This one is very short, but it concludes Isabella's storyline for Chapter 2:
-
Isabella
The court of Skyreach was gathered at the c… moreourtyard, to send off Prince Desmor and Ser Soren Ashford on their mission to drive out the Manwoody forces from the northern valleys of the Kingdom of Stone and Sky. While Ser Soren had already mounted his horse, like most of the troops, Desmor was still standing in front of his father and sister, as well as Princess Dana and little Prince Matthos.
"I have the utmost trust that you will succeed, my son", King Garrison said with a calm and regal tone, and Desmor nodded with a gulp. "Thank you, father", he said quietly, and a thin smile was formed on Garrison's old and wrinkled face.
"I trust in you too, brother", Isabella said with a kind tone, and Desmor turned to look at her, a smile on his face. "Do your duty for this kingdom, and then come back home, safely", she continued, a meaningful look on … [view original content]
This one is very short, but it concludes Isabella's storyline for Chapter 2:
-
Isabella
The court of Skyreach was gathered at the c… moreourtyard, to send off Prince Desmor and Ser Soren Ashford on their mission to drive out the Manwoody forces from the northern valleys of the Kingdom of Stone and Sky. While Ser Soren had already mounted his horse, like most of the troops, Desmor was still standing in front of his father and sister, as well as Princess Dana and little Prince Matthos.
"I have the utmost trust that you will succeed, my son", King Garrison said with a calm and regal tone, and Desmor nodded with a gulp. "Thank you, father", he said quietly, and a thin smile was formed on Garrison's old and wrinkled face.
"I trust in you too, brother", Isabella said with a kind tone, and Desmor turned to look at her, a smile on his face. "Do your duty for this kingdom, and then come back home, safely", she continued, a meaningful look on … [view original content]
I'm not closing the voting yet (especially since it's in a tie and I'm hoping someone could break that tie ), but the next part is almost ready, so I'll just post it today, and close the votings at the same time. This new part is a Nymeria PoV, possibly her last in this chapter, I'm not 100% sure about that though. Anyway, last time we saw Nymeria, she had marched to Redclif with her army, to show her strength to the alleged conspirator and traitor Lord Ormond Bloodspill. Nymeria's army set up a siege around Redclif, and she met with Lord Ormond on the neutral ground between the castle and the encampment, to negotiate. The offer Lord Ormond had was that he'd tell Nymeria everything he knew about the conspiracy against her, and in turn Nymeria would make her a member of her council, drop all charges against him, as well as make his youngest son a squire for Prince Mors. After some consideration, Nymeria decided to accept Ormond's offer, resolving the situation without a drop of blood being shed. This part will continue with them all arriving back to Sandship.
Nymeria saw the small fort of Sandship standing proudly next to the sea, and the new palace that was being constructed behind it. Home, she thought with a pleased sigh. Sure, it wasn't Ny Sar, but lately Nymeria had started to feel like home here, and it felt good to return, especially since they had managed to avoid any casualties at Redclif.
Next to Nymeria rode her Royal Guards, Commander Farrah of Ghoyan Drohe, Ser Boran Sargen and Anaba of Volon Therys. Right behind Nymeria rode General Varyn of Chroyane, and behind him came Lord Ormond Bloodspill, the new addition to Nymeria's council, as well as his young son Cason, who was at the age of eleven. Nymeria was still feeling unsure about letting this man into her home, and she knew Varyn certainly disagreed with her decision, but there was no going back now.
The gates of Sandship were opened to them, and Mors was waiting for them at the courtyard, along with Jaran, Maester Olivar, and the rest of the Royal Guard. Nymeria could also spot Lady Eraehra Galnaris and her bodyguards among the crowd.
As the Princess dismounted her horse, Mors approached her, and closed her into a hug. "You don't know how happy I am to see you again, alive and well", he said quietly, and a smile was formed on Nymeria's face. "And I am happy to see you, my Prince", she replied, as they separated from each other. Before Nymeria continued, the smile on her face. "And as the raven we sent you informed, with me comes Lord Ormond Bloodspill, and his youngest son Cason Bloodspill, your new squire." Nymeria gestured towards Ormond and Cason as she spoke, and Mors approached them.
"It's good to see you again, Lord Ormond", he said with welcoming tone, shaking hands with Ormond, who gave him a bow. "As it is to see you, Prince Mors", He replied with a humble tone. Next Mors approached the young Cason. "You are very welcome to Sandship as well, little lord", Mors said to him with a wide smile on his face.
"Just remember your place from now on, both of you", Varyn spat with a frown on his face, before walking away from the scene. "Don't worry too much about him, my lords, he is just stressed out because these hectic times", Mors said with apologetic tone, leading them inside. Nymeria followed in with the group as well, all of her Royal Guard coming in her coattails.
"This is where we will have our council meetings, every day", Mors informed as they arrived to the council chamber, and Ormond nodded to him. "I am quite familiar with Sandship", Ormond said with a relaxed tone, and Mors chuckled. "Of course, you grew up here a big part of your life after all", he replied, and Ormond nodded once again.
"Indeed, and it's good to be back", the Lord of Redclif said with a thin smile on his face. For a moment they were all silent, until Mors spoke up again. "Alright, Jaran, if you could please take our new guests to their chambers", he requested, and Jaran gave him a nod with a bored expression on his face, leading Ormond and Cason out of the room.
As the door closed, Mors walked closer to Nymeria. "We have a couple of very interesting guests, waiting for you", he said, and Nymeria raised an eyebrow. "And who might they be?" She asked with genuine interest.
"The other one comes from Spottswood, Ser Martyn Santagar. He is a young knight who has arrived here to pledge the loyalty and service of House Santagar to us. The other one, he is a knight as well, Ser Benjamin Told, and... it's probably better if he explains the reason for his visit himself", Mors explained, and Nymeria let out a sigh. She had wished to get some rest after her journey to Redclif and back, and she certainly wasn't prepared for any guests. But the Princess of Dorne has her duties, she thought, taking in a deep breath and nodding to her husband. "I'll go to the throne room, you fetch the guests", she said decisively, and Mors nodded to her with a proud smile on his face.
And so, Nymeria walked to the throne room with Commander Farrah, Ser Boran, Anaba and Maester Olivar following her, whereas Mors made his way to the other direction with the rest of the Royal Guard. As Nymeria arrived to the throne room, she took her place at the throne with the Sun of Rhoyne on it, and waited for the guests to arrive. The first one to come was the young knight, Ser Martyn Santagar, who approached the Princess with nervous steps. Meanwhile Prince Mors took his place at the throne with the Spear of Martell on it, right next to Nymeria's throne.
Ser Martyn couldn't be called a man, he was a slim boy, probably under fifteen years old, hardly strong enough to fight with a real sword. The young boy kneeled in front of Nymeria, staring at the floor with nervous gaze, placing his sword in front of him.
"I, Ser Martyn Santagar, the Knight of Spottswood, pledge the service of myself and my house to you, Princess Nymeria Martell, and Prince Mors Martell, as well as to whoever will inherit you. House Santagar will be yours to command, from this day, to the end of all days", the young knight spoke with slightly trembling voice. "This I swear by my honor, as well as by the Seven Gods."
"You can stand up", Nymeria said firmly, and Martyn followed her command. "The Knight of Spottswood?" Nymeria said with a questioning tone. "Isn't Spottswood ruled by a lord?" She asked calmly.
"It used to be... My uncle was Lord Arthur Santagar, but he died without heirs. So my father, Ser Andrey – may the Father judge him fairly – took his deceased brother's place at the head of the house, but he never took the title of lord, and neither will I", the young knight answered.
"I am sorry to hear you have lost both your father and uncle at such a young age", Nymeria said with a genuinely regretful tone, and Martyn nodded to her. "I have found strength in the gods, my Princess", the boy answered calmly. Nymeria had never cared much about any gods, Rhoynar nor Westerosi, but she gave the boy an affectionate smile.
"We are thankful to have you allegiance, Ser Martyn Santagar", Mors spoke up now, a gentle tone on his voice. "And we vow that you shall always have a place at our halls, and meat and mead at our table. We pledge to ask no service of you that might bring you into dishonor. This we swear by the Seven Gods." Ser Martyn bowed to Mors' words, and walked to the side, making way for the next man to approach the ruling couple of Sandship.
This knight was much older than the last one, being probably on his late twenties. Ser Benjamin Told was a tall and muscular man, with a wavy light brown hair that fell on his shoulders, as well as short beard on the same color. His eyes were dark, and his nose long and pointy.
"I am Ser Benjamin Told, your highness", the man introduced himself, before approaching to bow to Nymeria and Mors. "So I've been told", Nymeria said dryly, as Ser Benjamin straightened his back again. "Yet I have no idea why you are here."
"I have been sent by a man named Edd Prally", Benjamin answered calmly, his voice devoid of any joy. "That name says nothing to me", Nymeria said coldly, and the knight chuckled emotionlessly. "Edd would probably be glad to hear that... he is a spymaster", Benjamin said nonchalantly, and Nymeria raised an eyebrow. "A spymaster?" She asked with a cynical tone, and Benjamin nodded.
"Aye", he responded with a thin smile. "He has spies all over Dorne, including your court." Nymeria let out a sigh, shaking her head in disbelief. "And why would he want me to know this?" She asked sharply. To her surprise, Benjamin had an answer ready for this question.
"Because he wants to serve you, he believes in your cause. He wants to see Dorne united under a strong leader", Benjamin spoke with determined words, a confident look on his dark eyes. Nymeria was quiet for a moment, glancing at Mors, who simply gave her a shrug.
"And why has he sent you here now?" Nymeria asked, her voice now genuinely curious. A sly smile was formed on Ser Benjamin's face now. "Edd's connections in Godsgrace have informed that the city is ready to be taken over by you", he answered, which made Nymeria widen her eyes in surprise.
"What exactly does that mean?" She asked strictly, and Ser Benjamin took a couple steps closer to the thrones. "It means that the daughter of Lord Morgan Allyrion, Lady Esperence, has made sure that once you march to Godsgrace, the gates of the city will be opened to you without resistance", the knight spoke with almost enthusiastic tone. Nymeria gulped, looking at her husband.
"And how do we know this is not a trap?" Mors asked quietly. This made Ser Benjamin take out a letter from his pocket. "Here is a letter written by Esperence herself, where she informs you about the plan for you to take over Godsgrace", he explained calmly, as Nymeria started to read the letter. "If you wish, you can stay outside of the city while it's being taken over, so there is no risk for you. Instead, the cousin of Lady Esperence will be the one to lead the forces, while you can watch it all unfold from a safe distance. And then when it's all done, and your soldiers have secured the city and the castle, you can come in to receive the oaths of fealty from the ruler of Godsgrace."
"You certainly make it sound easy", Nymeria said with a touch of cynicism in her voice, still reading the letter, which said more or less the same things that Benjamin just explained. She handed the letter to Mors, and looked this mysterious knight into the eyes. "And what about this Edd Prally, when exactly will I meet him?" Nymeria asked, and Benjamin flashed him a smirk.
"Once you have taken over Godsgrace", he answered calmly. Nymeria let out a sigh, and turned to look at Mors. "Well, this is certainly something we will have to go over with the council, before making any decisions", Nymeria stated, and Benjamin nodded.
"I understand, Your Grace", he said calmly, as the Princess stood up from her throne. "Thank you for delivering this message, Ser Benjamin", she said as she walked past him. "Now, I'd like to get some rest." With these words Nymeria walked out of the throne room, and made her way to her chambers.
-
Later that day a council meeting was held. The first topic of the meeting was the conspiracy. "So, Lord Ormond, it's time for you to keep your end of our agreement – tell us what you know about the conspiracy", Nymeria said strictly, and Ormond nodded with a small smirk on his face. "Of course, Your Grace", he said calmly. "This conspiracy, in all honesty I know very little of it. What I know is that it begun by some Rhoynar being in contact with several small lords and knights in service of House Martell. Yes, they did come to me as well, which is probably the reason my name has been connected to this mess." Ormond paused for a moment, taking in a deep breath, and Nymeria saw Varyn shaking his head subtly. "Anyway, what I know is that some members of House Bryne are active and important members of the conspiracy, as well as the Knight of Dyfhill, the old Ser Dyron. There are also many merchants supporting the cause, or so I've been told. However, you should know that this conspiracy is led, and always has been, by the Rhoynar, not by the Dornish. I don't know much about them, but I heard their leader might be someone who goes by the name Father Greenblood – whatever that is supposed to mean."
Nymeria let out a sigh, and nodded to Ormond. "Thank you for this information, Lord Ormond", she said nonchalantly, feeling slightly disappointed at how little Lord Bloodspill had to offer. At least he had a few names to give. "If you happen to remember anything more about the conspiracy in the future, please tell. And Varyn, I trust you to look more into this new information." Varyn nodded firmly to the Princess.
Next Nymeria and Mors explained the news Ser Benjamin Told had brought with him, and the council members sat on their seats in silence, pondering expressions on their faces.
"Well, none of you has anything to say?" Nymeria asked impatiently. After a couple seconds Farrah spoke up. "I think you should take this opportunity... once again it looks like you have a chance to further your campaign with minimal casualties", she said with quiet but decisive words.
"I agree with Farrah", General Varyn said with his stern voice. "If you want to conquer the Central Dorne, taking over Godsgrace is the first and perhaps the most important step." Nymeria nodded to the general's words in agreement.
"I agree with the general", Ormond Bloodspill said with a subtle smirk, making Varyn send him a cold glare.
"We can't be sure if this Ser Benjamin, or the man he claims to serve, are truly worth our trust... But we need to make a move on Godsgrace anyway", Nymeria said decidedly, and the council mumbled in agreement. "The army is ready to move, the amount of troops has been increased with our new soldiers from Redclif, and we might soon get even more reinforcements from Spottswood", Nymeria spoke with nonchalant tone. "Some must stay behind to hold Sandship of course, but who from us will stay and who will march to war?" She asked, eyeing at her council.
"My dear, I would like to march with you this time, for I think it would be important for both of us to be there to launch our campaign in Central Dorne", Mors said, looking Nymeria to the eyes, and she nodded to him. "So be it, we march together", she replied with a thin smile on her face. Next Nymeria turned to look at Lord Ormond.
"And what about you Lord Bloodspill?" She asked calmly, and Ormond flashed her a polite smile. "My forces will be led by Commander Edgar", he answered, implying he would stay in Sandship. I need to leave someone to watch over him, Nymeria thought, eyeing now at Varyn, Farrah, Maester Olivar and Jaran. Olivar and Jaran would surely stay in Sandship, but Nymeria didn't trust them with keeping Lord Ormond in line. Farrah or Varyn on the other hand could very well do it. Or I could simply command Ormond to come with us.
[Command Varyn to stay in Sandship][Command Farrah to stay in Sandship][Command Ormond to come with you]
"I am Ser Benjamin Told, your highness", the man introduced himself, before approaching to bow to Nymeria and Mors. "So I've been told", Nymeria said dryly
I see a great number of puns coming from this name, if even Nymeria makes them That aside, I found it interesting what Benjamin told her. It seems that Esperence has it all figured out, with or without Emerson and while I think we made the better choice for him by siding against her, we might have made a really bad choice for the people of Godsgrace, because if Emerson manages to ruin Esperence's plan, he could very well doom the city to a prolonged siege. Ah, I guess Chapter 3 will show us if we made the right choice or not.
[Command Farrah to stay in Sandship]
I have been a bit torn between this option and commanding Ormond to come with Nymeria. The problem is, I don't trust Varyn with successfully keeping Ormond in line. There is a lot of bad blood between these two and Varyn is not exactly a fine diplomat, so there could be bloodshed if these two are left alone without the authority of Nymeria to keep them in line. I don't know if it will be a good thing to have Ormond with her. After all, he might very well be her enemy and in that case, he will be in a perfect position to spy on her, to give informations about her military tactics to her enemies. So, I agree with Nym, somebody has to be left behind to watch over him. And in that case, I simply trust Farrah far more than Varyn to keep Ormond in line without causing any violence. If Ormond is not Nymeria's enemy, then the way Varyn is undoubtedly going to interact with him is sure to push him closer to the conspiracy and make him less likely to give her any valuable information.
Nymeria
Nymeria saw the small fort of Sandship standing proudly next to the sea, and the new palace that was being constructed behind it.… more Home, she thought with a pleased sigh. Sure, it wasn't Ny Sar, but lately Nymeria had started to feel like home here, and it felt good to return, especially since they had managed to avoid any casualties at Redclif.
Next to Nymeria rode her Royal Guards, Commander Farrah of Ghoyan Drohe, Ser Boran Sargen and Anaba of Volon Therys. Right behind Nymeria rode General Varyn of Chroyane, and behind him came Lord Ormond Bloodspill, the new addition to Nymeria's council, as well as his young son Cason, who was at the age of eleven. Nymeria was still feeling unsure about letting this man into her home, and she knew Varyn certainly disagreed with her decision, but there was no going back now.
The gates of Sandship were opened to them, and Mors was waiting for them at the courtyard, along with Jaran, Maester… [view original content]
I see a great number of puns coming from this name, if even Nymeria makes them That aside, I found it interesting what Benjamin told her. It seems that Esperence has it all figured out, with or without Emerson and while I think we made the better choice for him by siding against her, we might have made a really bad choice for the people of Godsgrace, because if Emerson manages to ruin Esperence's plan, he could very well doom the city to a prolonged siege. Ah, I guess Chapter 3 will show us if we made the right choice or not.
Hehe, I actually realized the pun only after I had already written the line. But I liked it, so I kept it in And yeah, Esperence has it all figured out, though it seems she was quite certain that Emerson would cooperate, as her message says the her cousin will be the one leading the attack. Anyway, we'll see how does Emerson siding with Morgan affect the conquest of Godsgrace, but probably it should make it harder for the Martell's, as he has some inside info on his cousin's plans.
I have been a bit torn between this option and commanding Ormond to come with Nymeria. The problem is, I don't trust Varyn with successfully keeping Ormond in line. There is a lot of bad blood between these two and Varyn is not exactly a fine diplomat, so there could be bloodshed if these two are left alone without the authority of Nymeria to keep them in line. I don't know if it will be a good thing to have Ormond with her. After all, he might very well be her enemy and in that case, he will be in a perfect position to spy on her, to give informations about her military tactics to her enemies. So, I agree with Nym, somebody has to be left behind to watch over him. And in that case, I simply trust Farrah far more than Varyn to keep Ormond in line without causing any violence. If Ormond is not Nymeria's enemy, then the way Varyn is undoubtedly going to interact with him is sure to push him closer to the conspiracy and make him less likely to give her any valuable information.
Yep, leaving Varyn to watch over Ormond certainly has the risk of things escalating to violence. Then on the other hand, while Farrah is competent and can be trusted to do her job, Varyn would probably keep an even closer eye on Ormond than she will. And as you said, taking Ormond to the war has the risk of him being able to spy Nym's tactics and methods. Of course, if Ormond indeed is still an enemy, it's likely that some of his troops, and perhaps his son, will do this for him anyway. But that will be second hand knowledge, which shouldn't be as bad as Ormond being there to personally spy on Nym.
"I am Ser Benjamin Told, your highness", the man introduced himself, before approaching to bow to Nymeria and Mors. "So I've been told", Nym… moreeria said dryly
I see a great number of puns coming from this name, if even Nymeria makes them That aside, I found it interesting what Benjamin told her. It seems that Esperence has it all figured out, with or without Emerson and while I think we made the better choice for him by siding against her, we might have made a really bad choice for the people of Godsgrace, because if Emerson manages to ruin Esperence's plan, he could very well doom the city to a prolonged siege. Ah, I guess Chapter 3 will show us if we made the right choice or not.
[Command Farrah to stay in Sandship]
I have been a bit torn between this option and commanding Ormond to come with Nymeria. The problem is, I don't trust Varyn with successfully keeping Ormond in line. There is a lot of bad blood between these two and V… [view original content]
Just posting a new comment on page 33, because (at least for me) it for some reason goes automatically to page 32 when you click the thread, and thus you might miss the new part. Hopefully this will fix it.
edit: didn't fix it -.- oh well, hopefully people notice they are not on the last page when they click the thread...
Yeah, I pretty much agree with Liquid. I quite dislike Varyn but I will rather make Nymeria take him and place her authority over him then letting him do something stupid with Ormond in Nymeria's absence.
Nymeria
Nymeria saw the small fort of Sandship standing proudly next to the sea, and the new palace that was being constructed behind it.… more Home, she thought with a pleased sigh. Sure, it wasn't Ny Sar, but lately Nymeria had started to feel like home here, and it felt good to return, especially since they had managed to avoid any casualties at Redclif.
Next to Nymeria rode her Royal Guards, Commander Farrah of Ghoyan Drohe, Ser Boran Sargen and Anaba of Volon Therys. Right behind Nymeria rode General Varyn of Chroyane, and behind him came Lord Ormond Bloodspill, the new addition to Nymeria's council, as well as his young son Cason, who was at the age of eleven. Nymeria was still feeling unsure about letting this man into her home, and she knew Varyn certainly disagreed with her decision, but there was no going back now.
