight probably won't even happen... or I am just trying to be optimistic!
Well Wildling, you weren't kidding when you said this was another touch choice. In my mind, this could potentially be the toughest choice of the entire story and if not, it is at least very close. Kortney is very much in a difficult situation here with her potentially either letting herself go into danger voluntarily by leaving with an Ironborn warrior that she does not really know or staying in Kingsgrave where a siege is about to happen and not only would she have to deal with the Mad Albin and his freaks, now they will potentially be starving at some point which is obviously very worrying. So I am going to make a choice and than wait and see what the other readers have to say about it.
[Stay in Kingsgrave]
Kortney has been looking for a way out of Kingsgrave all of this time and while it may not be the best one, it is the only chance that she has. Admittedly, I do want Myke to be the one to find her but with the siege that is forthcoming, it will be next to impossible for Myke to be able to get inside Kingsgrave let alone get her out of there and back to safety. Of course, Myke could tell someone from the Fowler and Blackmont armies that she is inside of Kingsgrave but I worry that if he gets back to Albin, that he would kill Kortney out of spite with it very much being a way that he takes everyone he can down with him which I remember you mentioning that was the big question about Albin at one point. I understand that leaving with an Ironborn crew is certainly not a safe plan either, I have a feeling that Willem might actually keep his word on this. He said that he would be rewarded for bringing her home safe and I am sure he is right on that so I do not think he would damage Kortney anymore or at least to the extent that Albin clearly has but at the same time, I also don't want Myke to lose the chance to rescue her which he clearly deserves. Admittedly, I am still very uncomfortable about which choice is the right one here and i would say there is a decent chance that I may change my vote once I see some of the other reader's votes and their reasons for it.
Edit: Well I forgot about the details of Kortney's dream and Stigz has to be right or at least very close here so I am changing my vote. Admittedly, I was already regretting the choice I originally made since I worried that this just may be an easy way out of Kingsgrave only for her to end up becoming Willem's saltwife instead. While staying in Kingsgrave will be really hard on her, I believe it will be the best chance to save her and hopefully have a happy ending for her with Myke hopefully saving her.
FUCK. The prophecy, it's call coming together, Kortney's dream, the old hand and the scaled hand. Fuck me dead. The old hand being too far away, meaning Myke is too far away to be of any help, and Kortney choosing Willem's hand will only resolve in something bad for her. I know this, but will it be worse for her to remain in Kingsgrave? Suppose the siege does go on for months, and Kortney somehow manages to survive (likely through forceful conflict). Will she truly stand a chance with the Fowler's and Blackmont's crashing through the gates? Perhaps, if Myke is there, and that's my only safe bet that I can go with here. Holding out for Myke, who could side with the Blackmont's, is the only good option I can see here. We know Kortney is a survivor, she's fought for her life before, she can do it again. I will not trust this Ironborn scum which I swear is the scaly hand in her dream. If there's one thing we know about dreams, they usually come to light in NW. So I say [Stay in Kingsgrave]. It's a bold and very difficult decision to make, but I feel it could have a brighter outcome than pairing up with this Ironborn shit.
Ooooh, this is one of the times where I am glad I did not vote right before heading to bed yesterday in the evening, because initially I would have voted to go with Willem. Hell, in fact I was convinced this choice would be so logical that it would win for sure. When realizing that there are two votes to stay in Kingsgrave, I was even willing to bring up additional arguments as to why I feel that going with Willem is the only good choice here. I mean, we're talking about a way out of Kingsgrave here! She has reclaimed her identity, now she is in terrible danger at the court an needs to escape before the freaks or Albin notice something off about her. Willem's offer sounds amazing, right?
Then I continued to think about it and about the arguments brought up. And I realized how horribly wrong I have most likely been. Here's the thing, I trust Willem. I fully believe that he has every intention to eventually bring Kortney back to Nightsong, because what else would he to with her? At this point, she is still a broken, unstable mess, far from salt wife material. And if he plans on selling her, well, no one will pay better than her father. So, I fully believe him that he wants to bring her back home, if only for the reward he will get. This almost motivated me to choose to go with him. But here comes the problem: I don't think he can do it.