The gates of Sandship were opened to them, and Mors was waiting for them at the courtyard, along with Jaran, Maester… [view original content]
Oh god, what have I done with Benjamin's surname
[Command Farrah to stay in Sandship]
Yeah, I pretty much agree with Liquid. I quite … moredislike Varyn but I will rather make Nymeria take him and place her authority over him then letting him do something stupid with Ormond in Nymeria's absence.
Hm, this happens rather often to me when there is a new page. I guess we just reached page 33 and there might have been some unread comments on page 32?
Anyways, I just noticed that we had a new part each day for the past couple of days. Awesome job, it seems the end of the chapter is getting closer really quick
Just posting a new comment on page 33, because (at least for me) it for some reason goes automatically to page 32 when you click the thread,… more and thus you might miss the new part. Hopefully this will fix it.
edit: didn't fix it -.- oh well, hopefully people notice they are not on the last page when they click the thread...
edit2: looks like it's fixed now
Heh, I actually have two more parts already done, but I'm holding them for now since many haven't even read the Nym part yet, and I don't want to overwhelm people I'll definitely post those two parts simultaneously though, probably tomorrow.
Looks like I was right about my pace getting faster in May And yeah, we are getting close to the ending of Chapter 2!
Hm, this happens rather often to me when there is a new page. I guess we just reached page 33 and there might have been some unread comments… more on page 32?
Anyways, I just noticed that we had a new part each day for the past couple of days. Awesome job, it seems the end of the chapter is getting closer really quick
This one is very short, but it concludes Isabella's storyline for Chapter 2:
-
Isabella
The court of Skyreach was gathered at the c… moreourtyard, to send off Prince Desmor and Ser Soren Ashford on their mission to drive out the Manwoody forces from the northern valleys of the Kingdom of Stone and Sky. While Ser Soren had already mounted his horse, like most of the troops, Desmor was still standing in front of his father and sister, as well as Princess Dana and little Prince Matthos.
"I have the utmost trust that you will succeed, my son", King Garrison said with a calm and regal tone, and Desmor nodded with a gulp. "Thank you, father", he said quietly, and a thin smile was formed on Garrison's old and wrinkled face.
"I trust in you too, brother", Isabella said with a kind tone, and Desmor turned to look at her, a smile on his face. "Do your duty for this kingdom, and then come back home, safely", she continued, a meaningful look on … [view original content]
Nymeria
Nymeria saw the small fort of Sandship standing proudly next to the sea, and the new palace that was being constructed behind it.… more Home, she thought with a pleased sigh. Sure, it wasn't Ny Sar, but lately Nymeria had started to feel like home here, and it felt good to return, especially since they had managed to avoid any casualties at Redclif.
Next to Nymeria rode her Royal Guards, Commander Farrah of Ghoyan Drohe, Ser Boran Sargen and Anaba of Volon Therys. Right behind Nymeria rode General Varyn of Chroyane, and behind him came Lord Ormond Bloodspill, the new addition to Nymeria's council, as well as his young son Cason, who was at the age of eleven. Nymeria was still feeling unsure about letting this man into her home, and she knew Varyn certainly disagreed with her decision, but there was no going back now.
The gates of Sandship were opened to them, and Mors was waiting for them at the courtyard, along with Jaran, Maester… [view original content]
Nymeria
Nymeria saw the small fort of Sandship standing proudly next to the sea, and the new palace that was being constructed behind it.… more Home, she thought with a pleased sigh. Sure, it wasn't Ny Sar, but lately Nymeria had started to feel like home here, and it felt good to return, especially since they had managed to avoid any casualties at Redclif.
Next to Nymeria rode her Royal Guards, Commander Farrah of Ghoyan Drohe, Ser Boran Sargen and Anaba of Volon Therys. Right behind Nymeria rode General Varyn of Chroyane, and behind him came Lord Ormond Bloodspill, the new addition to Nymeria's council, as well as his young son Cason, who was at the age of eleven. Nymeria was still feeling unsure about letting this man into her home, and she knew Varyn certainly disagreed with her decision, but there was no going back now.
The gates of Sandship were opened to them, and Mors was waiting for them at the courtyard, along with Jaran, Maester… [view original content]
So, Isabella will send the letter now. So, King Vorian should quite soon have this proposal on his hands. Of course, he is quite uncertain of Jamison's current status, so he won't really have an answer for the proposal before Jamison returns, if he does.
And Nymeria will command Farrah to stay in Sandship. Farrah is a loyal and skilled warrior, though looking after fishy lords might not exactly be her speciality That said, at least things escalating to violence while Nym is gone is quite unlikely to happen with this choice
Aaand as I already mentioned earlier, I have the two next parts done already. There are some great H&L's waiting to be published as well, but I think after the next voting would be a great time for those. Now, after this post, I'll give you a Tomas PoV and a Naemon PoV. These parts aren't exactly action packed, but don't worry, the action is right around the corner Anyway, these two parts should be quite interesting in their own right, so I hope you'll enjoy them.
As for recap, last time we saw Tomas, he arrived to Ghost Hill with Forovos Norvoshi, and he was welcomed by his old friend Ser Manfrey Rowman and Ser Garibald of Sevengrace. They took him and Forovos to meet King Levor Toland, the eldest son of the late King Donovar, whom we saw being assassinated at the very end of Chapter 1. Anyway, there was a man named Argim Taler with Levor, and Tomas was less than pleased to see this snake of a man whispering to his nephew's ears. The conversation was heated, but Tomas did his best to convince his nephew that it would be wise to make peace with the Martell's. In the end, Levor was in tears, and Tomas had a chance to take the crown off his head, and you voted for him to do it.
What comes to Naemon, his last part was quite emotional, as he arrived back to Blackmont, only to hear the devastating news that Gwendis had ran away. On his confrontation with Benedict, it was also revealed that all those years ago it was one of the King's sorcerers who killed Queen Valaena. Understandably Naemon was very pissed about all this, and not in particularly good mood at the feast later that day. He was especially livid over seeing the sorcerer Noctis sitting with Benedict at the high table. As Noctis walked away from the hall, Naemon was tempted to go and rant off to him, but you voted for him to hold back his anger and stay at the table. That's where we'll continue with him.
Tomas took the crown from Levor's head, and placed it gently on the floor, looking his nephew to the eyes. The expression on the young lord's face was surprised, but also somehow... relieved. An enormous weight has been lifted off his shoulders.
Tomas glanced behind him, seeing Argim Taler storming out of the great hall. Then he saw Levor gulping, and he put his right hand on his nephew's shoulder. "Don't worry about him, I am here to guide you now", Tomas said softly, and Levor nodded to him nervously. "Now, go to your chambers, I'll follow after you soon, so we can talk about what happens next."
Silently Levor stood up from his throne, and walked out of the hall, as Tomas watched him go. As the door was closed, Tomas walked away from the throne, seeing a wide smirk on the face of Forovos Norvoshi. "I'm impressed, Lord Tomas", the bald man said smoothly as Tomas walked closer to him. "You may have just saved your nephew."
"Let us hope so", Tomas replied with a tired sigh. "Now I'll just have to try and convince him to bend the knee to the Martell's."
"My Lord, are you sure that's a good idea?" Ser Manfrey spoke up, and Tomas turned to look at him. "Your brother, he dreamed of a great kingdom that would one day reach from here all the way to the Salt Shore", Manfrey continued, and Forovos let out a small chuckle.
"A foolish dream", he said strictly. "This house has no capacity for such expansion, nor to control all that land. Ghost Hill is situated between the two greatest powers of Dorne – House Martell and House Yronwood. The wise thing for House Toland to do is not to play kings and challenge these two great powers, but to bend the knee to one of them, and hope they'll survive when the real war begins. And if you are truly wise, you will bend the knee to Princess Nymeria and Prince Mors." The great hall was silent for a moment after Forovos' little speech.
"I'm afraid the Braavosi is right, Manfrey", Tomas finally said, and his old friend frowned at him, but stayed quiet. "Now, I'll go and have a conversation with my nephew." With these words Tomas walked out of the hall. As he walked through the corridors and hallways of the Ghost Hill, he could see the eyes of the guards and servants turning to him as they walked past him. Apparently I still look bad from my time in the dungeons of Sandship, he thought, but continued his way to Levor's chambers.
As he arrived, he knocked gently on the wooden door. "Is it Uncle Tomas?" He heard the voice of Levor asking, and he answered in the affirmative. "Come in!" Levor then yelled, and Tomas opened the door. Inside was not just Levor, but also his little brother Mateo, a young boy at the age of eight. He looked much like his older brother, just smaller and scrawnier. "Uncle Tomas!" Mateo yelled cheerfully, and ran towards Tomas, who closed him in to a gentle hug, tapping him on the back.
"Good to see you, little Mateo", he said with a small smile on his face as they departed from the hug. "Levor says father won't come back home anymore, is that true?" Mateo asked, and the smile vanished from Tomas' face. "Sadly, it is", he said with a sigh, and the despair in the little boy's eyes broke his heart. "But I'm here to look after you now, to keep you safe", he continued, and Mateo gave him a subtle nod, before walking to sit on the bed. Sad, Tomas thought – these boys had already lost their mother few years ago, and now their father too. They need me now more than ever.
"What did you want to talk about?" Levor asked now, a serious look on his eyes. Tomas took a seat next to the small table and let out a sigh. "Future", he finally said, tapping the surface of the table with his fingers, and Levor sat down next to him.
"Argim said our future would be an alliance with the Yronwood's", Levor said, but Tomas shook his head immediately. "Throughout their history the Yronwood's have seeked to dominate Dorne, they don't like having equal allies. Even if King Yorick would let you keep your crown, you'd be his puppet", Tomas calmly explained to his nephew, who turned his eyes down now. "And what about the Martell's then?" He asked quietly, and Tomas took in a deep breath.
"They are the better option now", he said, trying to sound as convincing as he could, despite not being completely sure about this himself. "You say that, but... they kept you locked in their dungeons didn't they? How can you think they are good people?" Levor asked, and Tomas let out a chuckle.
"Had they been Yorick Yronwood's dungeons, I'd still be in there. Or worse, I'd be dead", he said this with a lighthearted tone, but Levor didn't look to be amused. "The point is, they set me free, gave me a chance to make things right, and I have to appreciate them for that."
"But they killed father", Levor muttered, and Tomas put a hand on his shoulder. "I know, and I understand you anger and grief, because it is in my heart as well", he said, letting out a drawn out sigh. "But it was war, and in the end all they did was protect their people. I murdered their people in the name of Donovar, they struck back. Sometimes it's better to let go of revenge, and look for the future. Your father died fighting a hopeless war, but you can live to ensure a peace for your people."
"So, I have to bend the knee for Nymeria", Levor spoke up after a moment of silence, and Tomas gave him a subtle nod. "I know it won't be easy, but it is the right thing to do", he said softly. Levor had a pondering look on his eyes, and for a while he stayed silent. "I'll think about it, uncle", he finally said quietly, and Tomas gave him a nod.
"Come talk to me when you have made your decision", Tomas said gently, standing up again. He walked to the door of the chamber, and turned to look at Levor once more. "Whatever you choose to do, I'll stand by your side", he said, and walked out of the room.
On the corridor Ser Garibald of Sevengrace was waiting for Tomas. "My Lord, there is something I think you should know", the young knight spoke hastily, and Tomas narrowed his eyes. "Yes?" He said with slightly confused tone, and Garibald gulped. "Argim Taler, he rode out of the gates, just few minutes ago", he said nervously, and Tomas let out a tired sigh.
"And where do you think he is going?" He asked, and Garibald shrugged. "I don't know, but he was heading towards west", he answered. Tomas narrowed his eyes, thinking about this for a few seconds. "Do you think he could be going to Yronwood?" He asked sternly, and once again Garibald shrugged.
"My Lord, should we send men after him?" The young knight asked. Tomas closed his eyes for a moment, thinking about this. Technically Argim had committed no crime, but if he really was on his way to Yronwood, it would be better to stop him now.
[Send men after Argim][Let him go]
-
Naemon
It's not worth it, Naemon thought, staying in the table and watching Noctis walk out of the mess hall. He was angry towards all these sorcerers, more than just angry, but there was little he could do about it now. But one day I will drive them all out of here.
"Is everything alright, ser?" Davos asked with a concerned tone, and Naemon nodded to him. "Don't worry about it, Davos, everything is fine", he said quietly, not even looking at his squire.
"Our mission... when exactly will it begin?" Davos asked, and Naemon let out a sigh. "The sooner the better", he said, turning his eyes to Benedict again, who sat now alone at the high table. Then he turned his eyes to Davos. "We will leave tomorrow", Naemon decided, standing up from his chair. "I trust you'll find your way to your chambers", he said, and Malcolm nodded to him.
"Remember Naemon, we're here to support you", the Prince of Starfall said with a genuine tone, and Naemon nodded to him. "I'm thankful for that", he muttered, before walking away from the mess hall.
Quietly he made his way to his chambers, where he collapsed to his bed. As he laid there in silence, grief took over his mind once again. As he closed his eyes he saw Gwendis, smiling at him, laughing with him. But as he looked into those beautiful purple eyes, darkness took over them, and the image of his sister started to fade, to disappear. Her lips moved, but Naemon couldn't hear her voice. I'll never see her again, he realized, and it him so hard that he couldn't hold back the stream of tears coming to his eyes. These thoughts tormented Naemon's mind for hours, until finally he fell asleep to restless dreams and nightmares.
-
In the morning Naemon woke up to his door being knocked. "Who's there?" He asked, perhaps with a bit ruder tone than was necessary. "Ser, it's me, Davos", he heard the answer from the other side of the door. Naemon raised to a sitting position and yawned before answering. "Alright, come in", he said, and soon the door was opened.
By the door frame stood Davos Dayne, looking dutiful as ever. "Morning, Davos", Naemon said with a tired voice, glancing at the window on his right and seeing the sun shining in. "What brings you here?"
"I just figured I should help you get ready, ser", Davos replied with a slightly awkward tone. "Since I'm your squire, and..."
"I understand", Naemon cut Davos off with a thin smile on his face. "I suppose you could help me pack up", he continued, finally getting up from his bed. With the help of his squire Naemon geared up, and packed everything he'd need for this mission. After that, they walked out of his chambers, making their way towards the courtyard.
"Are you nervous about our mission?" Naemon asked as they walked through the hallway, as he noticed that Davos seemed tense and quiet. The young Dayne looked at him and let out a sigh. "A little bit", he admitted quietly, and Naemon stopped in front of him, just before the main doors of the castle. He put his hand on Davos' shoulder and looked him in the eyes. "Don't be afraid", he said with confidence in his voice, "the blood of the Dayne's runs through your veins, you are a warrior." Davos nodded to him, and Naemon tapped his shoulder, before turning towards the doors. As he walked out, he saw Alester, Malcolm and Myle, as well as the Upton troops, waiting for them. There was also his father.
Davos ran off to take care of their horses, while Naemon made his way to Benedict with slow steps. As he arrived in front of him, they both just looked at each other in silence. Naemon's look was filled with anger and disdain, whereas in Benedict's blue eyes was regret and sorrow.
"I trust you with this mission, son", Benedict said weakly, while Naemon glared at Noctis, who stood about a dozen feet behind the King. "When are you going to learn your lesson about these god damn sorcerers?" He hissed, and his father let out a sigh.
"You don't understand...", Benedict started, but Naemon cut him off.
"Oh, of course I don't understand", he spat, anger and disgust in his voice. "Next you'll tell me there is a reason why you do all this, and a couple lost family members, well, that's just a price we have to pay, aye?"
Benedict stayed silent for a moment, turning his eyes down. "I am sorry for all that has happened, for my failings", he said quietly, but Naemon shook his head. "It's not enough that you're sorry, father!" He snapped, loud enough that the troops closest to them certainly heard.
"Your sister wanted us to be a family, Naemon, not enemies", Benedict said with quiet and strict words, but Naemon just let out a cold chuckle. "Well that won't happen, not as long as you keep repeating your same old mistakes", he said with a cold and emotionless tone. Benedict sighed, a wounded expression on his face. Before Naemon managed to turn away, his father spoke up once more.
"Tell me, son, will you ever be able to forgive me?" The King asked, his voice weary and full of grief.
I was actually not too sure if we should go after him. I mean, on his own he is no danger. At the same time, his escape gave me Wormtongue vibes, from that part of Lord of the Rings, when Grima escaped to Isengart and they let him go. He then proceeded to seriously fuck over the people at Helm's Deep by revealing its weakness. What if Argim plans the same? He might offer valuable information to Yorick Yronwood that could, in the long run, allow the Yronwood's to conquer the lands of House Toland by force instead of an alliance. I guess he is ultimately way more loyal to the Yronwood's than he is to the Toland's. So, maybe it will be a safer way to imprison him, even if this would give him a chance to further his schemes at the court and maybe to further poison Levor's mind.
[Maybe]
Well, I am pretty sure the answer is maybe. Benedict loves his son, yes, but I wouldn't outright say that Naemon would just forgive him that easily, even if this choice clearly doesn't mean that he will forgive him right away. This will be a lot of work and it will depend on future developments. Neither would I want for Naemon to flat out refuse any possibility of forgiveness, because if anything, the hope of winning back his son's love might be enough for Benedict to seriously try and become a better man. But this will depend on many things. First of all, there is Valaena. I think he can be forgiven about that, because he genuinely did not know better. The other sorcerer's, for all we know, would have never done this, it was only Syrenho. Now, if he can ever reach forgiveness here depends on two situations, the one with the sorcerers at Blackmont and the one with Gwendis. He is clearly addicted to the magic they offer, but if he wants forgiveness, then maybe he will at least try to send them away. More importantly, I am sure Naemon's opinion on his father will also heavily depend on how the Gwendis situation resolves. Right now, all that was caused was Gwendis running away from home and getting herself into serious danger. That is, if there are no further things that come from the Great Other in her head. But if she will eventually return safely, as long as it might take, then yeah, I feel like Benedict can be forgiven and I guess Naemon would feel similarly. But this is all still up in the air and I must say, I don't have high hopes at least for the sorcerer situation, so maybe is really the best answer I feel comfortable with choosing here. My own opinion on Benedict is certainly damaged and I myself have to wait and see what this all leads to before I can give a clearer opinion on him and wether or not I want Naemon to forgive him eventually.
I must also say, I am seriously nervous by this apparent foreshadowing in Naemon's recent parts. Either you seem to build up a massive tragedy for him or Gwendis (and she's much more likely to be in danger there), or you are building up the reddest of herring's, but after his thoughts in this part, I think it is only right to be nervous about it. Argh, I hope there will be a better ending than that, but with neither of them completely out of danger (because even Naemon is in a bad situation at Blackmont), I see it as quite possible that his bad thoughts will turn out to be correct. For now, of course, they are only this, bad thoughts. Once he starts getting dreams, I will be even more concerned, because as we know, dreams are evil.
Tomas
Tomas took the crown from Levor's head, and placed it gently on the floor, looking his nephew to the eyes. The expression on the yo… moreung lord's face was surprised, but also somehow... relieved. An enormous weight has been lifted off his shoulders.
Tomas glanced behind him, seeing Argim Taler storming out of the great hall. Then he saw Levor gulping, and he put his right hand on his nephew's shoulder. "Don't worry about him, I am here to guide you now", Tomas said softly, and Levor nodded to him nervously. "Now, go to your chambers, I'll follow after you soon, so we can talk about what happens next."
Silently Levor stood up from his throne, and walked out of the hall, as Tomas watched him go. As the door was closed, Tomas walked away from the throne, seeing a wide smirk on the face of Forovos Norvoshi. "I'm impressed, Lord Tomas", the bald man said smoothly as Tomas walked closer to him. "You may have just saved your nephew."
"… [view original content]
I was actually not too sure if we should go after him. I mean, on his own he is no danger. At the same time, his escape gave me Wormtongue vibes, from that part of Lord of the Rings, when Grima escaped to Isengart and they let him go. He then proceeded to seriously fuck over the people at Helm's Deep by revealing its weakness. What if Argim plans the same? He might offer valuable information to Yorick Yronwood that could, in the long run, allow the Yronwood's to conquer the lands of House Toland by force instead of an alliance. I guess he is ultimately way more loyal to the Yronwood's than he is to the Toland's. So, maybe it will be a safer way to imprison him, even if this would give him a chance to further his schemes at the court and maybe to further poison Levor's mind.
Ah, I was waiting for someone to notice the similarities between these characters You see, Argim is not a submitted character, but rather me paying homage to LoTR. Perhaps you've even noticed that Argim is an anagram of Grima So yeah, you're definitely on point with your comparing of the scenes here. Whether that means it's better to stop him rather than let him go, who knows
I must also say, I am seriously nervous by this apparent foreshadowing in Naemon's recent parts. Either you seem to build up a massive tragedy for him or Gwendis (and she's much more likely to be in danger there), or you are building up the reddest of herring's, but after his thoughts in this part, I think it is only right to be nervous about it. Argh, I hope there will be a better ending than that, but with neither of them completely out of danger (because even Naemon is in a bad situation at Blackmont), I see it as quite possible that his bad thoughts will turn out to be correct. For now, of course, they are only this, bad thoughts. Once he starts getting dreams, I will be even more concerned, because as we know, dreams are evil.
Well, I can at least confirm that no connection from the Great Other has been present in any of Naemon's parts. His thoughts in this part can really be explained just by the despair and sadness he feels over this situation, where the possibility of not seeing his sister again is very real. And as you said, they were indeed just his thoughts, not spooky foreshadowing dreams
[Send men after Argim]
I was actually not too sure if we should go after him. I mean, on his own he is no danger. At the same time, his e… morescape gave me Wormtongue vibes, from that part of Lord of the Rings, when Grima escaped to Isengart and they let him go. He then proceeded to seriously fuck over the people at Helm's Deep by revealing its weakness. What if Argim plans the same? He might offer valuable information to Yorick Yronwood that could, in the long run, allow the Yronwood's to conquer the lands of House Toland by force instead of an alliance. I guess he is ultimately way more loyal to the Yronwood's than he is to the Toland's. So, maybe it will be a safer way to imprison him, even if this would give him a chance to further his schemes at the court and maybe to further poison Levor's mind.
[Maybe]
Well, I am pretty sure the answer is maybe. Benedict loves his son, yes, but I wouldn't outright say that Naemon would just forgive… [view original content]
Tomas
Tomas took the crown from Levor's head, and placed it gently on the floor, looking his nephew to the eyes. The expression on the yo… moreung lord's face was surprised, but also somehow... relieved. An enormous weight has been lifted off his shoulders.
Tomas glanced behind him, seeing Argim Taler storming out of the great hall. Then he saw Levor gulping, and he put his right hand on his nephew's shoulder. "Don't worry about him, I am here to guide you now", Tomas said softly, and Levor nodded to him nervously. "Now, go to your chambers, I'll follow after you soon, so we can talk about what happens next."
Silently Levor stood up from his throne, and walked out of the hall, as Tomas watched him go. As the door was closed, Tomas walked away from the throne, seeing a wide smirk on the face of Forovos Norvoshi. "I'm impressed, Lord Tomas", the bald man said smoothly as Tomas walked closer to him. "You may have just saved your nephew."
"… [view original content]
Ah, I was waiting for someone to notice the similarities between these characters You see, Argim is not a submitted character, but rather me paying homage to LoTR. Perhaps you've even noticed that Argim is an anagram of Grima So yeah, you're definitely on point with your comparing of the scenes here. Whether that means it's better to stop him rather than let him go, who knows
Wait... now I feel stupid for not seeing the anagram XD Argh, I thought that was merely a coincidence and it seems I have missed a serious much. Reading back to Tomas' last part, even his description is basically Grima. Aaah, I don't know how I could miss that, that's crazy! Before I just realized this, I considered him to look a lot more impressive, but now I can only see that pale, slimy creep Save to say, it also reassured me in my decision to send someone after him. Though... does that mean that Yorick Yronwood is basically Saruman?
Well, I can at least confirm that no connection from the Great Other has been present in any of Naemon's parts. His thoughts in this part can really be explained just by the despair and sadness he feels over this situation, where the possibility of not seeing his sister again is very real. And as you said, they were indeed just his thoughts, not spooky foreshadowing dreams
Hm, it is as I thought then. Surely, Naemon has a lot of bad thoughts right now, so I guess it's not all that far fetched for him to just assume the worst. Still, I am naturally more than worried over this, because the chance that these thoughts turn into foreshadowing is very, very real. At least the Great Other seems to be content with one Blackmont for now, it seems that Gwendis has something Naemon doesn't.
I was actually not too sure if we should go after him. I mean, on his own he is no danger. At the same time, his escape gave me Wormtongue v… moreibes, from that part of Lord of the Rings, when Grima escaped to Isengart and they let him go. He then proceeded to seriously fuck over the people at Helm's Deep by revealing its weakness. What if Argim plans the same? He might offer valuable information to Yorick Yronwood that could, in the long run, allow the Yronwood's to conquer the lands of House Toland by force instead of an alliance. I guess he is ultimately way more loyal to the Yronwood's than he is to the Toland's. So, maybe it will be a safer way to imprison him, even if this would give him a chance to further his schemes at the court and maybe to further poison Levor's mind.
Ah, I was waiting for someone to notice the similarities between these characters You see, Argim is not a submitted character, but rather me paying homage to LoTR… [view original content]
Wait... now I feel stupid for not seeing the anagram XD Argh, I thought that was merely a coincidence and it seems I have missed a serious much. Reading back to Tomas' last part, even his description is basically Grima. Aaah, I don't know how I could miss that, that's crazy! Before I just realized this, I considered him to look a lot more impressive, but now I can only see that pale, slimy creep Save to say, it also reassured me in my decision to send someone after him. Though... does that mean that Yorick Yronwood is basically Saruman?
Heh, I was a bit surprised no one caught it after that first part And well, no doubt you could find some similarities between Yorick and Saruman, but... well, Yorick isn't a demigod for one thing And he doesn't seek to destroy humans... just get as many of them under his rule as possible
Ah, I was waiting for someone to notice the similarities between these characters You see, Argim is not a submitted character, but rather m… moree paying homage to LoTR. Perhaps you've even noticed that Argim is an anagram of Grima So yeah, you're definitely on point with your comparing of the scenes here. Whether that means it's better to stop him rather than let him go, who knows
Wait... now I feel stupid for not seeing the anagram XD Argh, I thought that was merely a coincidence and it seems I have missed a serious much. Reading back to Tomas' last part, even his description is basically Grima. Aaah, I don't know how I could miss that, that's crazy! Before I just realized this, I considered him to look a lot more impressive, but now I can only see that pale, slimy creep Save to say, it also reassured me in my decision to send someone after him. Though... does that mean that Yorick Yronwood is basically Saruman?
Well, I can at l… [view original content]
Tomas
Tomas took the crown from Levor's head, and placed it gently on the floor, looking his nephew to the eyes. The expression on the yo… moreung lord's face was surprised, but also somehow... relieved. An enormous weight has been lifted off his shoulders.
Tomas glanced behind him, seeing Argim Taler storming out of the great hall. Then he saw Levor gulping, and he put his right hand on his nephew's shoulder. "Don't worry about him, I am here to guide you now", Tomas said softly, and Levor nodded to him nervously. "Now, go to your chambers, I'll follow after you soon, so we can talk about what happens next."
Silently Levor stood up from his throne, and walked out of the hall, as Tomas watched him go. As the door was closed, Tomas walked away from the throne, seeing a wide smirk on the face of Forovos Norvoshi. "I'm impressed, Lord Tomas", the bald man said smoothly as Tomas walked closer to him. "You may have just saved your nephew."
"… [view original content]
Tomas
Tomas took the crown from Levor's head, and placed it gently on the floor, looking his nephew to the eyes. The expression on the yo… moreung lord's face was surprised, but also somehow... relieved. An enormous weight has been lifted off his shoulders.
Tomas glanced behind him, seeing Argim Taler storming out of the great hall. Then he saw Levor gulping, and he put his right hand on his nephew's shoulder. "Don't worry about him, I am here to guide you now", Tomas said softly, and Levor nodded to him nervously. "Now, go to your chambers, I'll follow after you soon, so we can talk about what happens next."
Silently Levor stood up from his throne, and walked out of the hall, as Tomas watched him go. As the door was closed, Tomas walked away from the throne, seeing a wide smirk on the face of Forovos Norvoshi. "I'm impressed, Lord Tomas", the bald man said smoothly as Tomas walked closer to him. "You may have just saved your nephew."
"… [view original content]
Tomas
Tomas took the crown from Levor's head, and placed it gently on the floor, looking his nephew to the eyes. The expression on the yo… moreung lord's face was surprised, but also somehow... relieved. An enormous weight has been lifted off his shoulders.
Tomas glanced behind him, seeing Argim Taler storming out of the great hall. Then he saw Levor gulping, and he put his right hand on his nephew's shoulder. "Don't worry about him, I am here to guide you now", Tomas said softly, and Levor nodded to him nervously. "Now, go to your chambers, I'll follow after you soon, so we can talk about what happens next."
Silently Levor stood up from his throne, and walked out of the hall, as Tomas watched him go. As the door was closed, Tomas walked away from the throne, seeing a wide smirk on the face of Forovos Norvoshi. "I'm impressed, Lord Tomas", the bald man said smoothly as Tomas walked closer to him. "You may have just saved your nephew."
"… [view original content]
Tomas
Tomas took the crown from Levor's head, and placed it gently on the floor, looking his nephew to the eyes. The expression on the yo… moreung lord's face was surprised, but also somehow... relieved. An enormous weight has been lifted off his shoulders.
Tomas glanced behind him, seeing Argim Taler storming out of the great hall. Then he saw Levor gulping, and he put his right hand on his nephew's shoulder. "Don't worry about him, I am here to guide you now", Tomas said softly, and Levor nodded to him nervously. "Now, go to your chambers, I'll follow after you soon, so we can talk about what happens next."
Silently Levor stood up from his throne, and walked out of the hall, as Tomas watched him go. As the door was closed, Tomas walked away from the throne, seeing a wide smirk on the face of Forovos Norvoshi. "I'm impressed, Lord Tomas", the bald man said smoothly as Tomas walked closer to him. "You may have just saved your nephew."
"… [view original content]
Well, the voting hasn't been open very long, but it seems everyone has voted by now and the result is clear, so...
Voting is closed!
Tomas will send men after Argim. This means Tomas will have one more part in this chapter, which should be quite interesting
And Naemon will answer to his father's question, maybe, as in he could perhaps one day forgive him. This is sort of the neutral choice here, so I could guess it would probably win That said, even the "yes" option wouldn't have really resulted in a soft answer from Naemon, since that yes would've still come with some heavy demands on Benedict. Anyway, maybe is still a lot less devastating answer than outright denying any possibility for forgiveness. Naemon will probably have one more part in this chapter, though it'll probably be a short one.
Next up will be a Verro PoV and a Nealia PoV, which will begin the Battle for Lemonwood. Earlier in this chapter Verro was raiding the lands of House Bravespear with Efran and the Thunder Crew, but they returned from that trip back to the ships, and now they are on their way to Lemonwood. The last choice of Verro was a character building choice about what does Verro want to do after this war is over, and you chose him to say that he wants start a new life.
And in Nealia's case, she and the Rose Company had found the land forces led by Ser Byrron Granit. There were also some old friends of Manda, Lien and Ying - the White Elephant and his small crew. However, Nealia decided to spend the last evening before the battle with Illor. We will see her having a conversation with Illor first, but after that the part will take us straigth to the Battle for Lemonwood. Both of these parts should be ready tomorrow
And speaking of Battle for Lemonwood, I have made an amateurish map for Lemonwood with paint! Mind you, this map obviously isn't canon, but it's just something to make it easier to picture the battle, and where all the forces are in relation to each other. So, here it is:
But before we jump into these action packed parts, now would be a great time for some H&L! (wink wink @LiquidChicagoTed )
A hint was taken Though I'll post only one for now and the other one later, maybe when you close the next voting. I guess that will be better than posting two at once.
Well, the voting hasn't been open very long, but it seems everyone has voted by now and the result is clear, so...
Voting is closed!
T… moreomas will send men after Argim. This means Tomas will have one more part in this chapter, which should be quite interesting
And Naemon will answer to his father's question, maybe, as in he could perhaps one day forgive him. This is sort of the neutral choice here, so I could guess it would probably win That said, even the "yes" option wouldn't have really resulted in a soft answer from Naemon, since that yes would've still come with some heavy demands on Benedict. Anyway, maybe is still a lot less devastating answer than outright denying any possibility for forgiveness. Naemon will probably have one more part in this chapter, though it'll probably be a short one.
Next up will be a Verro PoV and a Nealia PoV, which will begin the Battle for Lemonwood. Earlier in this chapter Verro was raiding the l… [view original content]
Once, the farmhouse was likely the home for a family of four or five at least. Now, it served for a far more sinister purpose. It was large for its kind, at least as far as Varyn was able to see in the moonlight. Though only a single story, it had a large barn and stables, undoubtedly for the horses. He slowed his own horse down as he rode across the path to the house. It lay silently in the vast plains that surrounded it and he had no doubt that they would hear him. Without even the tiniest cover in the flat lands, he had no doubt they even saw him. The soldier inside Varyn protested against this reckless strategy. The general ignored him.
Varyn brought his horse to a full stop in front of the house, before he slowly descended from it. Spotting a pole, he tied the reins to it, before he softly stroke the animal's mane. Only then did he turn to the door. By now, he was sure that they were watching him through one of the windows, though only one was illuminated. A single candle stood in the window just next to the door. The sign they agreed to. He had come to the right place.
Carefully, he approached the door and waited, straightening his back. His righ hand reached for his left forearm, as he closed his eyes, trying to ease his breath. He hated to admit it, but a part of him was afraid of what he would find in there. Of what he was about to do.
His hopes were crushed when the door got opened. A familiar face stood there, illuminated by the light of a small candle. The man was tanned, with a short beard and warm, brown eyes. His mouth formed a grin and Varyn reciprocated the gesture. “General!”, he said, as he fully opened the door. “Captain Orik”, Varyn greeted him, extending the right hand and giving the other man a firm handshake.
“Glad you could make it”, Orik said. “This wouldn't be possible without you” Varyn gave him a quiet nod. “I am interested in what you have to say”, he explained. “Your offer was… tempting” Orik smirked, as he closed the door behind the general. They stood in a small entrance room, only illuminated by the light of the candle, as the captain walked through it with three quick steps, to open the door at the other side of it.
Behind it, Varyn saw a more brighter room, the windows closed, several people looking at him through the doorframe. Varyn frowned as he recognized one of them, a pot-bellied beast of a man, with a bushy beard and a near-constant frown on his scarred face. Tamor, formerly the High Admiral of the Rhoynar fleet, now admiral of nothing, demoted to a lower-ranking general. Come to think of it, his presence wasn't all that surprising. There was little love between Varyn and Tamor, a rivalry that went back for decades and eventually turned into a bitter grudge when Princess Nymeria led their people away from their homelands.
As he entered the room, he was quick to count three others. There was a small man, who was sitting to his left in a comfy chair. He smirked as the general entered and twirled his thin mustache. At the other end of the room, behind a large table, sat a young, dark-haired man, slightly on the chubby side. It was warm in the room, but Varyn had the impression that the sweat running down the man's forehead was not only a result of the heat. Behind him stood a man whom Varyn immediately recognized as a soldier. He didn't know the man himself, but he recognized the posture, the position behind what was probably his leader and especially the weapon in his hands, a crossbow.
Other than the unusual inhabitants, the farmhouse looked exactly as he imagined a dornish farm to look from the inside. There was a fireplace, a larger table and chairs, fresh fruit presented on it. Behind the chubby man's desk, towards the table, Varyn spotted a large washing tub, filled with water.
“Prince Varyn”, the chubby man greeted him and only with sheer power of will did Varyn resist the urge to frown. “General”, he corrected him politely. “Garin was the Prince of Chroyane” His straightforwardness took the man slightly by surprise, so he used the opportunity to continue. “Captain Orik invited me to this meeting, though he failed to introduce me to any of you”
“Oh, I'm sure you recognize me, Prince Varyn”, Tamor growled, as he approached him. This time, Varyn narrowed his eyes. “High Admiral Tamor”, he said. “I almost did not recognize you without your ships” This caused the former admiral to clench his fists, though the chubby man quickly raised from his chair. “Mylords, please!”, he said sharply. “We are all allies here, united by a common goal. We are here to plan the death of Princess Nymeria. Foreign invader to some of us, usurper to others”
“Usurper!”, Orik agreed. “Garin's body wasn't even cold when she declared herself as his successor. And a coward, who abandoned our homes. I wouldn't be surprised if she conspired with the Valyrians” Tamor nodded enthusiastically. “She destroyed our fleet, weakening us, forcing us to live in these lands”, he spoke up. “She plans to make us slaves to the dornish”
Both men looked at Varyn, Orik with a reassuring smile, Tamor with a distrustful glare. The general sighed. “Garin is my prince, now and forever”, he spoke. “Nymeria is a foolish girl and her ambition will be our doom”
The chubby man smiled. “Well said, mylords”, he complimented them. “Now, Tamor and Orik already know me, but you, General Varyn, are new to our circle. Captain Orik vowed for your trustworthiness and I agree with him. Your opinion on Princess Nymeria is not a secret”
Orik nodded. “Nobody hates her more than the general”, he assured him. “And nobody will be more valuable to our cause than the general. Without him, the rhoynish army would have perished at Chroyane. Every single one of our soldiers owes him their lives”
“Just like I owe you mine, captain”, Varyn said. “I have not forgotten your valiant charge at Selhorys” He patted the man on the back. Yes, Orik was a friend, perhaps one of the closest he still had after Garin's death. Cautiously, he glanced at the chubby man. “I know what you plan to do and I am glad Orik informed me of it. His report gained my interest”
“Splendid!”, the chubby man explained, before he put a hand onto his chest. “May I introduce myself. My name is Oswyn Bloodspill” The mention of the house caused Varyn to narrow his eyes. “You are sworn to Mors Martell”, he said. “Why would you turn on him?”
Owsyn chuckled. “My family holds no love for the man who married a foreign, landless whore”, he stated harshly and Varyn took a deep breath. Tamor narrowed his eyes. “Have you checked him for weapons, Orik?”, he growled and the captain threw a confused glance at the former admiral. “Are you serious?”, he asked in return. “This is Varyn. Tamor, you know we can trust him”
“Have you?”, Tamor growled, as he glared at Varyn, who met the glare with one of his own. Orik sighed. “Yes”, he barked. “And now, no more of this. Nobody is more loyal to our people than Varyn and you know it!” Reluctantly, under the glare of both, Varyn and Orik, the admiral backed down. “Fine”, he said. “It can't be a bad idea to be careful in these days”
Ignoring him, Varyn turned back to Oswyn. “So, our group is backed by House Bloodspill?”, he asked and Oswyn gave him an enthusiastic nod. “And more”, he promised. “But none so powerful than my family. Mors Martell's decision to support Nymeria and even marry her has given him numerous enemies. Men like myself, who will not stand idle while he is about to destroy us all”
He glanced at the small man who sat next to Varyn on the chair. He was clad in decidedly less lavish robes than Oswyn, yet as he spoke, he still showed a certain culture in his voice. “General, it is my pleasure. My name is Zontar and I am here in the name of several merchants who have decided to back House Bloodspill in this conspiracy”
“A mere merchant?”, Varyn asked. “What would you have from indulging yourselves in such affairs” Zontar smirked. “Peace”, he said. “Stability. Nymeria seeks to end these things” He put a hand onto his chest. “I sell wine from the northern kingdoms, from the Reach and the Stormlands. My caravans pass through lands that belong to House Blackmont, House Manwoody and House Dryland. For now, they ignore Nymeria's declaration of war, but once she starts to pose a threat to them, do you think they would allow my men to pass through their lands?” He shook his head. “And I am not the only one. I deliver my goods to a local inn. The innkeeper depends on my wine to keep his customers happy. His neighbour is a blacksmith, who receives iron from the mines in the Red Mountains. They all buy meat from a man who feeds his cattle on the fertile plains that belong to House Toland”, he explained. “Trust me, it's not only the high lords who disagree with your princess and her actions. Nothing good will come from Nymeria's war”
Varyn gave him a nod. “This is something me and you agree upon”, he told him truthfully. “I tried to convince Nymeria of how futile her ambition is. The foolish girl refused to listen. She deserves your ire. And that is why I am here” He put his attention back to Oswyn. “Once we have disposed of Nymeria and her husband, what are your plans?”
Oswyn smiled proudly. “Naturally, House Bloodspill will take control of the Sandship. My uncle will install my father as its lord and me as its heir. The Rhoynar will need a new ruler, whom they shall elect themselves”, he explained. “Those of you that wish to stay are welcome to submit to the rule of House Bloodspill. Unlike your current ruler however, we will not force you to stay here. Admiral Tamor has expressed his desire to leave, so we shall support him with building a new fleet. But no matter how your people decide, there will always be friendship between them and House Bloodspill”
“This sounds like a noble offer”, Varyn said. “Are there any other influential men who are willing to support our conspiracy? You have me, there is House Bloodspill, the former admiral, a collective of merchants, but you know just as well as I do that we won't have more than one chance to kill her and Mors. We need further allies”
Oswyn gave him a nod. “Oh, we have them”, he assured him. “Trust me, our allies are more powerful than you might think” Varyn narrowed his eyes, as he forced himself to breathe calmly. “Whom?” he asked. This time, Tamor once again glared at him. The former admiral came closer, until Varyn stood directly between him and Orik. And Varyn realized that he suspected something. He had to change his strategy.