You see, at first I did not think that he is the scaly hand Kortney saw in her dream. I am still not fully convince, but the theory has grown on me. And given what we know about dreams in NW, it is that they occasionally show something that might happen in the future, something we might get to influence or prepare for through our votes. I believe that Willem wants to get Kortney home, but he is likely valuing his own life more than hers, unlike a certain Ser Myke. So, I bet if she accepts his help, he will try to get her out of Kingsgrave, but he will fail and either be imprisoned alongside her, or forced to leave her to escape. In any way, this would prove to Albin and his freaks that she is no longer Missy and this in turn would mean that her torture would start again from the very beginning. And this time, I doubt she will be able to get through this. Whatever is left of Kortney would be gone by the time Myke finds her. No, she very much has only one chance to escape and she must succeed without alerting Albin that she has shaken off his hold on her. The dream, if truly hinting at Willem, clearly shows that she will not succeed if she puts her trust in him, that she will fall and that it will be too late for Myke to save her then.
It is a risk, but I think the Blackmont/Fowler siege if Kingsgrave will give her a chance. Albin and his men will be far too busy to put extensive amount of thought into her, she will be basically invisible and it will give Myke a chance to get into the castle together with the attackers, or maybe to sneak into it during the siege. With Willem most likely being a false hope, a route that is doomed to fail, Myke is very much the only hope she has, as unlikely as it is. Sure is, she cannot remain in Kingsgrave for much longer, or else she is going to lose what she just reclaimed, probably permanently this time. She has to get out of there, but I am not willing to risk the one chance she has on Willem, who, for all his good intentions, doesn't really seem like a guy with a plan. So, with a very heavy heart, I choose to [Stay in Kingsgrave]
I didn't know exactly which to pick when I read the part. I can see why one may decide to go with Willem, but the others have made good points for staying in Kingsgrave. I'll decide to go with the majority and say [Stay in Kingsgrave]. I hope this choice won't hurt her in the long run.
[Go with Willem]
Voting is closed!
And Kortney will stay in Kingsgrave. Well, I was certainly interested to see how this would go, though I could guess you'd choose this after Stigz's reminder of that dream from Chapter 1
Anyway, whether or not going with Willem would've been dangerous, staying in Kingsgrave certainly has its risks.
The next part will be a Nealia PoV, and I should get it done in a day or two. The last time we saw Nealia, she along with the Rose Company and Corren's men arrived to the eastern Dorne, where they met with Jabar, who is now taking them to the Greenblood, where Ser Byrron Granit is waiting for them. At the end of the last part, Nealia had a moment with Lien. As Lien tried to get intimate with her, Nealia remembered how Ying had urged her not to pursue a romance with her twin sister. Nealia hadn't made promises to Ying, but she still felt a bit uncomfortable about going against her wish. As she started to explain this, Lien demanded to know what had her sister said to Nealia, and you voted for her to reveal it.
Anyway, next week will be a bit slower with the story, as my schedule is very full. In fact, I won't be able to do any writing at all on Monday and Tuesday, and probably very little on Wednesday as well. So, after this Nealia part there will most likely be almost a week's wait for the next part, which I apologize for. However, in May my pace with the story should be getting much faster
Nealia
"Ying... well, she doesn't like the idea of you and me together", Nealia said with an awkward tone, and she could see the disappointment in Lien's eyes. "So, she forbid you to be close to me?" She asked, and while her voice was emotionless, her eyes were filled with anger and sadness.
"She did try to make me promise that I wouldn't... pursue anything further with you", Nealia explained quietly, and Lien turned her gaze down. "And did you promise that to her?" She asked with a frustrated sigh.
"No, I didn't," Nealia answered quickly, "because I thought making such promises behind your back... it would've been disrespectful towards you." Lien nodded to her words, staying quiet for a moment. "I'm glad you didn't", she finally said, now looking Nealia to the eyes again. "I understand Ying just wants to protect me, but she can't decide what I do with my life." Nealia nodded in agreement, and for a moment they stood there in silence.
"Thank you, for being honest", Lien finally said with a gulp. "We should talk more later... I need some rest now."
"I understand", Nealia replied with a warm smile. "Good night, Lien", she added softly, and the YiTish woman flashed her a smirk, before walking back to the camp. Nealia stayed for a while longer, gazing at the stars with dreamy eyes, thinking about her family.