“Son of a...”, Tamor growled just as Varyn reached for the dagger in his sleeve. With a single movement, he cut through the admiral's neck, before using the same move to push the dagger into Captain Orik's throat just a second later. The man's eyes widened, but Varyn's expression remained a cold glare. Orik had been his friend, a man who had saved his life. But this man was dead to him, he had died the moment he revealed his part in this conspiracy. For the traitor he had just killed, Varyn felt nothing but hatred.
“What the…!”, Oswyn exclaimed and Varyn knew he had to act quickly now. He jumped over the bleeding admiral, who was on all fours and clutching the fatal wound on his neck. His hand grabbed Zontar the merchant by the throat and he dragged him between himself and Bloodspill's soldier, just as the man had raised his crossbow.
“What the fuck!”, Oswyn screamed, now in a state of panic. In his arms, Zontar began to breathe rapidly. “Oh no...”, he gasped. “Oh gods no...” Apparently, he was quicker to realize what had happened. And he was completely aware of how disposable he was. Holding him as a human shield, Varyn glared at the soldier. “Come on, traitor”, he barked. “Shoot, I dare you”
“What is happening?”, Oswyn demanded to know with a shrill voice, as he looked at the dead Captain Orik and the dying Admiral Tamor. “What are you doing?” Varyn coldly glared at him. “You think you're safe”, he spat. “You think this was a perfect plan, that you had it all figured out, that nothing could go wrong” He shook his head. “You just made one mistake, when you dared to question my loyalty” Panicked, Oswyn looked at his soldier. “What are you waiting for?”, he gasped. “Shoot him!” The man gulped. “I can't get a clean shot, Ser”, he said.
In Varyn's arms, Zontar squirmed. “Please...”, he begged and looked up at the general. “Please, no, I don't want to die! I only wanted peace. Please don't kill me, just let me go, I am no threat to anyone, I promise I will keep quiet about this, plea...” He was cut off when the crossbowman took the shot. As Varyn had expected it, the bolt hit Zonat instead of him, entering the merchant's right eye and stopping when it reached the back of his head. Now, without hesitating, he let go of the corpse, raised his dagger and threw it at the soldier. He felt grim satisfaction when the weapon entered the man's chest, causing him to fall to the ground.
Oswyn's eyes widened, as he raised his hands. “Oh no...”, he gulped and Varyn spotted a dark, wet stain on the man's trousers. “I… I… I… we, can… work something out, I have information...” He glanced at the crossbow, which had fallen onto the desk when Varyn had killed the soldier.
All of a sudden, something unexpected happened. A massive figure raised from the ground, grabbing Varyn at the collar with a roar of anger, of hatred. Admiral Tamor, bleeding out but still alive, pushed the far lighter general against the wall. Varyn was unable to stop the admiral in his rage.
“Traitor!”, he screamed at the top of his lungs. “Traitor! You have always been a traitor! Garin would still be alive if it wouldn't be for you. A coward, a traitor! You should have led your men to battle, you should have helped our prince! We lost the war thanks to you, we lost our home thanks to you and you have the nerve to pose as a hero? Coward!”
For just a moment, Varyn was stunned by the accusations, before he himself was overwhelmed with anger. He raised his hand, pushing the fingers into Tamor's left eye socket, where he heavily squeezed the eye. Bellowing in agony, the admiral's grip got weaker and as Varyn pulled his hand back, he held the eyeball still in his fingers.
Gasping in shock and finally having lost enough blood, Tamor collapsed, clutching the lethal wound on his neck and the far less lethal but far more painful wound on his face. This time, Varyn left the dying man, as he charged at Oswyn. The young nobleman had used the momentary distraction Tamor had given him to reach for the crossbow.
A skilled soldier would have reloaded and fired the weapon by now. Bloodspill however was just finished with the former task as Varyn reached him. He pushed the crossbow aside, the bolt flying far past him and hitting the ceiling, as he gave Oswyn a heavy punch against the throat. The nobleman collapsed, dropping the crossbow, as he clutched his throat, desperately gasping for air.
His eyes narrowed and a terrifying glare on his face, Varyn grabbed the sobbing Oswyn, pulling him over to the washing tub right behind him. “Who else is involved in the conspiracy?”, he growled. With what little defiance he had left, Bloodspill glared at him. “I will tell you nothing!”, he spat and just as he opened his mouth again, Varyn pushed his head into the tub.
He held him there until Bloodspill began to flail around, his arms weakly hitting the wood of the tub and Varyn's body. As he pulled him up again, any sign of defiance had faded from the young man's eyes, as he gasped for air. “Who else is involved in the conspiracy?”, he repeated his question, notably louder this time.
“Nobody!”, Bloodspill tried to claim, but Varyn instantly pushed him below the water again, holding him for a bit longer this time. “Who else?”, he barked and Oswyn was sobbing as he pulled him up again. “Cap...”, he gasped. “Captain Vosk” Varyn narrowed his eyes. “The captain of the castle guard”, he mumbled. “It seems I have to replace him. Who else?”
Bloodspill shook his head. “Those are all I know, I swear, I don't know anyone else!”, he begged, but Varyn knew no mercy. He pushed the young man below the water again and held him longer than before. “WHO ELSE!”, he screamed at the top of his lungs and Bloodspill screamed as well, not in anger, but in naked fear.
“Wait, wait!”, he gasped, between two desperate breaths, before Varyn pushed him into the tub again. “Why?”, he exclaimed as he was able to breathe again and this time, Varyn narrowed his eyes. “Why?”, he growled and Oswyn nodded desperately. “Why are you still loyal to her?”, he asked, as he tried to regain his breath. “Garin was your prince. She is a usurper”
Varyn narrowed his eyes. Without any mercy, he pushed the young man under the water again, but only briefly this time, before he pulled him up again. As he continued to speak, his voice was cold and filled with anger. “Garin was my prince and I would have followed him to hell and back”, he snarled. “I loved him more than you could ever imagine. I will not dishonour his memory by betraying his successor!”
Oswyn's eyes widened. “But you hate her!”, he said. “You criticized her for her decision, you did in in public and everyone was able to hear it! How can you be loyal to a woman you don't even like?” He let out a short scream, which was quickly drowned by the water, as Varyn pushed him below again.
“Loyalty!”, the general roared. “It is the pillar of my life. The one thing I will never give up on. Loyalty to my people and to my princess. It doesn't matter if I like her, or even respect her. She is my leader, just like Garin was. I will follow her now and forever, no matter what she orders me to do. I will criticize her, I will disagree with her, but never, NEVER will I betray her!”
Though Oswyn began to flail around and against the tub, Varyn continued to hold him down in naked anger. “But what does a worm like you know about loyalty, a rat?”, he screamed. “You have no honour, no loyalty. Your life is worth nothing!” Below the water, he heard the young man's desperate screams, but Varyn did not stop. “Loyalty goes beyond personal affection, beyond agreement. Without loyalty, I am nothing. And you…” He pulled him up again. “WHO ELSE?”, he barked.
This time, he noticed that there would be no answer. Oswyn Bloodspill's body had gotten limp. His eyes were opened widely in the fear he felt as he died. With disgust at the dead body, Varyn let go of him and he sank back into the washing tub he died in.
With a sigh, Varyn himself turned around, leaning against the wood. This was it. There would be no other names. If Oswyn even knew any, his knowledge had died with him. But this was not the end of the conspiracy. Varyn felt naked anger rising inside of him as he thought of this. Vorn, captain of the castle guard, would be his next target. The man would confess to the princess and then…
His glance fell upon the corpse of Captain Orik and for the first time in this night, Varyn felt a sting of regret. They had been friends, once. He could never be friends with a traitor, but once, Orik had been a brilliant man, a war hero and a loyal soldier. A man he considered a friend. Even Tamor had been different once. And not for the first time, Varyn had to ask himself how many good men and women Nymeria's war would claim. A foolish war, started by a foolish leader. But even now, he could never betray her. Tamor had been right with one thing. It was his fault that Garin died. And Nymeria was his punishment.
With a groan of discomfort, General Varyn of Chroyane pushed himself up, away from the tub. He sighed bitterly. “There's a lot to do”, he mumbled to himself.
Man, I love this H&L for two reasons. Firstly, it brings a lot of depth to the conspiracy plotline, which will be part of Nymeria's story for quite a long time. And secondly, it really shows what kind of character Varyn is. I mean, I have managed to bring out some of his character traits in the main story, but this truly shows what kind of man he is. Thanks once again, for another great H&L part!
Nymeria's War – Histories&Lore
Varyn of Chroyane – Loyalty
Once, the farmhouse was likely the home for a family of four or five at… more least. Now, it served for a far more sinister purpose. It was large for its kind, at least as far as Varyn was able to see in the moonlight. Though only a single story, it had a large barn and stables, undoubtedly for the horses. He slowed his own horse down as he rode across the path to the house. It lay silently in the vast plains that surrounded it and he had no doubt that they would hear him. Without even the tiniest cover in the flat lands, he had no doubt they even saw him. The soldier inside Varyn protested against this reckless strategy. The general ignored him.
Varyn brought his horse to a full stop in front of the house, before he slowly descended from it. Spotting a pole, he tied the reins to it, before he softly stroke the animal's mane. Only then did he turn to the door. By now, he was su… [view original content]
I am so glad you enjoy it As you know, this one was planned for a long time and I am happy I finally found the time to write it all down! I enjoyed showing things from Varyn's perspective for once, which I guess shows some aspects of him he might not be all that open about in Nymeria's parts. That said, I absolutely love the way you're writing him in these parts as well! And actually, I have gotten the idea for another H&L from his perspective. We'll see when I manage to write it down, but it is something I'll tell you more about very soon.
Man, I love this H&L for two reasons. Firstly, it brings a lot of depth to the conspiracy plotline, which will be part of Nymeria's stor… morey for quite a long time. And secondly, it really shows what kind of character Varyn is. I mean, I have managed to bring out some of his character traits in the main story, but this truly shows what kind of man he is. Thanks once again, for another great H&L part!
Haha I'm glad you like them It sucks since I have alot to say and speculate about especially with what has happened to Jamison and Isabella in their storylines. But I would be all day typing that on my phone Plus I can't really work on H&L's either. Anyway, I am getting a new laptop soon so my long comments will be back soon enough!
Nealia walked into Illor's tent, seeing Illor and Broden sitting there around a lit lantern, both of them with mugs of something in their hands. As Nealia stepped in they turned their eyes at her, and especially Illor looked quite surprised.
"Nealia, I wasn't expecting you", he said with slightly baffled tone, and Nealia raised her eyebrow. "Well, am I welcome?" She asked with a snarky tone, and Illor chuckled. "Of course, just sit down", he replied, and Nealia did.
However, as she sat down, Broden stood up. "I think I'll leave you two alone", he muttered with a clearly drunken voice, and tottered out of the tent.
"What exactly have you two been drinking?" Nealia asked with amused tone, and Illor handed him the bottle. "It's Braavosi rum", he said with a smirk. "Mind you, it's mostly Broden who has been drinking. I merely drink it for the taste."
"Yeah right", Nealia replied skeptically, and Illor chuckled softly. "Taste it if you don't believe me", Illor challenged, "It's delicious!"
Nealia put the bottle on her lips, and took a small sip. It wasn't the worst beverage she had ever tasted, but far from the tastiest. "Ugh, I prefer some Arbor Gold or Starfall's red", she said, passing the bottle back to Illor, who shook his head with a grin on his face. "You and your wines", he said with an amused tone, taking a sip from the bottle himself. After that they were both quiet for a moment, and Illor looked at Nealia to the eyes. "What are you thinking?" He asked calmly, and Nealia let out a sigh.
"Just... what's coming", she said with a gulp, and Illor nodded. "Do you fear death?" He asked with a completely straight face, and Nealia was slightly taken aback by the question. "Of course I fear death", she finally muttered, turning her gaze down. "But it's not just that... I've just started to make new friends, found a new life..."
"That is the risk of this lifestyle", Illor said with a sigh. "I've had many friends in my life, and I've seen more of them than I can count fall in battle."
"Well, that should cheer me up", Nealia said sarcastically, and Illor smirked. "There is not much I can say to cheer you up now, Nealia, a battle is ahead of us", he said with a placid look on his eyes. "A battle that may claim hundreds of lives", he continued with a sigh, taking a gulp from his bottle.
"At least we're paid well", Nealia stated dryly, and Illor let out a small laugh. "At least we are paid well", he confirmed with his deep voice. For a moment they were silent, until Illor turned his eyes to Nealia again. "I'm glad you chose to spend this evening with me, Nealia, it means a lot", he said quietly.
"You've been a real friend to me, Illor", Nealia replied with a small smile. "And if I have to die so far from my family, at least I want to spend my last evening with the closest thing to my father I can find", he added jokingly, causing Illor to chuckle again.
"I'd like to meet your father one day", he said calmly, and Nealia shrugged. "Don't know if that's ever going to happen, but I feel like he might like you", she spoke with a lazy tone.
"Really? An honorable knight like him would like a cutthroat like me?" Illor asked in a joking tone. Nealia raised an eyebrow for Illor's words. "You aren't that different in the end... he was just lucky enough to be born into a royal family", she said nonchalantly. They continued their conversation long into the night, until finally falling asleep, for their final rest before the battle that was ahead of them.
-
They had arrived to the hills west of Lemonwood in the afternoon, and started to wait for the ships to arrive. A Dalt scout who had dared to come too close to their camp had been captured, and later killed after he had refused to speak. Now the sun had already set, and full moon glowed behind the thin clouds.
Nealia sighed, looking at the small city of Lemonwood in the distance, and the bay next to it. The Dalt's clearly knew to expect an attack from the sea, as they had placed four galleys to form a small blockade on the bay. Nealia didn't know how big of a naval force exactly did Efran Sand have, but she surely hoped it would be enough to overcome those four ships of the Dalt's. Now Nealia turned her eyes to the western walls of the city, seeing many lit torches on the battlements.
Suddenly Nealia noticed Ying walking next to her. "Hello", she said awkwardly, and Ying gave her a nod. With a sigh, the YiTish woman spoke after a moment of silence. "I'm sorry, Nealia", she said with a stern tone. "I just wanted to say this, since it might be the last opportunity... I haven't been fair towards you."
"It's not a big deal", Nealia said truthfully. "Just make sure to apologize to your sister as well", she added, now turning her eyes to Ying. "Already did", she replied nonchalantly, and Nealia nodded to her. Then they both noticed something on the bay – seven ships approaching the four Dalt ships. "Looks like it's about to begin", Ying said quietly, and not long after that a loud horn echoed over the bay.
"Form up! Form up!" Ser Byrron Granit started shouting with his rough voice. Nealia and Ying both made their way to Tryden, as did the rest of the Rose Company. Nealia saw Illor standing next to Tryden, who had his back turned to Lemonwood, to face his own troops. Nealia took her place next to Lien and Manda, as did Ying.
"Rose Company, listen to me!" Tryden yelled, gathering the attention of his troops. "We follow one of Ser Byrron's units, they have the ladders", he explained calmly. "We climb to the battlements, clear those weak bastards from our way, and then we head into the city!" The Rose Company cheered for its leader, who nodded with an enthusiastic and blood thirsty look on his face. "Follow me!" He shouted, pointing towards the city with his battle axe.
And so they started to approach the city, following after a group of Ser Byrron's men who were carrying two ladders. Close to the Rose Company was also the White Elephant, with Jinora Ling, Sarina Tyrosos, Gauron Aerarys and Edric Thorne. As they got in range, Manda along with few other stopped to shoot arrows at the battlements. The makeshift barricades close to the wall were easily overcome, though the volleys of crossbow bolts brought some trouble. Nealia saw a bolt landing on the lower leg of Broden, considerably slowing him down. However, soon the ladders were being raised against the walls. They attacked widely across the western battlements, forcing the enemy to spread their forces thin. Some of Byrron's forces even made their way to the southern walls.
Nealia followed up the ladder behind Tryden and Ying, her heart beating faster and faster as she got closer to the end of the ladders. And then she was there, on the battlements of Lemonwood. She could see the whole city from there, it's dark dusty streets, the town square, the sept, and the castle watching over it all. She heard the bells of the sept ringing, and the sound of fighting all around her. It took a moment before one of the Dalt soldiers finally attacked her. She had both of her swords unsheathed, and she used them to deflect the spear that the Dalt soldier tried to thrust on her. After that she proceeded to kick the soldier on his hands, which made him drop his spear. Now it was an easy job for Nealia to move closer and slit the throat of the soldier.
She turned around, seeing Tryden fighting his way towards the stairs that would take them down to the city. More of their fighters kept coming up the ladders, and the Dalt forces on the wall started to get seriously outnumbered. Nealia saw Jinora take down two soldiers at the same time with her curved sabre, while the White Elephant threw someone down the wall.
As Nealia started to approach the stairs, Lien walked next to her. "Are you alright?" She asked loudly in middle of the cacophony of the battle. Nealia nodded to her, seeing that Lien's blades and clothes were tarnished with blood, though none of it seemed to be hers. As they reached the stairs, Lien pointed her sword towards the battlements near the western gate, slightly north of them. "Looks like our guys need help over there!" She yelled. Nealia looked at there, and Lien was right – clearly the takeover of the battlements hadn't gone as smoothly closer to the gates. However, Tryden had already gone down to the city, and the rest of the Rose Company was following after their leader.
Verro was at the oars in the flagship of Efran's small fleet. Dark Horse the ship was called, and it now sailed towards west on the bay that ended to the mouth of Greenblood. They however wouldn't sail that far, their destination was Lemonwood. Pull, pull, pull, Verro stayed in rhythm with the other oarsmen. This was familiar job for him from his days as a pirate, but it definitely wasn't something he had missed.
The sun had already set, and the full moon glowed behind the thin clouds on the night sky. Right next to Dark Horse sailed the smaller of the Ironborn longships, Lady Vengeance. Behind them came three of Efran's ships, Lady Elise, Bloody Lemon and Hellhound. Lastly, on the rear of the fleet were the bigger Ironborn longship, the Sea Reaper, as well as the smallest of Efran's ships, the Blue Flame.
Pull, pull, pull, feeling his arms aching, Verro was starting to hope the journey would soon be over, even if it meant the beginning of a bloody battle. Soon he saw Efran walking past him on the deck, as well as Malanos Vynos, the leader of the Thunder Crew. "I can see it!" Someone yelled, and Verro felt his heartbeat getting faster. The excitement and thrill of the fight would take over once the battle would begin, Verro knew this from experience, but right now all he could feel was fear. It was the first time after the storm that had wrecked his earlier life that Verro was genuinely fearing for his life. I guess it means I don't want it to end yet.
As they got closer Verro stepped away from the oars, and climbed up to the deck. Not much of Lemonwood could be seen from here, as it was largely behind a cliff that raised high on the beach. However, the harbor and the walls next to it could be seen, as well as the four Dalt ships that floated on the bay, ready to welcome them. "Archers ready!" Malanos Vynos yelled. "We'll be soon within the range!"
At the same time Lady Vengance went past the Dark Horse, charging towards the closest of the Dalt ships with full speed. Arrows started to rain on the Ironborn, who protected themselves with their wooden round shields. Verro grabbed his shield and swords as well, and he saw Efran unsheathing his Valyrian steel sword.
"To victory!" The Bandit Lord yelled, and the crew of the Dark Horse cheered for him, and someone blowed to a horn, which echoed loudly over the bay. Verro gulped nervously, grasping tightly to his sword. It wasn't his first battle, but he feared that it could be his last. "Nock!" Malanos shouted, and the archers followed his command. Verro closed his eyes, raising his shield up and praying to all gods he knew. "Draw!" Verro could hear the warcries and clashing of swords from a distance – apparently Lady Vengeance had reached one of the Dalt ships. "Hold!" He opened his eyes, just in time for the first volley of arrows to hit the Dark Horse. No arrow came close to Verro, but he saw few of the archers go down. "Nervous?" Verro suddenly heard the voice of Nesila next to him. He gave the Myr woman a subtle nod, and then Malanos shouted again. "Loose!" And so the archers sent their first volley towards the Dalt's.
"Infantry to the prow!" Efran commanded, and so Verro and Nesila among the rest of the infantry made their way past the archers, into the prow of the ship. Verro constantly kept his shield up, anxiously waiting for the arrows of the enemy. Now he saw clearly the enemy they were approaching. It was a galley, carrying probably around fifty to sixty troops. Next to it was another one about as large, though that one was under attack by the crew of Lady Vengeance. More to right from these two ships were two smaller galleys, and it looked like Lady Elise and Bloody Lemon were approaching those, while the Hellhound was following after Lady Vengeance.
"Shields up, volley coming!" Verro heard the voice of Malanos yelling, and he immediately raised his shield above his head. And soon, he felt an arrow dashing against it, and another landing on the deck right next to his left foot.
"Ready for impact!" Efran yelled, and couple seconds after that they rammed against the enemy ship, while their archers sent another volley towards the enemy. "Charge!" Efran screamed, and Nesila was among the first to rush to the deck of the enemy ship. Efran wasn't much after her. Verro took in a deep breath, and screamed as he started to charge towards the enemy. As he jumped over the edge to the Dalt ship, he noticed how crowded it was. The fighting was going on, but there was hardly room to swing a sword. Thus much of the fighting had reduced into mere wrestling.
Verro punched the first Dalt soldier he saw to the face with his shield, sending him stumbling backwards. The soldier sinked into the crowd, and Verro turned to face the next one. This one he manage to slash with his sword. These soldiers were very lightly armored, probably in the fear that they would fall from the ship, so one slash was enough to cut them open.
Verro advanced further to the deck of the ship, following after Nesila, who took down Dalt troops left and right. The ship was filled with the clashing of steel and screams of agony, and blood streamed on the wooden surface of the deck. Many were pushed to the sea, and even more cut down to bleed to death on the deck.
As the last Dalt men jumped to the sea, Efran's men erupted to chanting and cheering for the successful takeover of the ship. After a moment they calmed down, to observe who had survived and who had fallen. Verro noticed quickly that among the fallen was Malanos Vynos. Efran noticed this as well, and looked to be angered by it. However, the Bandit Lord quickly made his way to the bow of the ship, raising his shining sword up. "The battle is far from over, brothers and sisters!" He yelled, and the men nodded and mumbled in agreement. "Now, dump the dead to the sea, and get ready for landing. We will take the longboats and row to the harbor, and take it over!" He yelled, once again receiving cheers from the soldiers.
Verro could see fighting on the other ships still going on. And as he looked behind, he saw the Sea Reaper and the Blue Flame landing on the beach next to the harbor. Then Verro turned his gaze on his sword, seeing the fresh blood running down the blade.
"Hey, little help here!" Nesila's yell woke Verro from his thoughts, and he turned his eyes to see the Myr woman dragging a sizable body towards the edge. Verro went quickly to help, and together they tossed the body to the sea. "Good to see you survived", Nesila said with a mild grin, and Verro let out a sigh. "It's not my first battle", he replied quietly, and Nesila nodded. "I know, but look at Malanos – he had likely fought in over a hundred battles before this one, and yet he fell", she spoke with serious words, and Verro gulped. "All I'm saying is... stay sharp out there." With these words Nesila went to help someone else with the bodies.
Soon they lowered down the longboats, and started to row towards the harbor. In the dim moonlight Verro could see units of spearmen waiting for them at the shore, and once again his heart started to beat faster. As they got closer to the harbor, they started screaming their battlecries, and the Dalt men answered in their screaming.
Then they reached the harbor, and raised to the harbor that was paved with polished stone. The spearmen charged against them, trying to push them back to the sea. And in many cases they were successful, as many of Efran's men were either penetrated by the spears, or simply pushed to the sea or the boats that they had just raised from. Verro however managed to dodge the spear that was meant for him, and he slammed the spear with his sword, disarming the spearman. That particular soldier retreated, but Verro slammed himself against the next one, thrusting his sword under the man's half helm, causing him to scream in agony and fall on his knees.
Nonetheless, they were in trouble, as the line of spearman didn't seem to stand down, but rather kept pushing them back to the sea. However, reinforcements arrived soon, as the Ironborn crew of Lady Vengeance came to the harbor. The Ironborn fought like madmen, charging against the spearmen with their axes and screaming from the bottom of their lungs. Many of them fell, but more importantly, they managed to break the lines of the enemy, scattering their forces and making them retreat towards the gate of the harbor.
"Hold it!" Efran shouted, as some of his men were about to chase after the retreating men. "Let them go! The Hellhound should bring a ram and some ladders. Now, dump the dead to the sea, and raise some of the longboats ashore, so we can use them to protect the ram."
Verro could now hear the bells from inside the city, and he could see the castle of Lemonwood standing above the town. Slightly to the east Verro could see the crews of the Sea Reaper and the Blue Flame getting up the walls of the city with grappling hooks. Sounds of fighting could also be heard from the western battlements of the city.
After a few minutes Hellhound's crew arrived, with them a ram and few ladders, as well as grappling hooks. Meanwhile the Dalt troops that had been defending the harbor had retreated back inside the walls, and the gate had been closed behind them.
"We need more men for the ram!" Verro heard the voice of Nesila. He was about to go there already, but then he heard Efran's voice from the left. "More men for the ladders!" He yelled. Verro looked at the ram and the ladders, wondering which one should he go for.
Man, the battle has finally started, and is awesome. Still...any bad choice could condemn a character we like, any way. [Follow Lien]
I think is more important to ensure their men finish that resistance before going full force at the castle. [Go for the ram]
A ram is a very important thing to break through a castle, I don't know if the defenders have oils or big rocks, and being in the ladders leaves you more exposed.
Just my opinion.
Verro
Verro was at the oars in the flagship of Efran's small fleet. Dark Horse the ship was called, and it now sailed towards west on the… more bay that ended to the mouth of Greenblood. They however wouldn't sail that far, their destination was Lemonwood. Pull, pull, pull, Verro stayed in rhythm with the other oarsmen. This was familiar job for him from his days as a pirate, but it definitely wasn't something he had missed.
The sun had already set, and the full moon glowed behind the thin clouds on the night sky. Right next to Dark Horse sailed the smaller of the Ironborn longships, Lady Vengeance. Behind them came three of Efran's ships, Lady Elise, Bloody Lemon and Hellhound. Lastly, on the rear of the fleet were the bigger Ironborn longship, the Sea Reaper, as well as the smallest of Efran's ships, the Blue Flame.
Pull, pull, pull, feeling his arms aching, Verro was starting to hope the journey would soon be over, even if it meant the … [view original content]
Verro
Verro was at the oars in the flagship of Efran's small fleet. Dark Horse the ship was called, and it now sailed towards west on the… more bay that ended to the mouth of Greenblood. They however wouldn't sail that far, their destination was Lemonwood. Pull, pull, pull, Verro stayed in rhythm with the other oarsmen. This was familiar job for him from his days as a pirate, but it definitely wasn't something he had missed.
The sun had already set, and the full moon glowed behind the thin clouds on the night sky. Right next to Dark Horse sailed the smaller of the Ironborn longships, Lady Vengeance. Behind them came three of Efran's ships, Lady Elise, Bloody Lemon and Hellhound. Lastly, on the rear of the fleet were the bigger Ironborn longship, the Sea Reaper, as well as the smallest of Efran's ships, the Blue Flame.
Pull, pull, pull, feeling his arms aching, Verro was starting to hope the journey would soon be over, even if it meant the … [view original content]
She should help their struggling comrades. They can go down and help with the city's takeover afterwards.
[Go for the ram]
The ram is highly important in order for the siege of the castle to be successful. There needs to be enough strong people to operate it. Plus, I'm sure a lot of men are going for the ladders anyways since Efran just said they need more there. We need to make sure the ram has enough people to operate it.
Verro
Verro was at the oars in the flagship of Efran's small fleet. Dark Horse the ship was called, and it now sailed towards west on the… more bay that ended to the mouth of Greenblood. They however wouldn't sail that far, their destination was Lemonwood. Pull, pull, pull, Verro stayed in rhythm with the other oarsmen. This was familiar job for him from his days as a pirate, but it definitely wasn't something he had missed.
The sun had already set, and the full moon glowed behind the thin clouds on the night sky. Right next to Dark Horse sailed the smaller of the Ironborn longships, Lady Vengeance. Behind them came three of Efran's ships, Lady Elise, Bloody Lemon and Hellhound. Lastly, on the rear of the fleet were the bigger Ironborn longship, the Sea Reaper, as well as the smallest of Efran's ships, the Blue Flame.
Pull, pull, pull, feeling his arms aching, Verro was starting to hope the journey would soon be over, even if it meant the … [view original content]
I think Tryden is in less need of help. He has the majority of the Rose Company with him and in the end, Nealia is just one fighter. There is not much she can do to support him. However, Lien has a point with going to the battlements. By securing them, Nealia might ultimately even be of help for Tryden and the Rose Company. If the battlements fall, then surely the main bulk of the company could get flanked, which would lead to massive death. So, I see a good reason there to follow and help Lien, as this might make things a lot easier for the entire company and the battle of Lemonwood. On top of that, I trust Tryden with not putting himself into unnecessary danger, but Lien is clearly not as pragmatic as him and she might bite off more than she can chew if Nealia does not help her.
I also just noticed how absolutely terrifying the White Elephant must be in battle Just imagine that guy with a freaking elephant head as a helmet throwing some poor defender down the walls. I never thought elephants could be scary, but just imagening that scene proved me wrong.
[Go for the ram]
I see both as good choices and actually would have almost chosen the ladders, but to be fair, there is no reason not to choose the ram either. Tales has a point that many will follow Efran's orders, maybe leaving the ram even more outnumbered. On top of that, I think it might be a bit less dangerous for Verro himself, as the ladders are likely going to be targeted far more than the ram.
Verro
Verro was at the oars in the flagship of Efran's small fleet. Dark Horse the ship was called, and it now sailed towards west on the… more bay that ended to the mouth of Greenblood. They however wouldn't sail that far, their destination was Lemonwood. Pull, pull, pull, Verro stayed in rhythm with the other oarsmen. This was familiar job for him from his days as a pirate, but it definitely wasn't something he had missed.
The sun had already set, and the full moon glowed behind the thin clouds on the night sky. Right next to Dark Horse sailed the smaller of the Ironborn longships, Lady Vengeance. Behind them came three of Efran's ships, Lady Elise, Bloody Lemon and Hellhound. Lastly, on the rear of the fleet were the bigger Ironborn longship, the Sea Reaper, as well as the smallest of Efran's ships, the Blue Flame.
Pull, pull, pull, feeling his arms aching, Verro was starting to hope the journey would soon be over, even if it meant the … [view original content]
Verro
Verro was at the oars in the flagship of Efran's small fleet. Dark Horse the ship was called, and it now sailed towards west on the… more bay that ended to the mouth of Greenblood. They however wouldn't sail that far, their destination was Lemonwood. Pull, pull, pull, Verro stayed in rhythm with the other oarsmen. This was familiar job for him from his days as a pirate, but it definitely wasn't something he had missed.
The sun had already set, and the full moon glowed behind the thin clouds on the night sky. Right next to Dark Horse sailed the smaller of the Ironborn longships, Lady Vengeance. Behind them came three of Efran's ships, Lady Elise, Bloody Lemon and Hellhound. Lastly, on the rear of the fleet were the bigger Ironborn longship, the Sea Reaper, as well as the smallest of Efran's ships, the Blue Flame.
Pull, pull, pull, feeling his arms aching, Verro was starting to hope the journey would soon be over, even if it meant the … [view original content]
And so the Battle for Lemonwood has begun! Nealia will follow Lien, and help the forces of Efran finishing the resistance on the western battlements. I can reveal already that it won't be just Nealia and Lien who will go there Anyway, with this choice Nealia separates from her leader. However, it's questionable if Tryden will even notice this in the heat of the battle.
Verro on the other hand will go for the ram. As you pointed out, it will probably be a safer position than the ladders, and the ram has a very important job to do.
On the next part we will stay in the Battle for Lemonwood, though this time we'll see it from Dianna's perspective, as she storms the city with Bjorn Harlaw's Ironborn crew. Should be exciting And the part is almost ready, I'll probably post it within an hour or two.
-
Oh, and this time I have a little different kind of art for you. I have drawn a sort of concept art for Hellgate Hall! Why you ask? Well, mainly just because Hellgate Hall is a location that we know very little about in the canon, yet it's a very important location in this story. Also, try to find any fanart about Hellgate Hall - you'll find nothing. So, here's my little contribution on that, Hellgate Hall, with the river Brimstone flowing calmly next to it:
Comments
[Send the letter now]
[Hold it]
She doesn't have to send it right away. She has time, and she may want to wait till her brothers return.
I'm not closing the voting yet (especially since it's in a tie and I'm hoping someone could break that tie
), but the next part is almost ready, so I'll just post it today, and close the votings at the same time. This new part is a Nymeria PoV, possibly her last in this chapter, I'm not 100% sure about that though. Anyway, last time we saw Nymeria, she had marched to Redclif with her army, to show her strength to the alleged conspirator and traitor Lord Ormond Bloodspill. Nymeria's army set up a siege around Redclif, and she met with Lord Ormond on the neutral ground between the castle and the encampment, to negotiate. The offer Lord Ormond had was that he'd tell Nymeria everything he knew about the conspiracy against her, and in turn Nymeria would make her a member of her council, drop all charges against him, as well as make his youngest son a squire for Prince Mors. After some consideration, Nymeria decided to accept Ormond's offer, resolving the situation without a drop of blood being shed. This part will continue with them all arriving back to Sandship.
Nymeria
Nymeria saw the small fort of Sandship standing proudly next to the sea, and the new palace that was being constructed behind it. Home, she thought with a pleased sigh. Sure, it wasn't Ny Sar, but lately Nymeria had started to feel like home here, and it felt good to return, especially since they had managed to avoid any casualties at Redclif.
Next to Nymeria rode her Royal Guards, Commander Farrah of Ghoyan Drohe, Ser Boran Sargen and Anaba of Volon Therys. Right behind Nymeria rode General Varyn of Chroyane, and behind him came Lord Ormond Bloodspill, the new addition to Nymeria's council, as well as his young son Cason, who was at the age of eleven. Nymeria was still feeling unsure about letting this man into her home, and she knew Varyn certainly disagreed with her decision, but there was no going back now.
The gates of Sandship were opened to them, and Mors was waiting for them at the courtyard, along with Jaran, Maester Olivar, and the rest of the Royal Guard. Nymeria could also spot Lady Eraehra Galnaris and her bodyguards among the crowd.
As the Princess dismounted her horse, Mors approached her, and closed her into a hug. "You don't know how happy I am to see you again, alive and well", he said quietly, and a smile was formed on Nymeria's face. "And I am happy to see you, my Prince", she replied, as they separated from each other. Before Nymeria continued, the smile on her face. "And as the raven we sent you informed, with me comes Lord Ormond Bloodspill, and his youngest son Cason Bloodspill, your new squire." Nymeria gestured towards Ormond and Cason as she spoke, and Mors approached them.
"It's good to see you again, Lord Ormond", he said with welcoming tone, shaking hands with Ormond, who gave him a bow. "As it is to see you, Prince Mors", He replied with a humble tone. Next Mors approached the young Cason. "You are very welcome to Sandship as well, little lord", Mors said to him with a wide smile on his face.
"Just remember your place from now on, both of you", Varyn spat with a frown on his face, before walking away from the scene. "Don't worry too much about him, my lords, he is just stressed out because these hectic times", Mors said with apologetic tone, leading them inside. Nymeria followed in with the group as well, all of her Royal Guard coming in her coattails.
"This is where we will have our council meetings, every day", Mors informed as they arrived to the council chamber, and Ormond nodded to him. "I am quite familiar with Sandship", Ormond said with a relaxed tone, and Mors chuckled. "Of course, you grew up here a big part of your life after all", he replied, and Ormond nodded once again.
"Indeed, and it's good to be back", the Lord of Redclif said with a thin smile on his face. For a moment they were all silent, until Mors spoke up again. "Alright, Jaran, if you could please take our new guests to their chambers", he requested, and Jaran gave him a nod with a bored expression on his face, leading Ormond and Cason out of the room.
As the door closed, Mors walked closer to Nymeria. "We have a couple of very interesting guests, waiting for you", he said, and Nymeria raised an eyebrow. "And who might they be?" She asked with genuine interest.
"The other one comes from Spottswood, Ser Martyn Santagar. He is a young knight who has arrived here to pledge the loyalty and service of House Santagar to us. The other one, he is a knight as well, Ser Benjamin Told, and... it's probably better if he explains the reason for his visit himself", Mors explained, and Nymeria let out a sigh. She had wished to get some rest after her journey to Redclif and back, and she certainly wasn't prepared for any guests. But the Princess of Dorne has her duties, she thought, taking in a deep breath and nodding to her husband. "I'll go to the throne room, you fetch the guests", she said decisively, and Mors nodded to her with a proud smile on his face.
And so, Nymeria walked to the throne room with Commander Farrah, Ser Boran, Anaba and Maester Olivar following her, whereas Mors made his way to the other direction with the rest of the Royal Guard. As Nymeria arrived to the throne room, she took her place at the throne with the Sun of Rhoyne on it, and waited for the guests to arrive. The first one to come was the young knight, Ser Martyn Santagar, who approached the Princess with nervous steps. Meanwhile Prince Mors took his place at the throne with the Spear of Martell on it, right next to Nymeria's throne.
Ser Martyn couldn't be called a man, he was a slim boy, probably under fifteen years old, hardly strong enough to fight with a real sword. The young boy kneeled in front of Nymeria, staring at the floor with nervous gaze, placing his sword in front of him.
"I, Ser Martyn Santagar, the Knight of Spottswood, pledge the service of myself and my house to you, Princess Nymeria Martell, and Prince Mors Martell, as well as to whoever will inherit you. House Santagar will be yours to command, from this day, to the end of all days", the young knight spoke with slightly trembling voice. "This I swear by my honor, as well as by the Seven Gods."
"You can stand up", Nymeria said firmly, and Martyn followed her command. "The Knight of Spottswood?" Nymeria said with a questioning tone. "Isn't Spottswood ruled by a lord?" She asked calmly.
"It used to be... My uncle was Lord Arthur Santagar, but he died without heirs. So my father, Ser Andrey – may the Father judge him fairly – took his deceased brother's place at the head of the house, but he never took the title of lord, and neither will I", the young knight answered.
"I am sorry to hear you have lost both your father and uncle at such a young age", Nymeria said with a genuinely regretful tone, and Martyn nodded to her. "I have found strength in the gods, my Princess", the boy answered calmly. Nymeria had never cared much about any gods, Rhoynar nor Westerosi, but she gave the boy an affectionate smile.
"We are thankful to have you allegiance, Ser Martyn Santagar", Mors spoke up now, a gentle tone on his voice. "And we vow that you shall always have a place at our halls, and meat and mead at our table. We pledge to ask no service of you that might bring you into dishonor. This we swear by the Seven Gods." Ser Martyn bowed to Mors' words, and walked to the side, making way for the next man to approach the ruling couple of Sandship.
This knight was much older than the last one, being probably on his late twenties. Ser Benjamin Told was a tall and muscular man, with a wavy light brown hair that fell on his shoulders, as well as short beard on the same color. His eyes were dark, and his nose long and pointy.
"I am Ser Benjamin Told, your highness", the man introduced himself, before approaching to bow to Nymeria and Mors. "So I've been told", Nymeria said dryly, as Ser Benjamin straightened his back again. "Yet I have no idea why you are here."
"I have been sent by a man named Edd Prally", Benjamin answered calmly, his voice devoid of any joy. "That name says nothing to me", Nymeria said coldly, and the knight chuckled emotionlessly. "Edd would probably be glad to hear that... he is a spymaster", Benjamin said nonchalantly, and Nymeria raised an eyebrow. "A spymaster?" She asked with a cynical tone, and Benjamin nodded.
"Aye", he responded with a thin smile. "He has spies all over Dorne, including your court." Nymeria let out a sigh, shaking her head in disbelief. "And why would he want me to know this?" She asked sharply. To her surprise, Benjamin had an answer ready for this question.
"Because he wants to serve you, he believes in your cause. He wants to see Dorne united under a strong leader", Benjamin spoke with determined words, a confident look on his dark eyes. Nymeria was quiet for a moment, glancing at Mors, who simply gave her a shrug.
"And why has he sent you here now?" Nymeria asked, her voice now genuinely curious. A sly smile was formed on Ser Benjamin's face now. "Edd's connections in Godsgrace have informed that the city is ready to be taken over by you", he answered, which made Nymeria widen her eyes in surprise.
"What exactly does that mean?" She asked strictly, and Ser Benjamin took a couple steps closer to the thrones. "It means that the daughter of Lord Morgan Allyrion, Lady Esperence, has made sure that once you march to Godsgrace, the gates of the city will be opened to you without resistance", the knight spoke with almost enthusiastic tone. Nymeria gulped, looking at her husband.
"And how do we know this is not a trap?" Mors asked quietly. This made Ser Benjamin take out a letter from his pocket. "Here is a letter written by Esperence herself, where she informs you about the plan for you to take over Godsgrace", he explained calmly, as Nymeria started to read the letter. "If you wish, you can stay outside of the city while it's being taken over, so there is no risk for you. Instead, the cousin of Lady Esperence will be the one to lead the forces, while you can watch it all unfold from a safe distance. And then when it's all done, and your soldiers have secured the city and the castle, you can come in to receive the oaths of fealty from the ruler of Godsgrace."