-
Next day they continued their journey north, towards the Greenblood. The day was just as unbearably hot as the last one, which clearly slowed down their small army. Nonetheless, they managed to avoid any hostile forces, and more than an hour before the sunset they could see the Greenblood in front of them. The lands around the river were slightly more verdant, though the dryness of the hot summer could be seen here as well. The river was flowing rapidly, but it was easy to see that it ran lower than usually. The same happened every summer for Torrentine as well, as Nealia remembered from her childhood.
They camped to the shore of the river for that night. Nealia spent the evening with Lien, Ying and Manda, though the atmosphere was tense. Apparently Lien and Ying had argued earlier, and it was easy to see that Ying was angry with Nealia. Lien on the other hand kept snapping at her sister. Manda and Nealia both stayed out of the arguments, but it's safe to say none of them was having particularly good time.
The next morning they continued their journey, following the Greenblood to east. It didn't take many hours of travel before they found the army of Ser Byrron Granit, which had a large camp erected on the riverbank. Though the camp wasn't quite as organized as one of a professional army would be, Nealia had to admit this force was larger than she had expected. By a quick estimation, she figured there had to be more than five-hundred men here. And now with the addition of the Rose Company and Corren's men, it raised to more than six hundred. Nealia didn't know how big the force that attacked from the sea would be, but she was starting to think this army could actually succeed at taking Lemonwood. It won't be easy though.
"Quite impressive", Tryden Flowers said to Jabar, who gave him a stern nod. "Tryden, Corren, come with me, Ser Byrron is waiting for you", the dark skinned warrior said with his deadpan tone, and so the three of them started to approach the tent that clearly belonged to the leader of the army.
Meanwhile, Illor approached Nealia and Manda, who had just dismounted their horses. "So, what do you think?" He asked with a small smirk, and Nealia shrugged lazily. "This should be enough... my only question is, are these men disciplined enough?" She spoke with skeptical tone, eyeing around the camp as they walked.
"That is my biggest concern as well", Illor admitted with a sigh. "These men are mostly bandits and pirates... good at terrorizing villages perhaps, but I'm yet to be convinced they got what it takes to conquer a fortified stronghold."
"At least they should have experience in fighting", Manda remarked calmly, "The armies of noblemen have their knights and well-trained soldiers, that's true, but the bulk of them are still just peasants who are holding a weapon for the first time in their life." Nealia and Illor both nodded in agreement to the Summer Islanders words.
As the Rose Company were starting to put up their camp, Nealia spotted Lien and Ying conversing with a very colorful group of people at the beach. There was a very tall and bald man, probably on his late thirties. His skin was pale, and he was dressed in white and grey clothes, carrying in his hands a helmet that looked like the head of an elephant. On the man's scabbard was hanging a scimitar with a pale white handle, and if Nealia saw correctly, the blade was Valyrian steel.
However, right next to this tall and pale man was even more interesting sight – a woman who was even taller than this man. In fact, she had to be the tallest person Nealia had ever seen, standing over seven feet high and towering everyone around her. The woman was much younger than the man, probably only few years older than Nealia. She was lean, her skin was slightly tanned, her black hair was tied on a ponytail, and she was clad in a simple leather armor. The look on the tall woman's wide golden eyes was calm and reserved.
Then there was a young and bald woman, with fair skin and pleasant facial features. Next to her tall companions, she looked very short, but in truth she was actually a bit taller than Nealia. The young warrior woman was carrying an axe, and there was also an axe embroidered to the chest of her leather armor. She was the one mostly talking to Lien and Ying, with an enthusiastic look on her eyes. They must've met before, Nealia figured.
Lastly, there was a man who was clearly the oldest of this odd little group. He had to be at least on his late forties, though since he was a Valyrian, it was somehow hard to tell. He had a long silver hair, not so different from King Vorian's, but he also had a long silver beard, which he kept stroking as he listened to the bald girl talking. His purple eyes had a sharp look on them, and his lips formed a soft smirk.
"Oh, it's the White Elephant's crew", Nealia heard Manda say behind her with a joyful tone. "White Elephant?" She asked with a chuckle, and Manda nodded. "Yes, he is the one with the funny helmet", she explained with a small smile on her face.
"And how do you know these people?" Nealia asked with genuine interest, and Manda let out a sigh. "We fought alongside them on Myr, over a year ago", she answered, and Nealia could hear from her voice that the memory wasn't pleasant.
"I remember Lien mentioning about that... she said you lost the battle", Nealia spoke with careful and soft tone, and Manda nodded. "Indeed... We lost many friends that day, though it seems White Elephant and his friends are still alive and well." With these words, Nealia and Manda decided to approach the odd bunch.
"Nealia, Manda, come here!" Lien quipped with a cheerful tone as she saw them getting closer. "Everyone, this is Nealia Sand, the bastard daughter of Vorian Dayne, the King of Torrentine", Lien introduced her with an enthusiastic tone, while Ying just gave her a cold glare. "And you all probably remember Manda", she added with a smile.
"How could I forget such a great warrior", the White Elephant said with his very deep voice, before turning his eyes to Nealia. "And it is a pleasure to meet royalty of this land", he said calmly, offering his hand for Nealia, and as she grabbed it he continued, "I am the White Elephant, leader of this small group."
"Nice to meet you", Nealia said politely as their hands disconnected. She now glanced at the other members of the group, and the bald girl was quick to speak up. "Hello! My name is Sarina Tyrosos, though some call me the Bald Beauty", she introduced herself with a cheerful tone. "I'm not sure if it's just a joke, or if they really think I'm beautiful, but I take it as a compliment anyway!" Nealia was a bit stunned by the vivacity of the girl, and could only answer with a small nod. "I'm from Norvos, that is why I shave my head, to honor my heritage", Sarina continued. "Anyway, it's a pleasure to meet you – if you're friends with Lien, Ying and Manda then you must be a good person."
"I hope so", Nealia answered with an awkward chuckle, which made Sarina grin. As Nealia turned to look at the tall woman, she had to tilt her head backwards. "Hello, I am Jinora Ling, from the Island of Leng", the tall woman introduced herself with a quiet and calm voice, and Nealia gave her a respectful nod, before turning to the Valyrian.
"Gauron Aerarys is my name, and I am an explorer", the man said with a smooth voice. "It's a pleasure to meet you all", Nealia said once more, her gaze traveling from Gauron, to Jinora, to Sarina, and finally to the White Elephant. "As Lien said, I am Nealia Sand, bastard of Starfall. I've known these three less than a month now, but they have all been very kind to me."
"I can imagine that", the White Elephant replied softly. "Lien, Ying and Manda are amazing persons, and it is an honor to fight alongside them once again."
"By the way, is Edric Thorne still part of your group?" Lien asked with a curious tone, and the White Elephant gave her a nod. "Indeed, but he is now in the tent with Ser Byrron and the other leaders", he explained.
"Shouldn't you be there as well?" Ying asked sharply, and the White Elephant shrugged. "Perhaps, but I figured Ser Edric is better at handling these people, since he is from Westeros himself", the bald man responded with a carefree tone, a nonchalant look on his grey eyes. "Anyway, I was about to go for a little scouting route to the east with Jinora, any of you care to join?"
"I'll come", Manda answered immediately. After that, Sarina spoke up. "Or, if you'd prefer less boring company, you could come for a drink with me and Gauron", the Bald Beauty quipped with a smirk. Lien approached her with a smile. "I could use a drink", she said, now looking at her sister. "And you, sis?" She asked, though her tone was a bit less cheerful than usually.
"I don't feel like drinking right now", Ying answered sternly, "I think I'll go for the scouting." Lien turned her eyes to Nealia next. "What about you, Nealia?" She asked softly, a hint of flirting in her mismatched eyes. Nealia let out a sigh, she wasn't really sure what to do. Some wine could do good before marching to war, but Nealia was unsure if it was wise to be so close with Lien, knowing it could have a negative effect on the relationship of the twins. Perhaps she could make a compromise, and spend the evening with Illor instead. Tryden is surely going to be planning the coming battle with Ser Byrron the whole night, so Illor could probably use some company.