"You certainly make it sound easy", Nymeria said with a touch of cynicism in her voice, still reading the letter, which said more or less the same things that Benjamin just explained. She handed the letter to Mors, and looked this mysterious knight into the eyes. "And what about this Edd Prally, when exactly will I meet him?" Nymeria asked, and Benjamin flashed him a smirk.
"Once you have taken over Godsgrace", he answered calmly. Nymeria let out a sigh, and turned to look at Mors. "Well, this is certainly something we will have to go over with the council, before making any decisions", Nymeria stated, and Benjamin nodded.
"I understand, Your Grace", he said calmly, as the Princess stood up from her throne. "Thank you for delivering this message, Ser Benjamin", she said as she walked past him. "Now, I'd like to get some rest." With these words Nymeria walked out of the throne room, and made her way to her chambers.
-
Later that day a council meeting was held. The first topic of the meeting was the conspiracy. "So, Lord Ormond, it's time for you to keep your end of our agreement – tell us what you know about the conspiracy", Nymeria said strictly, and Ormond nodded with a small smirk on his face. "Of course, Your Grace", he said calmly. "This conspiracy, in all honesty I know very little of it. What I know is that it begun by some Rhoynar being in contact with several small lords and knights in service of House Martell. Yes, they did come to me as well, which is probably the reason my name has been connected to this mess." Ormond paused for a moment, taking in a deep breath, and Nymeria saw Varyn shaking his head subtly. "Anyway, what I know is that some members of House Bryne are active and important members of the conspiracy, as well as the Knight of Dyfhill, the old Ser Dyron. There are also many merchants supporting the cause, or so I've been told. However, you should know that this conspiracy is led, and always has been, by the Rhoynar, not by the Dornish. I don't know much about them, but I heard their leader might be someone who goes by the name Father Greenblood – whatever that is supposed to mean."
Nymeria let out a sigh, and nodded to Ormond. "Thank you for this information, Lord Ormond", she said nonchalantly, feeling slightly disappointed at how little Lord Bloodspill had to offer. At least he had a few names to give. "If you happen to remember anything more about the conspiracy in the future, please tell. And Varyn, I trust you to look more into this new information." Varyn nodded firmly to the Princess.
Next Nymeria and Mors explained the news Ser Benjamin Told had brought with him, and the council members sat on their seats in silence, pondering expressions on their faces.
"Well, none of you has anything to say?" Nymeria asked impatiently. After a couple seconds Farrah spoke up. "I think you should take this opportunity... once again it looks like you have a chance to further your campaign with minimal casualties", she said with quiet but decisive words.
"I agree with Farrah", General Varyn said with his stern voice. "If you want to conquer the Central Dorne, taking over Godsgrace is the first and perhaps the most important step." Nymeria nodded to the general's words in agreement.
"I agree with the general", Ormond Bloodspill said with a subtle smirk, making Varyn send him a cold glare.
"We can't be sure if this Ser Benjamin, or the man he claims to serve, are truly worth our trust... But we need to make a move on Godsgrace anyway", Nymeria said decidedly, and the council mumbled in agreement. "The army is ready to move, the amount of troops has been increased with our new soldiers from Redclif, and we might soon get even more reinforcements from Spottswood", Nymeria spoke with nonchalant tone. "Some must stay behind to hold Sandship of course, but who from us will stay and who will march to war?" She asked, eyeing at her council.
"My dear, I would like to march with you this time, for I think it would be important for both of us to be there to launch our campaign in Central Dorne", Mors said, looking Nymeria to the eyes, and she nodded to him. "So be it, we march together", she replied with a thin smile on her face. Next Nymeria turned to look at Lord Ormond.
"And what about you Lord Bloodspill?" She asked calmly, and Ormond flashed her a polite smile. "My forces will be led by Commander Edgar", he answered, implying he would stay in Sandship. I need to leave someone to watch over him, Nymeria thought, eyeing now at Varyn, Farrah, Maester Olivar and Jaran. Olivar and Jaran would surely stay in Sandship, but Nymeria didn't trust them with keeping Lord Ormond in line. Farrah or Varyn on the other hand could very well do it. Or I could simply command Ormond to come with us.
[Command Varyn to stay in Sandship] [Command Farrah to stay in Sandship] [Command Ormond to come with you]
I see a great number of puns coming from this name, if even Nymeria makes them
That aside, I found it interesting what Benjamin told her. It seems that Esperence has it all figured out, with or without Emerson and while I think we made the better choice for him by siding against her, we might have made a really bad choice for the people of Godsgrace, because if Emerson manages to ruin Esperence's plan, he could very well doom the city to a prolonged siege. Ah, I guess Chapter 3 will show us if we made the right choice or not.
[Command Farrah to stay in Sandship]
I have been a bit torn between this option and commanding Ormond to come with Nymeria. The problem is, I don't trust Varyn with successfully keeping Ormond in line. There is a lot of bad blood between these two and Varyn is not exactly a fine diplomat, so there could be bloodshed if these two are left alone without the authority of Nymeria to keep them in line. I don't know if it will be a good thing to have Ormond with her. After all, he might very well be her enemy and in that case, he will be in a perfect position to spy on her, to give informations about her military tactics to her enemies. So, I agree with Nym, somebody has to be left behind to watch over him. And in that case, I simply trust Farrah far more than Varyn to keep Ormond in line without causing any violence. If Ormond is not Nymeria's enemy, then the way Varyn is undoubtedly going to interact with him is sure to push him closer to the conspiracy and make him less likely to give her any valuable information.
Hehe, I actually realized the pun only after I had already written the line. But I liked it, so I kept it in
And yeah, Esperence has it all figured out, though it seems she was quite certain that Emerson would cooperate, as her message says the her cousin will be the one leading the attack. Anyway, we'll see how does Emerson siding with Morgan affect the conquest of Godsgrace, but probably it should make it harder for the Martell's, as he has some inside info on his cousin's plans.
Yep, leaving Varyn to watch over Ormond certainly has the risk of things escalating to violence. Then on the other hand, while Farrah is competent and can be trusted to do her job, Varyn would probably keep an even closer eye on Ormond than she will. And as you said, taking Ormond to the war has the risk of him being able to spy Nym's tactics and methods. Of course, if Ormond indeed is still an enemy, it's likely that some of his troops, and perhaps his son, will do this for him anyway. But that will be second hand knowledge, which shouldn't be as bad as Ormond being there to personally spy on Nym.
Just posting a new comment on page 33, because (at least for me) it for some reason goes automatically to page 32 when you click the thread, and thus you might miss the new part. Hopefully this will fix it.
edit: didn't fix it -.- oh well, hopefully people notice they are not on the last page when they click the thread...
edit2: looks like it's fixed now
Oh god, what have I done with Benjamin's surname
[Command Farrah to stay in Sandship]
Yeah, I pretty much agree with Liquid. I quite dislike Varyn but I will rather make Nymeria take him and place her authority over him then letting him do something stupid with Ormond in Nymeria's absence.
I'll try not to go overboard with the puns
Hm, this happens rather often to me when there is a new page. I guess we just reached page 33 and there might have been some unread comments on page 32?
Anyways, I just noticed that we had a new part each day for the past couple of days. Awesome job, it seems the end of the chapter is getting closer really quick
Heh, I actually have two more parts already done, but I'm holding them for now since many haven't even read the Nym part yet, and I don't want to overwhelm people
I'll definitely post those two parts simultaneously though, probably tomorrow.
Looks like I was right about my pace getting faster in May
And yeah, we are getting close to the ending of Chapter 2!
[Send the letter now]
[Command Farrah to stay in Sandship]
[Command Farrah to stay in Sandship]
Voting is closed!
So, Isabella will send the letter now. So, King Vorian should quite soon have this proposal on his hands. Of course, he is quite uncertain of Jamison's current status, so he won't really have an answer for the proposal before Jamison returns, if he does.
And Nymeria will command Farrah to stay in Sandship. Farrah is a loyal and skilled warrior, though looking after fishy lords might not exactly be her speciality
That said, at least things escalating to violence while Nym is gone is quite unlikely to happen with this choice 
Aaand as I already mentioned earlier, I have the two next parts done already. There are some great H&L's waiting to be published as well, but I think after the next voting would be a great time for those. Now, after this post, I'll give you a Tomas PoV and a Naemon PoV. These parts aren't exactly action packed, but don't worry, the action is right around the corner
Anyway, these two parts should be quite interesting in their own right, so I hope you'll enjoy them.
As for recap, last time we saw Tomas, he arrived to Ghost Hill with Forovos Norvoshi, and he was welcomed by his old friend Ser Manfrey Rowman and Ser Garibald of Sevengrace. They took him and Forovos to meet King Levor Toland, the eldest son of the late King Donovar, whom we saw being assassinated at the very end of Chapter 1. Anyway, there was a man named Argim Taler with Levor, and Tomas was less than pleased to see this snake of a man whispering to his nephew's ears. The conversation was heated, but Tomas did his best to convince his nephew that it would be wise to make peace with the Martell's. In the end, Levor was in tears, and Tomas had a chance to take the crown off his head, and you voted for him to do it.
What comes to Naemon, his last part was quite emotional, as he arrived back to Blackmont, only to hear the devastating news that Gwendis had ran away. On his confrontation with Benedict, it was also revealed that all those years ago it was one of the King's sorcerers who killed Queen Valaena. Understandably Naemon was very pissed about all this, and not in particularly good mood at the feast later that day. He was especially livid over seeing the sorcerer Noctis sitting with Benedict at the high table. As Noctis walked away from the hall, Naemon was tempted to go and rant off to him, but you voted for him to hold back his anger and stay at the table. That's where we'll continue with him.
-
Oh, and here is a portrait of Ser Benjamin Told:
Tomas
Tomas took the crown from Levor's head, and placed it gently on the floor, looking his nephew to the eyes. The expression on the young lord's face was surprised, but also somehow... relieved. An enormous weight has been lifted off his shoulders.
Tomas glanced behind him, seeing Argim Taler storming out of the great hall. Then he saw Levor gulping, and he put his right hand on his nephew's shoulder. "Don't worry about him, I am here to guide you now", Tomas said softly, and Levor nodded to him nervously. "Now, go to your chambers, I'll follow after you soon, so we can talk about what happens next."
Silently Levor stood up from his throne, and walked out of the hall, as Tomas watched him go. As the door was closed, Tomas walked away from the throne, seeing a wide smirk on the face of Forovos Norvoshi. "I'm impressed, Lord Tomas", the bald man said smoothly as Tomas walked closer to him. "You may have just saved your nephew."
"Let us hope so", Tomas replied with a tired sigh. "Now I'll just have to try and convince him to bend the knee to the Martell's."
"My Lord, are you sure that's a good idea?" Ser Manfrey spoke up, and Tomas turned to look at him. "Your brother, he dreamed of a great kingdom that would one day reach from here all the way to the Salt Shore", Manfrey continued, and Forovos let out a small chuckle.
"A foolish dream", he said strictly. "This house has no capacity for such expansion, nor to control all that land. Ghost Hill is situated between the two greatest powers of Dorne – House Martell and House Yronwood. The wise thing for House Toland to do is not to play kings and challenge these two great powers, but to bend the knee to one of them, and hope they'll survive when the real war begins. And if you are truly wise, you will bend the knee to Princess Nymeria and Prince Mors." The great hall was silent for a moment after Forovos' little speech.
"I'm afraid the Braavosi is right, Manfrey", Tomas finally said, and his old friend frowned at him, but stayed quiet. "Now, I'll go and have a conversation with my nephew." With these words Tomas walked out of the hall. As he walked through the corridors and hallways of the Ghost Hill, he could see the eyes of the guards and servants turning to him as they walked past him. Apparently I still look bad from my time in the dungeons of Sandship, he thought, but continued his way to Levor's chambers.
As he arrived, he knocked gently on the wooden door. "Is it Uncle Tomas?" He heard the voice of Levor asking, and he answered in the affirmative. "Come in!" Levor then yelled, and Tomas opened the door. Inside was not just Levor, but also his little brother Mateo, a young boy at the age of eight. He looked much like his older brother, just smaller and scrawnier. "Uncle Tomas!" Mateo yelled cheerfully, and ran towards Tomas, who closed him in to a gentle hug, tapping him on the back.
"Good to see you, little Mateo", he said with a small smile on his face as they departed from the hug. "Levor says father won't come back home anymore, is that true?" Mateo asked, and the smile vanished from Tomas' face. "Sadly, it is", he said with a sigh, and the despair in the little boy's eyes broke his heart. "But I'm here to look after you now, to keep you safe", he continued, and Mateo gave him a subtle nod, before walking to sit on the bed. Sad, Tomas thought – these boys had already lost their mother few years ago, and now their father too. They need me now more than ever.
"What did you want to talk about?" Levor asked now, a serious look on his eyes. Tomas took a seat next to the small table and let out a sigh. "Future", he finally said, tapping the surface of the table with his fingers, and Levor sat down next to him.
"Argim said our future would be an alliance with the Yronwood's", Levor said, but Tomas shook his head immediately. "Throughout their history the Yronwood's have seeked to dominate Dorne, they don't like having equal allies. Even if King Yorick would let you keep your crown, you'd be his puppet", Tomas calmly explained to his nephew, who turned his eyes down now. "And what about the Martell's then?" He asked quietly, and Tomas took in a deep breath.
"They are the better option now", he said, trying to sound as convincing as he could, despite not being completely sure about this himself. "You say that, but... they kept you locked in their dungeons didn't they? How can you think they are good people?" Levor asked, and Tomas let out a chuckle.
"Had they been Yorick Yronwood's dungeons, I'd still be in there. Or worse, I'd be dead", he said this with a lighthearted tone, but Levor didn't look to be amused. "The point is, they set me free, gave me a chance to make things right, and I have to appreciate them for that."
"But they killed father", Levor muttered, and Tomas put a hand on his shoulder. "I know, and I understand you anger and grief, because it is in my heart as well", he said, letting out a drawn out sigh. "But it was war, and in the end all they did was protect their people. I murdered their people in the name of Donovar, they struck back. Sometimes it's better to let go of revenge, and look for the future. Your father died fighting a hopeless war, but you can live to ensure a peace for your people."
"So, I have to bend the knee for Nymeria", Levor spoke up after a moment of silence, and Tomas gave him a subtle nod. "I know it won't be easy, but it is the right thing to do", he said softly. Levor had a pondering look on his eyes, and for a while he stayed silent. "I'll think about it, uncle", he finally said quietly, and Tomas gave him a nod.
"Come talk to me when you have made your decision", Tomas said gently, standing up again. He walked to the door of the chamber, and turned to look at Levor once more. "Whatever you choose to do, I'll stand by your side", he said, and walked out of the room.
On the corridor Ser Garibald of Sevengrace was waiting for Tomas. "My Lord, there is something I think you should know", the young knight spoke hastily, and Tomas narrowed his eyes. "Yes?" He said with slightly confused tone, and Garibald gulped. "Argim Taler, he rode out of the gates, just few minutes ago", he said nervously, and Tomas let out a tired sigh.
"And where do you think he is going?" He asked, and Garibald shrugged. "I don't know, but he was heading towards west", he answered. Tomas narrowed his eyes, thinking about this for a few seconds. "Do you think he could be going to Yronwood?" He asked sternly, and once again Garibald shrugged.
"My Lord, should we send men after him?" The young knight asked. Tomas closed his eyes for a moment, thinking about this. Technically Argim had committed no crime, but if he really was on his way to Yronwood, it would be better to stop him now.
[Send men after Argim] [Let him go]
-
Naemon
It's not worth it, Naemon thought, staying in the table and watching Noctis walk out of the mess hall. He was angry towards all these sorcerers, more than just angry, but there was little he could do about it now. But one day I will drive them all out of here.
"Is everything alright, ser?" Davos asked with a concerned tone, and Naemon nodded to him. "Don't worry about it, Davos, everything is fine", he said quietly, not even looking at his squire.
"Our mission... when exactly will it begin?" Davos asked, and Naemon let out a sigh. "The sooner the better", he said, turning his eyes to Benedict again, who sat now alone at the high table. Then he turned his eyes to Davos. "We will leave tomorrow", Naemon decided, standing up from his chair. "I trust you'll find your way to your chambers", he said, and Malcolm nodded to him.
"Remember Naemon, we're here to support you", the Prince of Starfall said with a genuine tone, and Naemon nodded to him. "I'm thankful for that", he muttered, before walking away from the mess hall.
Quietly he made his way to his chambers, where he collapsed to his bed. As he laid there in silence, grief took over his mind once again. As he closed his eyes he saw Gwendis, smiling at him, laughing with him. But as he looked into those beautiful purple eyes, darkness took over them, and the image of his sister started to fade, to disappear. Her lips moved, but Naemon couldn't hear her voice. I'll never see her again, he realized, and it him so hard that he couldn't hold back the stream of tears coming to his eyes. These thoughts tormented Naemon's mind for hours, until finally he fell asleep to restless dreams and nightmares.
-
In the morning Naemon woke up to his door being knocked. "Who's there?" He asked, perhaps with a bit ruder tone than was necessary. "Ser, it's me, Davos", he heard the answer from the other side of the door. Naemon raised to a sitting position and yawned before answering. "Alright, come in", he said, and soon the door was opened.
By the door frame stood Davos Dayne, looking dutiful as ever. "Morning, Davos", Naemon said with a tired voice, glancing at the window on his right and seeing the sun shining in. "What brings you here?"
"I just figured I should help you get ready, ser", Davos replied with a slightly awkward tone. "Since I'm your squire, and..."
"I understand", Naemon cut Davos off with a thin smile on his face. "I suppose you could help me pack up", he continued, finally getting up from his bed. With the help of his squire Naemon geared up, and packed everything he'd need for this mission. After that, they walked out of his chambers, making their way towards the courtyard.
"Are you nervous about our mission?" Naemon asked as they walked through the hallway, as he noticed that Davos seemed tense and quiet. The young Dayne looked at him and let out a sigh. "A little bit", he admitted quietly, and Naemon stopped in front of him, just before the main doors of the castle. He put his hand on Davos' shoulder and looked him in the eyes. "Don't be afraid", he said with confidence in his voice, "the blood of the Dayne's runs through your veins, you are a warrior." Davos nodded to him, and Naemon tapped his shoulder, before turning towards the doors. As he walked out, he saw Alester, Malcolm and Myle, as well as the Upton troops, waiting for them. There was also his father.
Davos ran off to take care of their horses, while Naemon made his way to Benedict with slow steps. As he arrived in front of him, they both just looked at each other in silence. Naemon's look was filled with anger and disdain, whereas in Benedict's blue eyes was regret and sorrow.
"I trust you with this mission, son", Benedict said weakly, while Naemon glared at Noctis, who stood about a dozen feet behind the King. "When are you going to learn your lesson about these god damn sorcerers?" He hissed, and his father let out a sigh.
"You don't understand...", Benedict started, but Naemon cut him off.
"Oh, of course I don't understand", he spat, anger and disgust in his voice. "Next you'll tell me there is a reason why you do all this, and a couple lost family members, well, that's just a price we have to pay, aye?"
Benedict stayed silent for a moment, turning his eyes down. "I am sorry for all that has happened, for my failings", he said quietly, but Naemon shook his head. "It's not enough that you're sorry, father!" He snapped, loud enough that the troops closest to them certainly heard.
"Your sister wanted us to be a family, Naemon, not enemies", Benedict said with quiet and strict words, but Naemon just let out a cold chuckle. "Well that won't happen, not as long as you keep repeating your same old mistakes", he said with a cold and emotionless tone. Benedict sighed, a wounded expression on his face. Before Naemon managed to turn away, his father spoke up once more.
"Tell me, son, will you ever be able to forgive me?" The King asked, his voice weary and full of grief.
[Yes] [Maybe] [No]
[Send men after Argim]
I was actually not too sure if we should go after him. I mean, on his own he is no danger. At the same time, his escape gave me Wormtongue vibes, from that part of Lord of the Rings, when Grima escaped to Isengart and they let him go. He then proceeded to seriously fuck over the people at Helm's Deep by revealing its weakness. What if Argim plans the same? He might offer valuable information to Yorick Yronwood that could, in the long run, allow the Yronwood's to conquer the lands of House Toland by force instead of an alliance. I guess he is ultimately way more loyal to the Yronwood's than he is to the Toland's. So, maybe it will be a safer way to imprison him, even if this would give him a chance to further his schemes at the court and maybe to further poison Levor's mind.
[Maybe]
Well, I am pretty sure the answer is maybe. Benedict loves his son, yes, but I wouldn't outright say that Naemon would just forgive him that easily, even if this choice clearly doesn't mean that he will forgive him right away. This will be a lot of work and it will depend on future developments. Neither would I want for Naemon to flat out refuse any possibility of forgiveness, because if anything, the hope of winning back his son's love might be enough for Benedict to seriously try and become a better man. But this will depend on many things. First of all, there is Valaena. I think he can be forgiven about that, because he genuinely did not know better. The other sorcerer's, for all we know, would have never done this, it was only Syrenho. Now, if he can ever reach forgiveness here depends on two situations, the one with the sorcerers at Blackmont and the one with Gwendis. He is clearly addicted to the magic they offer, but if he wants forgiveness, then maybe he will at least try to send them away. More importantly, I am sure Naemon's opinion on his father will also heavily depend on how the Gwendis situation resolves. Right now, all that was caused was Gwendis running away from home and getting herself into serious danger. That is, if there are no further things that come from the Great Other in her head. But if she will eventually return safely, as long as it might take, then yeah, I feel like Benedict can be forgiven and I guess Naemon would feel similarly. But this is all still up in the air and I must say, I don't have high hopes at least for the sorcerer situation, so maybe is really the best answer I feel comfortable with choosing here. My own opinion on Benedict is certainly damaged and I myself have to wait and see what this all leads to before I can give a clearer opinion on him and wether or not I want Naemon to forgive him eventually.
I must also say, I am seriously nervous by this apparent foreshadowing in Naemon's recent parts. Either you seem to build up a massive tragedy for him or Gwendis (and she's much more likely to be in danger there), or you are building up the reddest of herring's, but after his thoughts in this part, I think it is only right to be nervous about it. Argh, I hope there will be a better ending than that, but with neither of them completely out of danger (because even Naemon is in a bad situation at Blackmont), I see it as quite possible that his bad thoughts will turn out to be correct. For now, of course, they are only this, bad thoughts. Once he starts getting dreams, I will be even more concerned, because as we know, dreams are evil.
Ah, I was waiting for someone to notice the similarities between these characters
You see, Argim is not a submitted character, but rather me paying homage to LoTR. Perhaps you've even noticed that Argim is an anagram of Grima 
So yeah, you're definitely on point with your comparing of the scenes here. Whether that means it's better to stop him rather than let him go, who knows 
Well, I can at least confirm that no connection from the Great Other has been present in any of Naemon's parts. His thoughts in this part can really be explained just by the despair and sadness he feels over this situation, where the possibility of not seeing his sister again is very real. And as you said, they were indeed just his thoughts, not spooky foreshadowing dreams
[Let him go]
[Maybe]
Wait... now I feel stupid for not seeing the anagram XD Argh, I thought that was merely a coincidence and it seems I have missed a serious much. Reading back to Tomas' last part, even his description is basically Grima. Aaah, I don't know how I could miss that, that's crazy! Before I just realized this, I considered him to look a lot more impressive, but now I can only see that pale, slimy creep
Save to say, it also reassured me in my decision to send someone after him. Though... does that mean that Yorick Yronwood is basically Saruman?
Hm, it is as I thought then. Surely, Naemon has a lot of bad thoughts right now, so I guess it's not all that far fetched for him to just assume the worst. Still, I am naturally more than worried over this, because the chance that these thoughts turn into foreshadowing is very, very real. At least the Great Other seems to be content with one Blackmont for now, it seems that Gwendis has something Naemon doesn't.
Heh, I was a bit surprised no one caught it after that first part
And well, no doubt you could find some similarities between Yorick and Saruman, but... well, Yorick isn't a demigod for one thing 
And he doesn't seek to destroy humans... just get as many of them under his rule as possible 
[Send men after Argim]
[Maybe]
Ah only having my phone for internet at the moment is rough since I can't leave my longer comments
Great parts!
[Maybe] [Send men after Argim]
[Send men after Argim]
We can't have him getting the Yronwood's involved. If only he knew that Forovos Norvoshi was a skilled assassin, he could send him after him.
[Maybe]
This seems like the natural thing that Naemon would say.
It's alright, I'm definitely looking forward to your longer comments again though
[Let him go]
[Yes]
Well, the voting hasn't been open very long, but it seems everyone has voted by now and the result is clear, so...
Voting is closed!
Tomas will send men after Argim. This means Tomas will have one more part in this chapter, which should be quite interesting
And Naemon will answer to his father's question, maybe, as in he could perhaps one day forgive him. This is sort of the neutral choice here, so I could guess it would probably win
That said, even the "yes" option wouldn't have really resulted in a soft answer from Naemon, since that yes would've still come with some heavy demands on Benedict. Anyway, maybe is still a lot less devastating answer than outright denying any possibility for forgiveness. Naemon will probably have one more part in this chapter, though it'll probably be a short one.
Next up will be a Verro PoV and a Nealia PoV, which will begin the Battle for Lemonwood. Earlier in this chapter Verro was raiding the lands of House Bravespear with Efran and the Thunder Crew, but they returned from that trip back to the ships, and now they are on their way to Lemonwood. The last choice of Verro was a character building choice about what does Verro want to do after this war is over, and you chose him to say that he wants start a new life.
And in Nealia's case, she and the Rose Company had found the land forces led by Ser Byrron Granit. There were also some old friends of Manda, Lien and Ying - the White Elephant and his small crew. However, Nealia decided to spend the last evening before the battle with Illor. We will see her having a conversation with Illor first, but after that the part will take us straigth to the Battle for Lemonwood. Both of these parts should be ready tomorrow
And speaking of Battle for Lemonwood, I have made an amateurish map for Lemonwood with paint!
Mind you, this map obviously isn't canon, but it's just something to make it easier to picture the battle, and where all the forces are in relation to each other. So, here it is:
But before we jump into these action packed parts, now would be a great time for some H&L! (wink wink @LiquidChicagoTed
)
A hint was taken
Though I'll post only one for now and the other one later, maybe when you close the next voting. I guess that will be better than posting two at once.
Nymeria's War – Histories&Lore
Varyn of Chroyane – Loyalty
Once, the farmhouse was likely the home for a family of four or five at least. Now, it served for a far more sinister purpose. It was large for its kind, at least as far as Varyn was able to see in the moonlight. Though only a single story, it had a large barn and stables, undoubtedly for the horses. He slowed his own horse down as he rode across the path to the house. It lay silently in the vast plains that surrounded it and he had no doubt that they would hear him. Without even the tiniest cover in the flat lands, he had no doubt they even saw him. The soldier inside Varyn protested against this reckless strategy. The general ignored him.
Varyn brought his horse to a full stop in front of the house, before he slowly descended from it. Spotting a pole, he tied the reins to it, before he softly stroke the animal's mane. Only then did he turn to the door. By now, he was sure that they were watching him through one of the windows, though only one was illuminated. A single candle stood in the window just next to the door. The sign they agreed to. He had come to the right place.
Carefully, he approached the door and waited, straightening his back. His righ hand reached for his left forearm, as he closed his eyes, trying to ease his breath. He hated to admit it, but a part of him was afraid of what he would find in there. Of what he was about to do.
His hopes were crushed when the door got opened. A familiar face stood there, illuminated by the light of a small candle. The man was tanned, with a short beard and warm, brown eyes. His mouth formed a grin and Varyn reciprocated the gesture. “General!”, he said, as he fully opened the door. “Captain Orik”, Varyn greeted him, extending the right hand and giving the other man a firm handshake.
“Glad you could make it”, Orik said. “This wouldn't be possible without you” Varyn gave him a quiet nod. “I am interested in what you have to say”, he explained. “Your offer was… tempting” Orik smirked, as he closed the door behind the general. They stood in a small entrance room, only illuminated by the light of the candle, as the captain walked through it with three quick steps, to open the door at the other side of it.
Behind it, Varyn saw a more brighter room, the windows closed, several people looking at him through the doorframe. Varyn frowned as he recognized one of them, a pot-bellied beast of a man, with a bushy beard and a near-constant frown on his scarred face. Tamor, formerly the High Admiral of the Rhoynar fleet, now admiral of nothing, demoted to a lower-ranking general. Come to think of it, his presence wasn't all that surprising. There was little love between Varyn and Tamor, a rivalry that went back for decades and eventually turned into a bitter grudge when Princess Nymeria led their people away from their homelands.
As he entered the room, he was quick to count three others. There was a small man, who was sitting to his left in a comfy chair. He smirked as the general entered and twirled his thin mustache. At the other end of the room, behind a large table, sat a young, dark-haired man, slightly on the chubby side. It was warm in the room, but Varyn had the impression that the sweat running down the man's forehead was not only a result of the heat. Behind him stood a man whom Varyn immediately recognized as a soldier. He didn't know the man himself, but he recognized the posture, the position behind what was probably his leader and especially the weapon in his hands, a crossbow.
Other than the unusual inhabitants, the farmhouse looked exactly as he imagined a dornish farm to look from the inside. There was a fireplace, a larger table and chairs, fresh fruit presented on it. Behind the chubby man's desk, towards the table, Varyn spotted a large washing tub, filled with water.
“Prince Varyn”, the chubby man greeted him and only with sheer power of will did Varyn resist the urge to frown. “General”, he corrected him politely. “Garin was the Prince of Chroyane” His straightforwardness took the man slightly by surprise, so he used the opportunity to continue. “Captain Orik invited me to this meeting, though he failed to introduce me to any of you”
“Oh, I'm sure you recognize me, Prince Varyn”, Tamor growled, as he approached him. This time, Varyn narrowed his eyes. “High Admiral Tamor”, he said. “I almost did not recognize you without your ships” This caused the former admiral to clench his fists, though the chubby man quickly raised from his chair. “Mylords, please!”, he said sharply. “We are all allies here, united by a common goal. We are here to plan the death of Princess Nymeria. Foreign invader to some of us, usurper to others”
“Usurper!”, Orik agreed. “Garin's body wasn't even cold when she declared herself as his successor. And a coward, who abandoned our homes. I wouldn't be surprised if she conspired with the Valyrians” Tamor nodded enthusiastically. “She destroyed our fleet, weakening us, forcing us to live in these lands”, he spoke up. “She plans to make us slaves to the dornish”
Both men looked at Varyn, Orik with a reassuring smile, Tamor with a distrustful glare. The general sighed. “Garin is my prince, now and forever”, he spoke. “Nymeria is a foolish girl and her ambition will be our doom”
The chubby man smiled. “Well said, mylords”, he complimented them. “Now, Tamor and Orik already know me, but you, General Varyn, are new to our circle. Captain Orik vowed for your trustworthiness and I agree with him. Your opinion on Princess Nymeria is not a secret”
Orik nodded. “Nobody hates her more than the general”, he assured him. “And nobody will be more valuable to our cause than the general. Without him, the rhoynish army would have perished at Chroyane. Every single one of our soldiers owes him their lives”
“Just like I owe you mine, captain”, Varyn said. “I have not forgotten your valiant charge at Selhorys” He patted the man on the back. Yes, Orik was a friend, perhaps one of the closest he still had after Garin's death. Cautiously, he glanced at the chubby man. “I know what you plan to do and I am glad Orik informed me of it. His report gained my interest”
“Splendid!”, the chubby man explained, before he put a hand onto his chest. “May I introduce myself. My name is Oswyn Bloodspill” The mention of the house caused Varyn to narrow his eyes. “You are sworn to Mors Martell”, he said. “Why would you turn on him?”
Owsyn chuckled. “My family holds no love for the man who married a foreign, landless whore”, he stated harshly and Varyn took a deep breath. Tamor narrowed his eyes. “Have you checked him for weapons, Orik?”, he growled and the captain threw a confused glance at the former admiral. “Are you serious?”, he asked in return. “This is Varyn. Tamor, you know we can trust him”
“Have you?”, Tamor growled, as he glared at Varyn, who met the glare with one of his own. Orik sighed. “Yes”, he barked. “And now, no more of this. Nobody is more loyal to our people than Varyn and you know it!” Reluctantly, under the glare of both, Varyn and Orik, the admiral backed down. “Fine”, he said. “It can't be a bad idea to be careful in these days”
Ignoring him, Varyn turned back to Oswyn. “So, our group is backed by House Bloodspill?”, he asked and Oswyn gave him an enthusiastic nod. “And more”, he promised. “But none so powerful than my family. Mors Martell's decision to support Nymeria and even marry her has given him numerous enemies. Men like myself, who will not stand idle while he is about to destroy us all”
He glanced at the small man who sat next to Varyn on the chair. He was clad in decidedly less lavish robes than Oswyn, yet as he spoke, he still showed a certain culture in his voice. “General, it is my pleasure. My name is Zontar and I am here in the name of several merchants who have decided to back House Bloodspill in this conspiracy”
“A mere merchant?”, Varyn asked. “What would you have from indulging yourselves in such affairs” Zontar smirked. “Peace”, he said. “Stability. Nymeria seeks to end these things” He put a hand onto his chest. “I sell wine from the northern kingdoms, from the Reach and the Stormlands. My caravans pass through lands that belong to House Blackmont, House Manwoody and House Dryland. For now, they ignore Nymeria's declaration of war, but once she starts to pose a threat to them, do you think they would allow my men to pass through their lands?” He shook his head. “And I am not the only one. I deliver my goods to a local inn. The innkeeper depends on my wine to keep his customers happy. His neighbour is a blacksmith, who receives iron from the mines in the Red Mountains. They all buy meat from a man who feeds his cattle on the fertile plains that belong to House Toland”, he explained. “Trust me, it's not only the high lords who disagree with your princess and her actions. Nothing good will come from Nymeria's war”
Varyn gave him a nod. “This is something me and you agree upon”, he told him truthfully. “I tried to convince Nymeria of how futile her ambition is. The foolish girl refused to listen. She deserves your ire. And that is why I am here” He put his attention back to Oswyn. “Once we have disposed of Nymeria and her husband, what are your plans?”
Oswyn smiled proudly. “Naturally, House Bloodspill will take control of the Sandship. My uncle will install my father as its lord and me as its heir. The Rhoynar will need a new ruler, whom they shall elect themselves”, he explained. “Those of you that wish to stay are welcome to submit to the rule of House Bloodspill. Unlike your current ruler however, we will not force you to stay here. Admiral Tamor has expressed his desire to leave, so we shall support him with building a new fleet. But no matter how your people decide, there will always be friendship between them and House Bloodspill”
“This sounds like a noble offer”, Varyn said. “Are there any other influential men who are willing to support our conspiracy? You have me, there is House Bloodspill, the former admiral, a collective of merchants, but you know just as well as I do that we won't have more than one chance to kill her and Mors. We need further allies”
Oswyn gave him a nod. “Oh, we have them”, he assured him. “Trust me, our allies are more powerful than you might think” Varyn narrowed his eyes, as he forced himself to breathe calmly. “Whom?” he asked. This time, Tamor once again glared at him. The former admiral came closer, until Varyn stood directly between him and Orik. And Varyn realized that he suspected something. He had to change his strategy.
“Son of a...”, Tamor growled just as Varyn reached for the dagger in his sleeve. With a single movement, he cut through the admiral's neck, before using the same move to push the dagger into Captain Orik's throat just a second later. The man's eyes widened, but Varyn's expression remained a cold glare. Orik had been his friend, a man who had saved his life. But this man was dead to him, he had died the moment he revealed his part in this conspiracy. For the traitor he had just killed, Varyn felt nothing but hatred.
“What the…!”, Oswyn exclaimed and Varyn knew he had to act quickly now. He jumped over the bleeding admiral, who was on all fours and clutching the fatal wound on his neck. His hand grabbed Zontar the merchant by the throat and he dragged him between himself and Bloodspill's soldier, just as the man had raised his crossbow.
“What the fuck!”, Oswyn screamed, now in a state of panic. In his arms, Zontar began to breathe rapidly. “Oh no...”, he gasped. “Oh gods no...” Apparently, he was quicker to realize what had happened. And he was completely aware of how disposable he was. Holding him as a human shield, Varyn glared at the soldier. “Come on, traitor”, he barked. “Shoot, I dare you”
“What is happening?”, Oswyn demanded to know with a shrill voice, as he looked at the dead Captain Orik and the dying Admiral Tamor. “What are you doing?” Varyn coldly glared at him. “You think you're safe”, he spat. “You think this was a perfect plan, that you had it all figured out, that nothing could go wrong” He shook his head. “You just made one mistake, when you dared to question my loyalty” Panicked, Oswyn looked at his soldier. “What are you waiting for?”, he gasped. “Shoot him!” The man gulped. “I can't get a clean shot, Ser”, he said.
In Varyn's arms, Zontar squirmed. “Please...”, he begged and looked up at the general. “Please, no, I don't want to die! I only wanted peace. Please don't kill me, just let me go, I am no threat to anyone, I promise I will keep quiet about this, plea...” He was cut off when the crossbowman took the shot. As Varyn had expected it, the bolt hit Zonat instead of him, entering the merchant's right eye and stopping when it reached the back of his head. Now, without hesitating, he let go of the corpse, raised his dagger and threw it at the soldier. He felt grim satisfaction when the weapon entered the man's chest, causing him to fall to the ground.
Oswyn's eyes widened, as he raised his hands. “Oh no...”, he gulped and Varyn spotted a dark, wet stain on the man's trousers. “I… I… I… we, can… work something out, I have information...” He glanced at the crossbow, which had fallen onto the desk when Varyn had killed the soldier.
All of a sudden, something unexpected happened. A massive figure raised from the ground, grabbing Varyn at the collar with a roar of anger, of hatred. Admiral Tamor, bleeding out but still alive, pushed the far lighter general against the wall. Varyn was unable to stop the admiral in his rage.
“Traitor!”, he screamed at the top of his lungs. “Traitor! You have always been a traitor! Garin would still be alive if it wouldn't be for you. A coward, a traitor! You should have led your men to battle, you should have helped our prince! We lost the war thanks to you, we lost our home thanks to you and you have the nerve to pose as a hero? Coward!”
For just a moment, Varyn was stunned by the accusations, before he himself was overwhelmed with anger. He raised his hand, pushing the fingers into Tamor's left eye socket, where he heavily squeezed the eye. Bellowing in agony, the admiral's grip got weaker and as Varyn pulled his hand back, he held the eyeball still in his fingers.
Gasping in shock and finally having lost enough blood, Tamor collapsed, clutching the lethal wound on his neck and the far less lethal but far more painful wound on his face. This time, Varyn left the dying man, as he charged at Oswyn. The young nobleman had used the momentary distraction Tamor had given him to reach for the crossbow.
A skilled soldier would have reloaded and fired the weapon by now. Bloodspill however was just finished with the former task as Varyn reached him. He pushed the crossbow aside, the bolt flying far past him and hitting the ceiling, as he gave Oswyn a heavy punch against the throat. The nobleman collapsed, dropping the crossbow, as he clutched his throat, desperately gasping for air.
His eyes narrowed and a terrifying glare on his face, Varyn grabbed the sobbing Oswyn, pulling him over to the washing tub right behind him. “Who else is involved in the conspiracy?”, he growled. With what little defiance he had left, Bloodspill glared at him. “I will tell you nothing!”, he spat and just as he opened his mouth again, Varyn pushed his head into the tub.
He held him there until Bloodspill began to flail around, his arms weakly hitting the wood of the tub and Varyn's body. As he pulled him up again, any sign of defiance had faded from the young man's eyes, as he gasped for air. “Who else is involved in the conspiracy?”, he repeated his question, notably louder this time.
“Nobody!”, Bloodspill tried to claim, but Varyn instantly pushed him below the water again, holding him for a bit longer this time. “Who else?”, he barked and Oswyn was sobbing as he pulled him up again. “Cap...”, he gasped. “Captain Vosk” Varyn narrowed his eyes. “The captain of the castle guard”, he mumbled. “It seems I have to replace him. Who else?”
Bloodspill shook his head. “Those are all I know, I swear, I don't know anyone else!”, he begged, but Varyn knew no mercy. He pushed the young man below the water again and held him longer than before. “WHO ELSE!”, he screamed at the top of his lungs and Bloodspill screamed as well, not in anger, but in naked fear.
“Wait, wait!”, he gasped, between two desperate breaths, before Varyn pushed him into the tub again. “Why?”, he exclaimed as he was able to breathe again and this time, Varyn narrowed his eyes. “Why?”, he growled and Oswyn nodded desperately. “Why are you still loyal to her?”, he asked, as he tried to regain his breath. “Garin was your prince. She is a usurper”
Varyn narrowed his eyes. Without any mercy, he pushed the young man under the water again, but only briefly this time, before he pulled him up again. As he continued to speak, his voice was cold and filled with anger. “Garin was my prince and I would have followed him to hell and back”, he snarled. “I loved him more than you could ever imagine. I will not dishonour his memory by betraying his successor!”
Oswyn's eyes widened. “But you hate her!”, he said. “You criticized her for her decision, you did in in public and everyone was able to hear it! How can you be loyal to a woman you don't even like?” He let out a short scream, which was quickly drowned by the water, as Varyn pushed him below again.
“Loyalty!”, the general roared. “It is the pillar of my life. The one thing I will never give up on. Loyalty to my people and to my princess. It doesn't matter if I like her, or even respect her. She is my leader, just like Garin was. I will follow her now and forever, no matter what she orders me to do. I will criticize her, I will disagree with her, but never, NEVER will I betray her!”