[Go scouting with the White Elephant, Jinora, Ying and Manda] [Go for a drink with Lien, Sarina and Gauron] [Spend the evening with Illor]
[Spend the evening with Illor]
Going scouting will cause even more tension between Nealia and Ying. Going drinking with Lien may cause the sisters to fight even more. The best thing we can do is spend the evening with Illor. He is the only one not doing anything, and he is alone. He needs to spend time with a good friend.
Hm, took me a bit to decide here, since I have struggled between all three of these options. A part of me wanted to go drinking with Lien, as a big 'Fuck You' towards Ying, but I don't think provoking her would be all that wise. So, I had to decide between going scouting or spending the evening with Illor. Out of these, the scouting option sounds like the more interesting one and the White Elephant is certainly a very interesting character. He's like the sellsword version of the Purple Ocelot in my headcanon now
I would love to see more of him, a lot more in fact and I cannot wait for you to feature him more. I also think that a scouting mission could actually help with the trust problem between Ying and Nealia. I don't think it was all that good to tell Lien about her sister's actions, as it not only drove a rift between the siblings, but also made Ying even more angry at Nealia. Then there is Illor, who has been a good friend for Nealia in the past. He will be all by himself and this motivated me to choose him instead, although I am sad that this won't mean more White Elephant for the near future and might be a missed chance to win back Ying's trust. But Illor is a friend and Nealia should prove herself to be a good friend here, by spending some time with him. So, it is [Spend the evening with Illor] for me. On top of that, Tales is absolutely right, he is the neutral option, who won't change Nealia's standing with either of the sisters for the better or the worse, which is at least not a bad thing.
[Spend the evening with Illor] As the others have said, lllor is alone this evening and Nealia should take a break from being around the twins. In my opinion at least, lllor seems like the closest friend that Nealia has out there and an evening talking to him may be able to relieve some stress on her part. From what I can tell, they have now met up with Ser Byrron and his men with a majority of Efran's army now being here. With Efran, Verro and the rest of the army along with Bjorn and his Ironborn crew ready as well, the battle for Lemonwood will be here soon enough. Nealia did bring up a really good point though. These men serving under Efran are not disciplined soldiers and while they may be able to take Lemonwood, keeping it is another story entirely since at some point the Martell's will come to take it back as well. Ultimately though, most of these men serving under Efran aren't serving him because they believe in his cause, it is mostly about the gold I imagine. While I still think Efran will at least temporarily take Lemonwood, keeping it will be the true challenge here and hopefully Nealia does not get caught in the crossfire too much during the battle.
Indeed, the army on land is ready to march to Lemonwood now, and the fleet should be ready soon enough as well. So yeah, the battle for Lemonwood is coming
And you're absolutely right, even if Efran manages to take Lemonwood, keeping it will be a whole new challenge. And while Efran certainly has his fair share of loyal men who will stand by him, there are also more questionable allies, like Bjorn, Tryden, Corren and so on, whose loyalty certainly isn't guaranteed if things get sour. For example, it won't be easy for Efran to convince the Ironborn to continue following him after they've got to raid the city. After all, beyond the loot, why would they care if Efran succeeds in keeping Lemonwood or not?
Glad people liked my character The White Elephant
How can I publish the story of my other character Gauron Aerarys?
I would love to see how Naelia interacts with the characters I created so [Go for a drink with Lien, Sarina and Gauron] since Gauron and Sarina are my favorite characters I created. No hard feelings if everyone else thinks otherwise.
If you have an idea for a Histories & Lore -part (some kind of sidestory/glimpse to the character's past) for any of your characters, or you already have one written, just send me a private message about it and we can discuss it further
How can I send the private message since this is my first time commenting on this site?
Just go to my profile, and there should be an option for "private discussion". I can send you one first though, which should then appear on your feed, and you can then answer to it.
This is so true. Thinking about it, Bjorn Harlaw and his Ironborn really are a massive wildcard here. I mean there is a chance that they may just go in there and completely sack Lemonwood if they can which may not be good for Efran. I would imagine Efran would want to take Lemonwood with minimal damage to it since he plans on ruling over it and he needs Lemonwood's defenses to be strong just in case the Martell's send an army there to take it back. Really, this battle will be very interesting since like you said, it remains to be seem if any of these sellswords or bandits are willing to actually die for Efran and his mission. Man I am pretty hyped to see what happens there!