Though Oswyn began to flail around and against the tub, Varyn continued to hold him down in naked anger. “But what does a worm like you know about loyalty, a rat?”, he screamed. “You have no honour, no loyalty. Your life is worth nothing!” Below the water, he heard the young man's desperate screams, but Varyn did not stop. “Loyalty goes beyond personal affection, beyond agreement. Without loyalty, I am nothing. And you…” He pulled him up again. “WHO ELSE?”, he barked.
This time, he noticed that there would be no answer. Oswyn Bloodspill's body had gotten limp. His eyes were opened widely in the fear he felt as he died. With disgust at the dead body, Varyn let go of him and he sank back into the washing tub he died in.
With a sigh, Varyn himself turned around, leaning against the wood. This was it. There would be no other names. If Oswyn even knew any, his knowledge had died with him. But this was not the end of the conspiracy. Varyn felt naked anger rising inside of him as he thought of this. Vorn, captain of the castle guard, would be his next target. The man would confess to the princess and then…
His glance fell upon the corpse of Captain Orik and for the first time in this night, Varyn felt a sting of regret. They had been friends, once. He could never be friends with a traitor, but once, Orik had been a brilliant man, a war hero and a loyal soldier. A man he considered a friend. Even Tamor had been different once. And not for the first time, Varyn had to ask himself how many good men and women Nymeria's war would claim. A foolish war, started by a foolish leader. But even now, he could never betray her. Tamor had been right with one thing. It was his fault that Garin died. And Nymeria was his punishment.
With a groan of discomfort, General Varyn of Chroyane pushed himself up, away from the tub. He sighed bitterly. “There's a lot to do”, he mumbled to himself.
Man, I love this H&L for two reasons. Firstly, it brings a lot of depth to the conspiracy plotline, which will be part of Nymeria's story for quite a long time. And secondly, it really shows what kind of character Varyn is. I mean, I have managed to bring out some of his character traits in the main story, but this truly shows what kind of man he is. Thanks once again, for another great H&L part!
I am so glad you enjoy it
As you know, this one was planned for a long time and I am happy I finally found the time to write it all down! I enjoyed showing things from Varyn's perspective for once, which I guess shows some aspects of him he might not be all that open about in Nymeria's parts. That said, I absolutely love the way you're writing him in these parts as well! And actually, I have gotten the idea for another H&L from his perspective. We'll see when I manage to write it down, but it is something I'll tell you more about very soon.
Haha I'm glad you like them
It sucks since I have alot to say and speculate about especially with what has happened to Jamison and Isabella in their storylines. But I would be all day typing that on my phone 
Plus I can't really work on H&L's either. Anyway, I am getting a new laptop soon so my long comments will be back soon enough!
Remember to check out the Varyn H&L above!^^
-
Nealia
Nealia walked into Illor's tent, seeing Illor and Broden sitting there around a lit lantern, both of them with mugs of something in their hands. As Nealia stepped in they turned their eyes at her, and especially Illor looked quite surprised.
"Nealia, I wasn't expecting you", he said with slightly baffled tone, and Nealia raised her eyebrow. "Well, am I welcome?" She asked with a snarky tone, and Illor chuckled. "Of course, just sit down", he replied, and Nealia did.
However, as she sat down, Broden stood up. "I think I'll leave you two alone", he muttered with a clearly drunken voice, and tottered out of the tent.
"What exactly have you two been drinking?" Nealia asked with amused tone, and Illor handed him the bottle. "It's Braavosi rum", he said with a smirk. "Mind you, it's mostly Broden who has been drinking. I merely drink it for the taste."
"Yeah right", Nealia replied skeptically, and Illor chuckled softly. "Taste it if you don't believe me", Illor challenged, "It's delicious!"
Nealia put the bottle on her lips, and took a small sip. It wasn't the worst beverage she had ever tasted, but far from the tastiest. "Ugh, I prefer some Arbor Gold or Starfall's red", she said, passing the bottle back to Illor, who shook his head with a grin on his face. "You and your wines", he said with an amused tone, taking a sip from the bottle himself. After that they were both quiet for a moment, and Illor looked at Nealia to the eyes. "What are you thinking?" He asked calmly, and Nealia let out a sigh.
"Just... what's coming", she said with a gulp, and Illor nodded. "Do you fear death?" He asked with a completely straight face, and Nealia was slightly taken aback by the question. "Of course I fear death", she finally muttered, turning her gaze down. "But it's not just that... I've just started to make new friends, found a new life..."
"That is the risk of this lifestyle", Illor said with a sigh. "I've had many friends in my life, and I've seen more of them than I can count fall in battle."
"Well, that should cheer me up", Nealia said sarcastically, and Illor smirked. "There is not much I can say to cheer you up now, Nealia, a battle is ahead of us", he said with a placid look on his eyes. "A battle that may claim hundreds of lives", he continued with a sigh, taking a gulp from his bottle.
"At least we're paid well", Nealia stated dryly, and Illor let out a small laugh. "At least we are paid well", he confirmed with his deep voice. For a moment they were silent, until Illor turned his eyes to Nealia again. "I'm glad you chose to spend this evening with me, Nealia, it means a lot", he said quietly.
"You've been a real friend to me, Illor", Nealia replied with a small smile. "And if I have to die so far from my family, at least I want to spend my last evening with the closest thing to my father I can find", he added jokingly, causing Illor to chuckle again.
"I'd like to meet your father one day", he said calmly, and Nealia shrugged. "Don't know if that's ever going to happen, but I feel like he might like you", she spoke with a lazy tone.
"Really? An honorable knight like him would like a cutthroat like me?" Illor asked in a joking tone. Nealia raised an eyebrow for Illor's words. "You aren't that different in the end... he was just lucky enough to be born into a royal family", she said nonchalantly. They continued their conversation long into the night, until finally falling asleep, for their final rest before the battle that was ahead of them.
-
They had arrived to the hills west of Lemonwood in the afternoon, and started to wait for the ships to arrive. A Dalt scout who had dared to come too close to their camp had been captured, and later killed after he had refused to speak. Now the sun had already set, and full moon glowed behind the thin clouds.
Nealia sighed, looking at the small city of Lemonwood in the distance, and the bay next to it. The Dalt's clearly knew to expect an attack from the sea, as they had placed four galleys to form a small blockade on the bay. Nealia didn't know how big of a naval force exactly did Efran Sand have, but she surely hoped it would be enough to overcome those four ships of the Dalt's. Now Nealia turned her eyes to the western walls of the city, seeing many lit torches on the battlements.
Suddenly Nealia noticed Ying walking next to her. "Hello", she said awkwardly, and Ying gave her a nod. With a sigh, the YiTish woman spoke after a moment of silence. "I'm sorry, Nealia", she said with a stern tone. "I just wanted to say this, since it might be the last opportunity... I haven't been fair towards you."
"It's not a big deal", Nealia said truthfully. "Just make sure to apologize to your sister as well", she added, now turning her eyes to Ying. "Already did", she replied nonchalantly, and Nealia nodded to her. Then they both noticed something on the bay – seven ships approaching the four Dalt ships. "Looks like it's about to begin", Ying said quietly, and not long after that a loud horn echoed over the bay.
"Form up! Form up!" Ser Byrron Granit started shouting with his rough voice. Nealia and Ying both made their way to Tryden, as did the rest of the Rose Company. Nealia saw Illor standing next to Tryden, who had his back turned to Lemonwood, to face his own troops. Nealia took her place next to Lien and Manda, as did Ying.
"Rose Company, listen to me!" Tryden yelled, gathering the attention of his troops. "We follow one of Ser Byrron's units, they have the ladders", he explained calmly. "We climb to the battlements, clear those weak bastards from our way, and then we head into the city!" The Rose Company cheered for its leader, who nodded with an enthusiastic and blood thirsty look on his face. "Follow me!" He shouted, pointing towards the city with his battle axe.
And so they started to approach the city, following after a group of Ser Byrron's men who were carrying two ladders. Close to the Rose Company was also the White Elephant, with Jinora Ling, Sarina Tyrosos, Gauron Aerarys and Edric Thorne. As they got in range, Manda along with few other stopped to shoot arrows at the battlements. The makeshift barricades close to the wall were easily overcome, though the volleys of crossbow bolts brought some trouble. Nealia saw a bolt landing on the lower leg of Broden, considerably slowing him down. However, soon the ladders were being raised against the walls. They attacked widely across the western battlements, forcing the enemy to spread their forces thin. Some of Byrron's forces even made their way to the southern walls.
Nealia followed up the ladder behind Tryden and Ying, her heart beating faster and faster as she got closer to the end of the ladders. And then she was there, on the battlements of Lemonwood. She could see the whole city from there, it's dark dusty streets, the town square, the sept, and the castle watching over it all. She heard the bells of the sept ringing, and the sound of fighting all around her. It took a moment before one of the Dalt soldiers finally attacked her. She had both of her swords unsheathed, and she used them to deflect the spear that the Dalt soldier tried to thrust on her. After that she proceeded to kick the soldier on his hands, which made him drop his spear. Now it was an easy job for Nealia to move closer and slit the throat of the soldier.
She turned around, seeing Tryden fighting his way towards the stairs that would take them down to the city. More of their fighters kept coming up the ladders, and the Dalt forces on the wall started to get seriously outnumbered. Nealia saw Jinora take down two soldiers at the same time with her curved sabre, while the White Elephant threw someone down the wall.
As Nealia started to approach the stairs, Lien walked next to her. "Are you alright?" She asked loudly in middle of the cacophony of the battle. Nealia nodded to her, seeing that Lien's blades and clothes were tarnished with blood, though none of it seemed to be hers. As they reached the stairs, Lien pointed her sword towards the battlements near the western gate, slightly north of them. "Looks like our guys need help over there!" She yelled. Nealia looked at there, and Lien was right – clearly the takeover of the battlements hadn't gone as smoothly closer to the gates. However, Tryden had already gone down to the city, and the rest of the Rose Company was following after their leader.
[Follow Lien] [Follow Tryden]
Verro
Verro was at the oars in the flagship of Efran's small fleet. Dark Horse the ship was called, and it now sailed towards west on the bay that ended to the mouth of Greenblood. They however wouldn't sail that far, their destination was Lemonwood. Pull, pull, pull, Verro stayed in rhythm with the other oarsmen. This was familiar job for him from his days as a pirate, but it definitely wasn't something he had missed.
The sun had already set, and the full moon glowed behind the thin clouds on the night sky. Right next to Dark Horse sailed the smaller of the Ironborn longships, Lady Vengeance. Behind them came three of Efran's ships, Lady Elise, Bloody Lemon and Hellhound. Lastly, on the rear of the fleet were the bigger Ironborn longship, the Sea Reaper, as well as the smallest of Efran's ships, the Blue Flame.
Pull, pull, pull, feeling his arms aching, Verro was starting to hope the journey would soon be over, even if it meant the beginning of a bloody battle. Soon he saw Efran walking past him on the deck, as well as Malanos Vynos, the leader of the Thunder Crew. "I can see it!" Someone yelled, and Verro felt his heartbeat getting faster. The excitement and thrill of the fight would take over once the battle would begin, Verro knew this from experience, but right now all he could feel was fear. It was the first time after the storm that had wrecked his earlier life that Verro was genuinely fearing for his life. I guess it means I don't want it to end yet.
As they got closer Verro stepped away from the oars, and climbed up to the deck. Not much of Lemonwood could be seen from here, as it was largely behind a cliff that raised high on the beach. However, the harbor and the walls next to it could be seen, as well as the four Dalt ships that floated on the bay, ready to welcome them. "Archers ready!" Malanos Vynos yelled. "We'll be soon within the range!"
At the same time Lady Vengance went past the Dark Horse, charging towards the closest of the Dalt ships with full speed. Arrows started to rain on the Ironborn, who protected themselves with their wooden round shields. Verro grabbed his shield and swords as well, and he saw Efran unsheathing his Valyrian steel sword.
"To victory!" The Bandit Lord yelled, and the crew of the Dark Horse cheered for him, and someone blowed to a horn, which echoed loudly over the bay. Verro gulped nervously, grasping tightly to his sword. It wasn't his first battle, but he feared that it could be his last. "Nock!" Malanos shouted, and the archers followed his command. Verro closed his eyes, raising his shield up and praying to all gods he knew. "Draw!" Verro could hear the warcries and clashing of swords from a distance – apparently Lady Vengeance had reached one of the Dalt ships. "Hold!" He opened his eyes, just in time for the first volley of arrows to hit the Dark Horse. No arrow came close to Verro, but he saw few of the archers go down. "Nervous?" Verro suddenly heard the voice of Nesila next to him. He gave the Myr woman a subtle nod, and then Malanos shouted again. "Loose!" And so the archers sent their first volley towards the Dalt's.
"Infantry to the prow!" Efran commanded, and so Verro and Nesila among the rest of the infantry made their way past the archers, into the prow of the ship. Verro constantly kept his shield up, anxiously waiting for the arrows of the enemy. Now he saw clearly the enemy they were approaching. It was a galley, carrying probably around fifty to sixty troops. Next to it was another one about as large, though that one was under attack by the crew of Lady Vengeance. More to right from these two ships were two smaller galleys, and it looked like Lady Elise and Bloody Lemon were approaching those, while the Hellhound was following after Lady Vengeance.
"Shields up, volley coming!" Verro heard the voice of Malanos yelling, and he immediately raised his shield above his head. And soon, he felt an arrow dashing against it, and another landing on the deck right next to his left foot.
"Ready for impact!" Efran yelled, and couple seconds after that they rammed against the enemy ship, while their archers sent another volley towards the enemy. "Charge!" Efran screamed, and Nesila was among the first to rush to the deck of the enemy ship. Efran wasn't much after her. Verro took in a deep breath, and screamed as he started to charge towards the enemy. As he jumped over the edge to the Dalt ship, he noticed how crowded it was. The fighting was going on, but there was hardly room to swing a sword. Thus much of the fighting had reduced into mere wrestling.
Verro punched the first Dalt soldier he saw to the face with his shield, sending him stumbling backwards. The soldier sinked into the crowd, and Verro turned to face the next one. This one he manage to slash with his sword. These soldiers were very lightly armored, probably in the fear that they would fall from the ship, so one slash was enough to cut them open.
Verro advanced further to the deck of the ship, following after Nesila, who took down Dalt troops left and right. The ship was filled with the clashing of steel and screams of agony, and blood streamed on the wooden surface of the deck. Many were pushed to the sea, and even more cut down to bleed to death on the deck.
As the last Dalt men jumped to the sea, Efran's men erupted to chanting and cheering for the successful takeover of the ship. After a moment they calmed down, to observe who had survived and who had fallen. Verro noticed quickly that among the fallen was Malanos Vynos. Efran noticed this as well, and looked to be angered by it. However, the Bandit Lord quickly made his way to the bow of the ship, raising his shining sword up. "The battle is far from over, brothers and sisters!" He yelled, and the men nodded and mumbled in agreement. "Now, dump the dead to the sea, and get ready for landing. We will take the longboats and row to the harbor, and take it over!" He yelled, once again receiving cheers from the soldiers.
Verro could see fighting on the other ships still going on. And as he looked behind, he saw the Sea Reaper and the Blue Flame landing on the beach next to the harbor. Then Verro turned his gaze on his sword, seeing the fresh blood running down the blade.
"Hey, little help here!" Nesila's yell woke Verro from his thoughts, and he turned his eyes to see the Myr woman dragging a sizable body towards the edge. Verro went quickly to help, and together they tossed the body to the sea. "Good to see you survived", Nesila said with a mild grin, and Verro let out a sigh. "It's not my first battle", he replied quietly, and Nesila nodded. "I know, but look at Malanos – he had likely fought in over a hundred battles before this one, and yet he fell", she spoke with serious words, and Verro gulped. "All I'm saying is... stay sharp out there." With these words Nesila went to help someone else with the bodies.
Soon they lowered down the longboats, and started to row towards the harbor. In the dim moonlight Verro could see units of spearmen waiting for them at the shore, and once again his heart started to beat faster. As they got closer to the harbor, they started screaming their battlecries, and the Dalt men answered in their screaming.
Then they reached the harbor, and raised to the harbor that was paved with polished stone. The spearmen charged against them, trying to push them back to the sea. And in many cases they were successful, as many of Efran's men were either penetrated by the spears, or simply pushed to the sea or the boats that they had just raised from. Verro however managed to dodge the spear that was meant for him, and he slammed the spear with his sword, disarming the spearman. That particular soldier retreated, but Verro slammed himself against the next one, thrusting his sword under the man's half helm, causing him to scream in agony and fall on his knees.
Nonetheless, they were in trouble, as the line of spearman didn't seem to stand down, but rather kept pushing them back to the sea. However, reinforcements arrived soon, as the Ironborn crew of Lady Vengeance came to the harbor. The Ironborn fought like madmen, charging against the spearmen with their axes and screaming from the bottom of their lungs. Many of them fell, but more importantly, they managed to break the lines of the enemy, scattering their forces and making them retreat towards the gate of the harbor.
"Hold it!" Efran shouted, as some of his men were about to chase after the retreating men. "Let them go! The Hellhound should bring a ram and some ladders. Now, dump the dead to the sea, and raise some of the longboats ashore, so we can use them to protect the ram."
Verro could now hear the bells from inside the city, and he could see the castle of Lemonwood standing above the town. Slightly to the east Verro could see the crews of the Sea Reaper and the Blue Flame getting up the walls of the city with grappling hooks. Sounds of fighting could also be heard from the western battlements of the city.
After a few minutes Hellhound's crew arrived, with them a ram and few ladders, as well as grappling hooks. Meanwhile the Dalt troops that had been defending the harbor had retreated back inside the walls, and the gate had been closed behind them.
"We need more men for the ram!" Verro heard the voice of Nesila. He was about to go there already, but then he heard Efran's voice from the left. "More men for the ladders!" He yelled. Verro looked at the ram and the ladders, wondering which one should he go for.
[Go for the ram] [Go for the ladders]
Man, the battle has finally started, and is awesome. Still...any bad choice could condemn a character we like, any way.
[Follow Lien]
I think is more important to ensure their men finish that resistance before going full force at the castle.
[Go for the ram]
A ram is a very important thing to break through a castle, I don't know if the defenders have oils or big rocks, and being in the ladders leaves you more exposed.
Just my opinion.
[Follow Tryden]
[Go for the ladders]
[Follow Lien]
She should help their struggling comrades. They can go down and help with the city's takeover afterwards.
[Go for the ram]
The ram is highly important in order for the siege of the castle to be successful. There needs to be enough strong people to operate it. Plus, I'm sure a lot of men are going for the ladders anyways since Efran just said they need more there. We need to make sure the ram has enough people to operate it.
[Follow Lien]
I think Tryden is in less need of help. He has the majority of the Rose Company with him and in the end, Nealia is just one fighter. There is not much she can do to support him. However, Lien has a point with going to the battlements. By securing them, Nealia might ultimately even be of help for Tryden and the Rose Company. If the battlements fall, then surely the main bulk of the company could get flanked, which would lead to massive death. So, I see a good reason there to follow and help Lien, as this might make things a lot easier for the entire company and the battle of Lemonwood. On top of that, I trust Tryden with not putting himself into unnecessary danger, but Lien is clearly not as pragmatic as him and she might bite off more than she can chew if Nealia does not help her.
I also just noticed how absolutely terrifying the White Elephant must be in battle
Just imagine that guy with a freaking elephant head as a helmet throwing some poor defender down the walls. I never thought elephants could be scary, but just imagening that scene proved me wrong.
[Go for the ram]
I see both as good choices and actually would have almost chosen the ladders, but to be fair, there is no reason not to choose the ram either. Tales has a point that many will follow Efran's orders, maybe leaving the ram even more outnumbered. On top of that, I think it might be a bit less dangerous for Verro himself, as the ladders are likely going to be targeted far more than the ram.
[Follow Lien]
[Go for the ram]
Voting is closed!
And so the Battle for Lemonwood has begun! Nealia will follow Lien, and help the forces of Efran finishing the resistance on the western battlements. I can reveal already that it won't be just Nealia and Lien who will go there
Anyway, with this choice Nealia separates from her leader. However, it's questionable if Tryden will even notice this in the heat of the battle.
Verro on the other hand will go for the ram. As you pointed out, it will probably be a safer position than the ladders, and the ram has a very important job to do.
On the next part we will stay in the Battle for Lemonwood, though this time we'll see it from Dianna's perspective, as she storms the city with Bjorn Harlaw's Ironborn crew. Should be exciting
And the part is almost ready, I'll probably post it within an hour or two.
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Oh, and this time I have a little different kind of art for you. I have drawn a sort of concept art for Hellgate Hall!
Why you ask? Well, mainly just because Hellgate Hall is a location that we know very little about in the canon, yet it's a very important location in this story. Also, try to find any fanart about Hellgate Hall - you'll find nothing. So, here's my little contribution on that, Hellgate Hall, with the river Brimstone flowing calmly next to it: