Dalia sat next to the bed that injured Mizro was laying in. He had been hit in the head with a mace, but his helmet had saved him. He was fine, probably just a week and he would once again be in condition to fight. Still, seeing Mizro in this state made Dalia think – he could've died. Dalia had taken the friendship of his former lover for granted, not even considering the possibility of him dying, even if she constantly remembered to worry for the life of their daughter.
"You don't have to sit there watching me", Mizro said with a weak and tired voice. "I mean, it's touching and all, but I'm fine."
"I know you are", Dalia said dryly, giving him an indifferent glare. "I'm here to talk about something."
"I'm not really in a talking mood", Mizro replied lazily, and Dalia sighed. "I don't care about your mood, this is important", she said strictly, and slowly Mizro turned his gaze to her. "Well, what is it?" He asked unenthusiastically.
"It's about what we found during the battle, me and Desirea", she begun, and already Mizro sighed like he didn't care about this at all. "Like I said, this important", Dalia insisted with a mildly irritated tone.
"Alright, I'll listen", Mizro said tiredly. Dalia took a deep breath before continuing. "This witch called Valerie Sand, she controlled a dozen soldiers with her dark magic, completely stripping all of them from their free will, using them like puppets to defend her while she ran away. An inside the house she had done some nasty rituals, including human sacrifices." This made Mizro raise his eyebrow with a confused and mildly shocked expression on his face. Dalia ignored him and kept talking. "Someone with that kind of power and disregard for innocent lives is extremely dangerous as long as she is alive and free."
"And Desirea is going after her?" Mizro asked, a touch of concern in his voice, and Dalia nodded. "There is nothing I could say to her to make her give up on her mission", she answered with a sigh. For a moment they were both silent, until Mizro narrowed his eyes an spoke up again.
"And now you're thinking about going with Desi", he stated rather than asked. "Of course I am", Dalia answered harshly. "She needs someone to protect her."
"I understand, but you are the leader of the Wild Suns, Dalia", Mizro remarked calmly, which made Dalia sigh. "More importantly, I am the mother of Desirea", she replied strictly. Mizro nodded in a calming manner before speaking up again. "True, but you can send anyone to go with her", he said now.
"And who is going to defend her as fiercely as I do?" She asked sternly. "Who is ready to give their lives for her if needs be?"
"That Belan guy seems pretty eager to protect her", Mizro answered with a shrug, and Dalia just chuckled joylessly. "Belan is fourteen – one year older than Desi herself. And he just lost his father."
"Well, that should make him all the more motivated to kill the enemies of R'hllor", Mizro said with an uncaring tone. Dalia rolled her eyes. "You can't be serious", she said cynically, raising her eyebrow.
"Alright, you'll do as you please, as always", Mizro said with a sigh. "Just remember, if you abandon the company during the war, you might not be welcomed back as a leader when you return."
Dalia stood up from her chair, giving one last glare at Mizro. "I'll keep that in mind", she said coldly, and proceeded to walk out of the room. As much as it annoyed her, Dalia knew Mizro had a point. She was the leader of the Wild Suns, her duty was to lead them. But what is duty compared to the life of my daughter?
Dwelling in these thoughts, Dalia made her way to the chambers that had been given to her daughter. By the door she saw Belan the Brave standing in guard. The young boy had a grim expression on his face.
"Belan", Dalia said softly, and the boy turned his gaze to her. "Yes, Commander Dalia?" He answered with a stiff voice, and Dalia let out a compassionate sigh. "You don't have to take guard duty now", she said gently. "You have lost someone important, no one will judge you for resting now, mourning your father."
"No", Belan said strictly. "I'll continue guarding Desirea... it's what my father would've wanted." Dalia nodded quietly to the boy's words, knowing she couldn't change his mind. "Alright, just... stay strong", Dalia said, and Belan gave her a tense nod. Without further ado, Dalia opened the door and stepped into her daughter's chambers. She hadn't seen Desi much these past few days, due to her being busy with the company, while Desi herself had been busy helping the healers take care of the injured, as well as talking with Lady Myra and her son to make sure they weren't under any dark magic of Valerie Sand. Now Dalia found Desirea reading her massive book about the servants of Great Other. However, she did raise her gaze from the book as Dalia stepped in.
"Anything useful on that book?" Dalia asked casually. Desi let out a tired sigh, turning her eyes back to it. "Hardly anything", she said quietly. "Sometimes I feel like the man who wrote this book never actually encountered a single servant of the Great Other." With these words she closed the book, and turned her dark eyes to her mother again. Dalia sat down next to her, an observant look in her eyes.
"So, what are you thinking?" She asked softly, and Desi took a moment to answer. "Every day we wait here, Valerie gets further away", she said with quiet and serious words. Dalia nodded calmly. "I understand," she replied to her daughter, "but my father will arrive in just a day or two. Then I'll know where will the Wild Suns head next, and I can make my decision."
Dalia could see the disappointment in her daughter's eyes, but still she just nodded calmly to her. "I know", Desi said with a wistful sigh. "And part of me would never want to go after that monster anyway... but I know I must, no matter how much I fear."
"Perhaps there could be some other way", Dalia suggested carefully. "If you would return to Volantis and tell the red priests about the situation..."
"No", Desi cut her off, her voice full of determination. "This is my mission, and I will see it to its end."
"Well, you are about as stubborn as Belan", Dalia said with a soft chuckle, and Desi raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" She asked with confusion.
"About Belan? I just tried to tell him to take some rest, but he refused", Dalia answered, and now Desi closed her eyes in frustration. "I already told him he doesn't need to stand in guard today", she said, and Dalia let out a small laugh.
"I think the boy has a crush on you", she teased, which just made Desi roll her eyes. "Mother, please. Belan just lost his father, you shouldn't make jokes", she said, and Dalia smirked slyly. "Who said I was joking?" She asked, and now Desi just shook her head with an embarrassed expression on her face.
"Are you coming to Kris' ceremony?" Dalia asked softly, changing the topic for the relief of her daughter. "I suppose I should", Desi answered with a sigh, and Dalia raised her eyebrow. "Is there something else you need to do?" She asked calmly.
"I was planning to go visit the purple-eyed warrior that was under the control of Valerie", Desirea answered, and Dalia nodded. "I heard the guy is actually a prince from Starfall", Dalia stated nonchalantly.
"Yes, his name is Jamison Dayne", Desirea replied casually. "I've been helping the old healer take care of him, but I have yet to question him about how exactly did Valerie took him under her control."
"I see", Dalia said softly, standing up again. "Well, you still have time to go meet him before the ceremony", she added, now walking towards the door. "Well, I should go now, see you later dear."
Desirea nodded quietly to her mother's words, opening her book again. Dalia walked out of the chambers, and started to make her way towards the courtyard, where she believed some of her captains to be. However, before she made it there, she met Lord Kris at the hallway of the main keep. The Lord of Vaith had the old man named Henry with him, but he quickly shifted his gaze to Dalia as she approached him.
"Nice hair", Dalia quipped with a smirk, referring to the tips of Kris' hair that had been dyed orange. "Mother's idea", Kris replied dryly, giving Dalia a small smile. She eyed him for a moment, trying to figure out what was going on in his mind right now, behind those beautiful green eyes. Dalia knew Kris had decided to show mercy to his former wife, which had surprised her, even if by now it was clear she had never been the one to meddle with Kris' mind. At least not with magic.
"You met with your son yet?" Dalia asked casually, and Kris gave her a small nod. "He doesn't really remember me", he said with a sigh. "But... I hope I can still be a good father to him."
"Of course you can, mylord", Henry joined the conversation with a relaxed tone, tapping his lord on the shoulder. "You still have many years with Nickon."
"I agree with the old man", Dalia said softly. "It's not too late for you to be a father to your son." She spoke from experience, having been away from Desirea's life for most of her childhood. Kris clearly realized that, and gave her an approving nod.
"And what about Lady Myra?" Dalia asked, and the expression on Kris' face got tense. "Is she... doing alright?"
"She is in fine health, just... shocked, about all that's happened", Kris answered quietly. For a moment they were both quiet, just looking at each other. After a couple seconds Henry cleared his throat. "I'll wait outside", he mumbled, quickly walking away from the scene.
Dalia stepped closer to Kris, an intense look on her eyes as she gazed him. "Do you still love her?" Dalia asked quietly. The look on Kris' eyes was uncertain, and he took a moment with his answer. "I don't know, Dalia", he finally said with a weak tone. "I'm conflicted. I have a duty for this city, for my people, and especially my son. But at the same time, I am a servant of R'hllor." Kris looked at Dalia pleadingly, as if he was begging for her advice.
[Advice him to stay with his family][Advice him to serve R'hllor][Tell him he must make the decision himself]
Hnngh, it is amazing how much I like Desi now. I feel terrible for not seeing it right away and for misjudging her so severely Really though, out of this duo, she was always the one I found harder to hate. In fact, I now have this theory that Gwendis' survival, undeniably my main and only true goal when it comes to the entire R'hllor/Great Other conflict in this chapter (though taking down Aisha, Wesley, Valerie and potentially their extended family and friends is on my list as well), could be closely linked with Desi's survival. I fully notice how ironic this is. Initially, I wanted nothing more but to kill her before she could become a danger, but the more I see of her and everyone else, I realize that she is the least dangerous person in this entire conflict. Well, maybe aside from Trentan, but being ridiculously out of his league is sort of his appeal in this situation. There's Aisha, Wesley, Valerie, Minesa and Dalia. Even Kris is surely not without danger, though I think the only thing that makes him more dangerous than Desi is his skill with a sword. Other than that, I consider him my second favourite character from Dalia's storyline, even if he has a storyline of his own by now. That makes him my third or fourth favourite character of this entire conflict, after Gwen herself, Desi and probably Trentan. I feel really invested in his conflict here and this was an interesting choice to make. I just hope he can truly be of help. Recently, I had this terrible thought that I am horribly off with my plan. It could work out, that sounds logical, but I have no doubt that there will be a twist as well. I just hope that the effort I put into actually raising Gwendis' chances won't cause the opposite, when Dalia or Kris cut her down without mercy, or even just by accident. Save to say, that would be the worst posible outcome I consider it unlikly though, because all things considered, the Great Other side in this conflict is way more dangerous and brutal, as well as less likely to show any sort of mercy.
[Tell him he must make the decision himself]
And well, it is another of these choices. It seems that Dalia is almost set about leaving with Desi, with only a little bit of doubt left and maybe this choice can push her into one direction or the other as well. That said, in her case, staying with her family and serving R'hllor are one and the same thing basically, so I am not so sure about that either. The thing is, I would love to outright advice him to go with Dalia and Desi, because he is undoubtedly going to be incredibly valuable to this mission. As I stated last time and several times before, I consider Kris to be an important factor for Gwendis' survival when it comes to a confrontation between Desi and Aisha. He is probably not the only factor and given the right choices, might even be unneeded to achieve the ending I hope for, but he is surely going to make things easier. Given how crucial his presence has been to achieve a better fate for Jamison, I have even more reason to believe that this will be the case for Gwen as well. So, I was torn between this option and the R'hllor option. At the same time, I do believe that this is a choice only Kris himself can make. Dalia can give him advice, sure, but as much as I want him to choose R'hllor, if only so that he can hopefully prevent the worst, I mostly want him to make his own decisions. I mean, I certainly wouldn't object to the R'hllor decision as well and on the positive side, it would probably make a later decision far easier, especially after we already made him doubt his own future path in his latest choice. So, if there is a tie, or if I change my mind, as I often do, then I would surely like to choose the R'hllor option. For now however, I think it is a nice thing for Kris to make his own decision. You know I have my priorities very much in order here and really want for him to go with Dalia and Desi (especially as his presence would, oddly enough, help with making it easier for me to trust Dalia), but even then, I don't really feel comfortable with outright telling Kris what to do. Ah, I just hope that he and Dalia will both decide to go with Desi in the end. I think Dalia is more important than Kris, but have no doubt that he could make things easier, when it comes to a fight against Wesley or Gwen's survival. For now however, I think allowing him to make his own decision can achieve this just as well, if he decides for the right option later on. It also feels easier for me to make, though I am really tempted by the R'hllor option. Like, really tempted and I am low-key rooting for it as well
Dalia
Dalia sat next to the bed that injured Mizro was laying in. He had been hit in the head with a mace, but his helmet had saved him. … moreHe was fine, probably just a week and he would once again be in condition to fight. Still, seeing Mizro in this state made Dalia think – he could've died. Dalia had taken the friendship of his former lover for granted, not even considering the possibility of him dying, even if she constantly remembered to worry for the life of their daughter.
"You don't have to sit there watching me", Mizro said with a weak and tired voice. "I mean, it's touching and all, but I'm fine."
"I know you are", Dalia said dryly, giving him an indifferent glare. "I'm here to talk about something."
"I'm not really in a talking mood", Mizro replied lazily, and Dalia sighed. "I don't care about your mood, this is important", she said strictly, and slowly Mizro turned his gaze to her. "Well, what is it?" He asked unenthusias… [view original content]
Like Liquid, I also agree that Kris needs to make this decision for himself without trying to influence him one way or the other. While I want to see Kris reunite with his family and take his place as the rightful lord of Vaith, going with Desi and Dalia would no doubt lead to an exciting storyline and he could be the difference maker whether they can catch Valerie and eventually help Gwendis or not. Another factor that comes into play is Lucifer will soon be arriving to Vaith will an army and as the Lord of Vaith, he will have a decision to make about whether to help the Dryland's or not which make take his storyline that way. Either way, I am excited to see where Kris' storyline goes from here!
"I was planning to go visit the purple-eyed warrior that was under the control of Valerie", Desirea answered, and Dalia nodded. "I heard the guy is actually a prince from Starfall", Dalia stated nonchalantly.
"Yes, his name is Jamison Dayne", Desirea replied casually. "I've been helping the old healer take care of him, but I have yet to question him about how exactly did Valerie took him under her control."
From the sound of what Desi has said here, it seems that she has already talked to Jamison and this will be where his chapter 3 storyline will start. I am very excited for this as it will be interesting to see Jamison's opinion on Desi, his scar and everything that has just happened to him in Vaith. So safe to say I am look forward to this!
Dalia
Dalia sat next to the bed that injured Mizro was laying in. He had been hit in the head with a mace, but his helmet had saved him. … moreHe was fine, probably just a week and he would once again be in condition to fight. Still, seeing Mizro in this state made Dalia think – he could've died. Dalia had taken the friendship of his former lover for granted, not even considering the possibility of him dying, even if she constantly remembered to worry for the life of their daughter.
"You don't have to sit there watching me", Mizro said with a weak and tired voice. "I mean, it's touching and all, but I'm fine."
"I know you are", Dalia said dryly, giving him an indifferent glare. "I'm here to talk about something."
"I'm not really in a talking mood", Mizro replied lazily, and Dalia sighed. "I don't care about your mood, this is important", she said strictly, and slowly Mizro turned his gaze to her. "Well, what is it?" He asked unenthusias… [view original content]
[Tell him he must make the decision himself] I feel like Kris should really make this decision himself without any "outside" influence, this is a very personal matter after all.
Dalia
Dalia sat next to the bed that injured Mizro was laying in. He had been hit in the head with a mace, but his helmet had saved him. … moreHe was fine, probably just a week and he would once again be in condition to fight. Still, seeing Mizro in this state made Dalia think – he could've died. Dalia had taken the friendship of his former lover for granted, not even considering the possibility of him dying, even if she constantly remembered to worry for the life of their daughter.
"You don't have to sit there watching me", Mizro said with a weak and tired voice. "I mean, it's touching and all, but I'm fine."
"I know you are", Dalia said dryly, giving him an indifferent glare. "I'm here to talk about something."
"I'm not really in a talking mood", Mizro replied lazily, and Dalia sighed. "I don't care about your mood, this is important", she said strictly, and slowly Mizro turned his gaze to her. "Well, what is it?" He asked unenthusias… [view original content]
Dalia
Dalia sat next to the bed that injured Mizro was laying in. He had been hit in the head with a mace, but his helmet had saved him. … moreHe was fine, probably just a week and he would once again be in condition to fight. Still, seeing Mizro in this state made Dalia think – he could've died. Dalia had taken the friendship of his former lover for granted, not even considering the possibility of him dying, even if she constantly remembered to worry for the life of their daughter.
"You don't have to sit there watching me", Mizro said with a weak and tired voice. "I mean, it's touching and all, but I'm fine."
"I know you are", Dalia said dryly, giving him an indifferent glare. "I'm here to talk about something."
"I'm not really in a talking mood", Mizro replied lazily, and Dalia sighed. "I don't care about your mood, this is important", she said strictly, and slowly Mizro turned his gaze to her. "Well, what is it?" He asked unenthusias… [view original content]
[Tell him he must make the decision himself] Is not as if she knows better, I mean, she isn't more devote to the Red God than Kris is, so is better letting him choose.
Is good that Desirea isn't as fanatic as it first seemed, and it shows she can act like a normal girl if she isn't pressured. Clearly the burden of the God isn't as heavy with her as it is with Minesa and much later Melisandre.
Dalia
Dalia sat next to the bed that injured Mizro was laying in. He had been hit in the head with a mace, but his helmet had saved him. … moreHe was fine, probably just a week and he would once again be in condition to fight. Still, seeing Mizro in this state made Dalia think – he could've died. Dalia had taken the friendship of his former lover for granted, not even considering the possibility of him dying, even if she constantly remembered to worry for the life of their daughter.
"You don't have to sit there watching me", Mizro said with a weak and tired voice. "I mean, it's touching and all, but I'm fine."
"I know you are", Dalia said dryly, giving him an indifferent glare. "I'm here to talk about something."
"I'm not really in a talking mood", Mizro replied lazily, and Dalia sighed. "I don't care about your mood, this is important", she said strictly, and slowly Mizro turned his gaze to her. "Well, what is it?" He asked unenthusias… [view original content]
Dalia
Dalia sat next to the bed that injured Mizro was laying in. He had been hit in the head with a mace, but his helmet had saved him. … moreHe was fine, probably just a week and he would once again be in condition to fight. Still, seeing Mizro in this state made Dalia think – he could've died. Dalia had taken the friendship of his former lover for granted, not even considering the possibility of him dying, even if she constantly remembered to worry for the life of their daughter.
"You don't have to sit there watching me", Mizro said with a weak and tired voice. "I mean, it's touching and all, but I'm fine."
"I know you are", Dalia said dryly, giving him an indifferent glare. "I'm here to talk about something."
"I'm not really in a talking mood", Mizro replied lazily, and Dalia sighed. "I don't care about your mood, this is important", she said strictly, and slowly Mizro turned his gaze to her. "Well, what is it?" He asked unenthusias… [view original content]
Dalia
Dalia sat next to the bed that injured Mizro was laying in. He had been hit in the head with a mace, but his helmet had saved him. … moreHe was fine, probably just a week and he would once again be in condition to fight. Still, seeing Mizro in this state made Dalia think – he could've died. Dalia had taken the friendship of his former lover for granted, not even considering the possibility of him dying, even if she constantly remembered to worry for the life of their daughter.
"You don't have to sit there watching me", Mizro said with a weak and tired voice. "I mean, it's touching and all, but I'm fine."
"I know you are", Dalia said dryly, giving him an indifferent glare. "I'm here to talk about something."
"I'm not really in a talking mood", Mizro replied lazily, and Dalia sighed. "I don't care about your mood, this is important", she said strictly, and slowly Mizro turned his gaze to her. "Well, what is it?" He asked unenthusias… [view original content]
And Dalia will tell Kris that he must make the decision himself. Now, I will say that this wasn't really intended as Dalia making the choice for him anyway, just giving her advice, but I understand why you want to stay neutral here. Mostly this choice is just character building and affects the relationship of these characters, but Kris will still make his own decisions regardless of what Dalia says here.
Anyway, next we will take a break from Vaith, and go to Ghost Hill! And that of course means we'll have a Tomas PoV. In Chapter 2 Tomas returned to Ghost Hill after being a prisoner of the Martell's. Nymeria tasked him to convince his nephew Levor to take off his crown and make peace with the Martell's. This was what Tomas went to do, but Argim Taler did his best to stop him, trying to convince Levor to continue his father's war against Nymeria. However, Tomas managed to convince Levor, and Argim attempted to flee from Ghost Hill. However, being suspicious of the man's intentions, Tomas sent men to stop Argim, and bring him back to Ghost Hill. Argim was taken to the dungeons, where Tomas went to confront him. It came clear that Argim had loyalties to King Yorick Yronwood, and that he had been spying the Toland's for him. However, he refused to reveal anything about Yorick's plans, claiming he wouldn't betray his king. In his last choice of Chapter 2, Tomas decided to keep Argim alive and imprisoned.
The part will most likely be ready later today, and it should be pretty fun
-
And this time I present you, the portrait of Belan the Brave:
Voting is closed!
And Dalia will tell Kris that he must make the decision himself. Now, I will say that this wasn't really intended as Da… morelia making the choice for him anyway, just giving her advice, but I understand why you want to stay neutral here. Mostly this choice is just character building and affects the relationship of these characters, but Kris will still make his own decisions regardless of what Dalia says here.
Anyway, next we will take a break from Vaith, and go to Ghost Hill! And that of course means we'll have a Tomas PoV. In Chapter 2 Tomas returned to Ghost Hill after being a prisoner of the Martell's. Nymeria tasked him to convince his nephew Levor to take off his crown and make peace with the Martell's. This was what Tomas went to do, but Argim Taler did his best to stop him, trying to convince Levor to continue his father's war against Nymeria. However, Tomas managed to convince Levor, and Argim attempted to flee from… [view original content]
Tomas sat on his office, on the desk in front of him a scroll that had arrived in the morning, carried by a raven from the Tor. For what was probably the hundredth time, Tomas' eyes scanned through the message.
Lord Tomas Toland,
It has recently come to my knowledge that you have safely returned to Ghost Hill, after your captivity in the hands of the Martell's. I would have sent this message to your nephew, but I reckon it is better that an experienced and honorable man such as yourself receives these words, rather than a child.
The resistance of Toland's against the Martell's and their foreign friends has been admirable, but after the fall of King Donovar you have been left with little chances to protect yourselves against the tyranny of Princess Nymeria. House Toland and House Jordayne have had their wars in the past, but more often we have been allies. I believe this is something we should strive towards once again, to ensure that Nymeria and the Rhoynar invasion can be stopped.
It would be an honor to invite you to my halls in the Tor, so that we can discuss the future of our houses, and the coming war.
Seven blessings,
Terren Jordayne, Lord of the Tor
With a frustrated sigh Tomas raised his gaze from the parchment, tapping his fingers on the table nervously. He would have to inform Levor of this message soon, but before that he wanted to make sure he knew what would be the right move next. If he would rode to the Tor, he'd be at the mercy of the Jordayne's, and by extension King Yorick Yronwood. However, if he wouldn't give them any kind of response, they would take it as a sign that he has chosen to side with the Martell's.
Tomas' thoughts were interrupted, as the door of his office was knocked. "Come in", Tomas commanded tiredly, and soon the door opened. In walked the bald Braavosi with dark blue eyes and bald head, dressed in his dark clothes. Forovos Norvoshi flashed a smirk to Tomas, walking closer to the desk.
"My Lord", the keyholder said smoothly, giving him a small and elegant bow. Tomas sighed, a cynical look on his eyes. "What do you want?" He asked harshly.
"I have come to discuss about our dear friend Argim", Forovos replied slyly, pushing his fingers together. "Oh", Tomas said dryly, subtly pulling Lord Jordayne's message away from the desk. "What about him?"
"I just wanted to say you made a good decision keeping him alive", Forovos complimented. "However, I would like to ask what do you plan to do with him next?" Tomas took in a deep breath, considering his answer for a moment. He hadn't put much thought into Argim after his last visit to the dungeons.
"Sooner or later he will have to be killed, before Levor finds out about him", he finally answered, and Forovos nodded. "I agree", he said politely. "However, I believe there is still a lot we can learn from the man."
"I will try", Tomas replied sternly. "Though he didn't really seem eager to share his secrets the last time."
"Perhaps you need someone who is more... persuasive", the look on the keyholder's eyes was menacing as he said this, even if the tone of his voice remained calm and polite. "And who would that be?" Tomas asked quietly, seeing now a subtle grin forming on Forovos' face.
"Maybe I could be of use, my lord", he answered with a perfectly calm tone, but something about it sent shivers down Tomas' spine. "You?" He asked with a mildly confused tone, and Forovos nodded. "I have skills outside of mere loan peddling", he answered smoothly. "Perhaps you could take me to the cell of our mutual friend?"
For a moment Tomas remained silent, just observing this mysterious Braavosi in front of him with narrowed eyes. "You think you can make him talk?" He asked sternly, and Forovos nodded with a small smile on his face. "Fine then, let's go", Tomas said and stood up. The keyholder bowed to him once again, and together they made their way out of the office. In silence they walked through the keep, and into the dungeons.
The guards let Tomas past them without questions, and they walked into the cell of Argim Taler. The man looked remarkably weaker and dirtier than usually, still chained to the pole in the middle of the cell. Slowly he turned his gaze to Tomas and Forovos, a tired look on his eyes. Under those eyes were dark bags, his usually clean shaven face had a small stubble now, and his long hair was greasy and uncombed.
"How good of you to come see me again, Lord Tomas." Argim tried to speak with a snarky and confident voice, but it came out weak and frail. Tomas chuckled joylessly, looking at this weasel with disdain. "What a pleasure indeed", he replied sarcastically.
"And you brought Nymeria's man servant too, how great", Argim muttered, glaring at Forovos now. Tomas took a couple steps closer to the man in chains, staring him down with a cold and merciless look in his eyes. "There is nothing I'd enjoy more than to beat you to a bloody pulp, so you better not give me a reason", he growled, seeing now a hint of fear in Argim's eyes. "You'll answer when questioned, otherwise you'll keep your mouth shut."
"I already gave you my answer", Argim hissed. "I will not betray my King." Tomas raised his fist, ready to throw a punch. However, before he could do that, Forovos stopped him by grabbing his arm.
"Let me have a word with him", he said smoothly. Tomas lowered his fist, looking at Forovos with confusion. Then he nodded, and Forovos stepped past him and lowered himself to the level of Argim.
"Argim Taler", he said quietly, observing the man's face with great interest. Argim stayed silent, so Forovos kept talking. "You have a remarkable amount of loyalty for King Yorick Yronwood. But what is it that inspires your loyalty?" Quietly Forovos pulled a small dagger from his belt, moving it closer to Argim. "Is it love?" He asked, pressing the tip of the blade against Argim's chest. "Or is it fear?" Forovos continued, moving the blade to the neck of Argim, who closed his eyes now, breathing faster.
Forovos moved the dagger away from Argim, a subtle smile on his face. Argim opened his eyes, a tense look on them. "Why did King Yorick task you with spying the Toland's?" Forovos asked quietly. Argim gulped, clearly more hesitant with his words now. "I will not speak", he still insisted, and Forovos nodded calmly. Then he grabbed Argim's right hand, and pushed it against the cold stone floor of the dungeon. He pressed the tip of the dagger against Argim's little finger, staring him to the eyes with an intense glare.
"Why did King Yorick task you with spying the Toland's?" He repeated the question, his voice as calm and smooth as ever. Now Argim just shook his head, fear and panic in his eyes. Forovos started adding pressure, and the tip of the dagger started biting into Argim's finger, and he screamed in pain. For a couple second Forovos slowly pushed the dagger deeper, until finally Argim broke. "NO! I'll speak! I'll speak!" He screamed frantically, and Forovos raised the dagger, still the intense glare in his eyes. For a moment Argim caught his breath, looking at his bleeding little finger. "Speak", Forovos said coldly, and Argim nodded hastily.
"Yorick... He wants to expand his kingdom", he said glancing around nervously. Forovos raised an eyebrow, but didn't break his eye contact with Argim. "Go on", the Braavosi said quietly, and Argim gulped. He was clearly weighing in his mind if he feared more the immediate threat of Forovos or the anger of his masters in Yronwood. "He is being patient, waiting for the kingdoms around him to be weakened by the wars", Argim explained with shaky words. "He plans to spread his rule everywhere from Blackmont to Godsgrace, and to Ghost Hill."
"He will never rule over us", Tomas growled with anger, and now Argim shot a glare at him. There wasn't much arrogance left in his eyes, but it was still a spiteful glare. "You will see", he hissed, and before Tomas could reply, Forovos spoke up again.
"What are his plans for Ghost Hill specifically?" He asked with his calm voice. However, having regained at least part of his confidence, Argim just shook his head. "I will say no more", he said with quiet and determinant words. Without a warning, Forovos proceeded to cut off the little finger of his right hand. In shock and pain Argim screamed once again, blood streaming from stump of the finger.
"You will speak", Forovos stated nonchalantly, now moving the tip of the dagger on Argim's ring finger. "No! Please no!" Argim begged weakly, and Forovos nodded. "Speak", he said quietly.
"King Yorick, he... he has tasked the Jordayne's with the conquering of Ghost Hill", Argim now revealed, a fearful look on his eyes. Forovos narrowed his eyes, a pondering look on them. "And how will the Jordayne's do this?" He asked with his calm and unwavering persistence.
"The plan was to offer an alliance, and if that wouldn't work, then take it by force", Argim spoke with a defeated tone, turning his gaze to the floor. The man was clearly ashamed of having revealed his king's plans.
Forovos stood up now and put his dagger away. "Looks like you're going to have to prepare for another war, Lord Tomas", he said dryly, before turning his eyes to Argim again. "As for him... he has nothing more to offer – I would advise you to kill him." Argim didn't even protest at the words of the Braavosi. Perhaps he thought the situation was hopeless, or perhaps he preferred to die after betraying his king. Whatever his reasons, he stayed silent as grave, staring at the floor. "And after you're done, I can take care of the body – to make sure your nephew won't hear about this."
Tomas frowned, looking at Argim. Perhaps Forovos was right, perhaps this man had nothing more to offer and it was time to kill him. And Tomas certainly wouldn't lose his sleep over this weasel, but he had to wonder if there was something more Argim still knew, something that could be of use in the war to come.
You know, the one thing that made me somewhat hesitant to choose this is that I actually sort of enjoy Argim as a villain. It might just be my fondness for Lord of the Rings and anything that was inspired by it, but I do like that slimy bastard However, I believe being pragmatic is the better approach here. Argim has revealed his most valuable knowledge. Now, his presence will be a danger. If he is kept alive, Levor could learn of his presence in the cells and could decide that freeing him and giving him Tomas' position would be a good idea, that kneeling to Yorick Yronwood means getting vengeance for his father's death. Now, I probably wouldn't complain about keeping Argim around for longer, if only because Tomas is far from being my favourite and since Argim is entertaining, but all in all, I believe that it is the smarter choice to get rid of him now, before he becomes a danger later on. It has already been super risky to keep him alive so far and it paid off, but I don't think this will be a good approach for much longer.
Tomas
Tomas sat on his office, on the desk in front of him a scroll that had arrived in the morning, carried by a raven from the Tor. For… more what was probably the hundredth time, Tomas' eyes scanned through the message.
Lord Tomas Toland,
It has recently come to my knowledge that you have safely returned to Ghost Hill, after your captivity in the hands of the Martell's. I would have sent this message to your nephew, but I reckon it is better that an experienced and honorable man such as yourself receives these words, rather than a child.
The resistance of Toland's against the Martell's and their foreign friends has been admirable, but after the fall of King Donovar you have been left with little chances to protect yourselves against the tyranny of Princess Nymeria. House Toland and House Jordayne have had their wars in the past, but more often we have been allies. I believe this is something we should strive towards once again, to en… [view original content]
[Kill Argim] I'd say better get rid of a small problem before it turns into a complete mess. Argim already gave us crucial information, I pretty much doubt there's much more he knows.
Tomas
Tomas sat on his office, on the desk in front of him a scroll that had arrived in the morning, carried by a raven from the Tor. For… more what was probably the hundredth time, Tomas' eyes scanned through the message.
Lord Tomas Toland,
It has recently come to my knowledge that you have safely returned to Ghost Hill, after your captivity in the hands of the Martell's. I would have sent this message to your nephew, but I reckon it is better that an experienced and honorable man such as yourself receives these words, rather than a child.
The resistance of Toland's against the Martell's and their foreign friends has been admirable, but after the fall of King Donovar you have been left with little chances to protect yourselves against the tyranny of Princess Nymeria. House Toland and House Jordayne have had their wars in the past, but more often we have been allies. I believe this is something we should strive towards once again, to en… [view original content]
Tomas
Tomas sat on his office, on the desk in front of him a scroll that had arrived in the morning, carried by a raven from the Tor. For… more what was probably the hundredth time, Tomas' eyes scanned through the message.
Lord Tomas Toland,
It has recently come to my knowledge that you have safely returned to Ghost Hill, after your captivity in the hands of the Martell's. I would have sent this message to your nephew, but I reckon it is better that an experienced and honorable man such as yourself receives these words, rather than a child.
The resistance of Toland's against the Martell's and their foreign friends has been admirable, but after the fall of King Donovar you have been left with little chances to protect yourselves against the tyranny of Princess Nymeria. House Toland and House Jordayne have had their wars in the past, but more often we have been allies. I believe this is something we should strive towards once again, to en… [view original content]
[Kill Argim] I have to agree on this one with everyone else, since there's probably nothing more he knows and I seriously doubt the Yronwood's or the Jordayne's are willing to ransom him.
Tomas
Tomas sat on his office, on the desk in front of him a scroll that had arrived in the morning, carried by a raven from the Tor. For… more what was probably the hundredth time, Tomas' eyes scanned through the message.
Lord Tomas Toland,
It has recently come to my knowledge that you have safely returned to Ghost Hill, after your captivity in the hands of the Martell's. I would have sent this message to your nephew, but I reckon it is better that an experienced and honorable man such as yourself receives these words, rather than a child.
The resistance of Toland's against the Martell's and their foreign friends has been admirable, but after the fall of King Donovar you have been left with little chances to protect yourselves against the tyranny of Princess Nymeria. House Toland and House Jordayne have had their wars in the past, but more often we have been allies. I believe this is something we should strive towards once again, to en… [view original content]
Tomas
Tomas sat on his office, on the desk in front of him a scroll that had arrived in the morning, carried by a raven from the Tor. For… more what was probably the hundredth time, Tomas' eyes scanned through the message.
Lord Tomas Toland,
It has recently come to my knowledge that you have safely returned to Ghost Hill, after your captivity in the hands of the Martell's. I would have sent this message to your nephew, but I reckon it is better that an experienced and honorable man such as yourself receives these words, rather than a child.
The resistance of Toland's against the Martell's and their foreign friends has been admirable, but after the fall of King Donovar you have been left with little chances to protect yourselves against the tyranny of Princess Nymeria. House Toland and House Jordayne have had their wars in the past, but more often we have been allies. I believe this is something we should strive towards once again, to en… [view original content]
Tomas
Tomas sat on his office, on the desk in front of him a scroll that had arrived in the morning, carried by a raven from the Tor. For… more what was probably the hundredth time, Tomas' eyes scanned through the message.
Lord Tomas Toland,
It has recently come to my knowledge that you have safely returned to Ghost Hill, after your captivity in the hands of the Martell's. I would have sent this message to your nephew, but I reckon it is better that an experienced and honorable man such as yourself receives these words, rather than a child.
The resistance of Toland's against the Martell's and their foreign friends has been admirable, but after the fall of King Donovar you have been left with little chances to protect yourselves against the tyranny of Princess Nymeria. House Toland and House Jordayne have had their wars in the past, but more often we have been allies. I believe this is something we should strive towards once again, to en… [view original content]
Tomas will kill Argim. Well, I can reveal now that there could've been some minor perks from keeping him alive. However, in the long run it would've backfired, as Levor would've eventually found out.
Anyway, the next part will take us to a new location in the story - the Tor. That of course is the home of the Jordayne's, and we'll meet Lord Terren, whose message to Tomas we saw in the earlier part. And as you probably guessed already, this will be an Emerson PoV. In Chapter 2 he ended up siding with his uncle, Lord Morgan Allyrion, over his cousin Esperence. Learning of Esperence's plans, Morgan decided to send Emerson to the Tor with Lady Vita and Ser Niclas, seeking the help of his brother-in-law, Lord Terren Jordayne. I'll try to get the part done as soon as I can, which should be before the weekend is over.
Lady Vita, Emerson, Ser Niclas and the rest of the guards stood on a small hill, seeing the Tor about a mile to the north, standing proudly above the Sea of Dorne. Next to the white castle was a small town, and Emerson could hear the sounds of the town's folk on their daily chores. He turned to Vita, seeing in her eyes an amazed gaze, like she was looking at something otherworldly beautiful.
"Home", Vita muttered with a shaky voice, now turning her eyes to Emerson. "Are we home?" She asked with weak words, and Emerson gave her a nod. "Yes, mylady", he answered softly, a small smile on his face. He could only guess what was going through the mind of this broken woman, but for what Emerson knew Vita had both happy and painful memories of her childhood in the Tor. Morgan had once drunkenly told him and Esperence that Vita's father, Jorrel Jordayne, had been a despicable and evil man. For Morgan of all people to say that, Lord Jorrel must have truly been a monster. Emerson could only hope Lord Terren Jordayne was a better man than his late father.
"Shall we go, my lord?" Ser Niclas asked with a cold and impatient tone. Emerson gave him a silent nod, and they began to approach the castle. They rode past the town and up to the cliffs where the fort stood. Seeing the Allyrion banner's that the guards carried, the Jordayne's opened the gates for them. As they strolled into the courtyard, Emerson could see what looked to be the whole noble family waiting for them by the steps of the main keep. Emerson and Niclas dismounted their horses, and helped Vita down from hers, before approaching the Jordayne family.
In the middle stood a tall man with a robust body and a calm expression on his long face, his green eyes fixed first on Vita, and then on Emerson. His short dark hair was combed back, and he had thick mustache under his large nose. Lord Terren was wearing a dark green vest over a silk tunic of lighter green tone, and above them was a golden shash.
Next to the Lord stood his wife, a slender woman on her late forties with wavy blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She was dressed in a long silky dark blue dress, and the look on her eyes was somewhat shaken as she looked at Lady Vita.
Beside Lady Vita stood a broad shouldered man on his mid-twenties, who Emerson assumed was the heir of Lord Terren. He had the green eyes of his father, and a prideful gaze on them. He wore his dark hair very similarly to Terren, but his face was completely clean shaven. Holding the young man's hand and standing right next to him was a little girl, probably at the age of three or four. The little girl had blue eyes and a curly light brown hair. Next to the little girl was a beautiful young woman with similar hair and eyes, which made Emerson guess she was the wife of the heir, and the girl between them was their daughter.
On the other side of Lord Terren stood one more man, this one clearly younger than the heir, perhaps on his late teens – most likely the second son of Lord Terren. He had the blonde hair and blue eyes of his mother, but the sturdy built of a warrior like his father's. And on his youthful face was a bored expression as he shifted his gaze from Vita to Emerson to Niclas.
Emerson kneeled before Lord Terren, his gaze down on the man's boots. Niclas and the guards followed his example. "My Lord, it is an honor to meet you", he said with a humble tone.
"Rise, Emerson Allyrion", Terren said with calm and soft words, and Emerson obeyed, Ser Niclas and the guards doing the same after him. He now looked the Lord of the Tor to the eyes, seeing a slight smirk on his face. "The honor is mine, my friend", the lord continued now, offering his hand for Emerson, and after a split second of hesitation Emerson grabbed it. Lord Terren had a strong grip, one you would expect from a warrior. "Last time we met you were a little boy with a fearful gaze and rebellious spirit, and I was led to believe you were the bastard of my brother-in-law. Since then you've become a man, son of the late Lord Mason Allyrion, and the heir to Godsgrace. Life is full of surprises, isn't it?"
"Indeed, my lord", Emerson answered tensely, and Terren now turned to gesture towards the woman beside him. "Here is my lovely wife, Lady Ynys, the younger sister of King Yorick himself", he introduced, and Ynys gave Emerson a forced smile. "A pleasure to meet you", she said tonelessly, and Emerson gave her a small bow in return.
"My name is Artos Jordayne, the heir to the Tor", the young man next to Lady Ynys introduced himself, a subtle smile on his face. "Here is my wife, Lady Myranda, daughter of Lord Manfred Marcant, and our daughter Marissa." The girl turned to look at her father as her name was said, and Artos softly ruffled her hair.
"Nice to meet you", Emerson said awkwardly, giving them another bow. He turned his eyes to the last person who hadn't been introduced.
"Yoren Jordayne", the younger son said lazily, and Emerson settled to giving him a nod. As he turned his eyes to Terren again, he noticed that the lord had now shifted his attention fully to Lady Vita.
Emerson could see from those green eyes that seeing his sister was a troubling sight for Lord Terren. "I see you brought my sweet little sister home as well, just as Morgan promised in his letter." He spoke with a much more serious tone on his voice now, and Emerson gulped, nervous about Terren's reaction to Vita's state. Without saying anything more, Terren approached his sister, who looked at him with almost terrified expression.
"Vita... my sister, it has been a long time", he begun with a polite tone, carefully offering his hand for her. However, Vita just backed away from the hand, turning her eyes to Emerson now. "Who is he?" She asked with quiet and shaky words. Terren turned his gaze to Emerson and again, and the anger could be seen in his eyes.
"What is wrong with her?" He asked with quiet and tense words. "Did Morgan do something to her?"
"It was the wine, my lord", Emerson said with uncertainty in his words. "Ever since she lost her first son, before I was even born, she started drinking more and more over the years. Some even say it was because of her drinking that my cousin Emmett was born... different. A few years ago her state started to get worse than ever before, and she never came back from that. She forgets things that happened yesterday, or even today, but remembers clearly her childhood. She seems constantly shaken and separated from the reality, living in her own worlds." For some time Terren stayed silent, a pondering and irritated look on his eyes.
"Lord Morgan should've informed me of this", he said with a sigh, and Emerson nodded to him. "I am sorry, my lord", he said with a genuinely apologetic tone. "I know this must be a shock."
"It isn't your fault, son", he said, an uneasy smile on his face. Emerson was a bit taken aback by Lord Terren calling him 'son', but he nodded nonetheless. "Come on then, let's get inside, have some wine and meat to celebrate your safe arrival." With these words Terren turned towards the doors of the keep, which were opened by the guardsmen.
Emerson turned to Vita, gently grabbing her hand. "Follow me, my lady", he said softly, but the look on Vita's eyes was hesitant. "You are home, remember?" Now Vita's expression got slightly easier, even a nervous little smile coming to her face. "Home", she muttered under her breath once again, and so they followed the Jordayne's in to the keep.
They made their way into the lavishly decorated dining room of the Jordayne's. The walls were decorated with several shining spears and swords, and dark green drapery hung next to the tall windows that opened a view towards the north. On the southern wall, above the fireplace was an old shield, painted green with a golden quill in the middle, and not far from it was a large tapestry that depicted a king with a golden crown standing on the cliff above the sea, pointing his sword towards dark clouds in the sky.
Lord Terren took his place at the end of the table, and Lady Ynys took the other end. Lady Myranda sat next to Lady Ynys to the northern side of the table with little Marissa, and Artos took his place between them and his father. Emerson escorted Vita to the seat next to Lord Terren on the southern side of the table, and took the next seat himself. Lastly, Yoren took the place between Emerson and his mother.
There was already wine on the table, and soon the servants begun to bring in the appetizers as well – bread and olives. As Emerson took his first sip of the wine, Terren spoke up again. "I hope you are feeling welcome here, Emerson", he said smoothly. "We may not be bound by blood, but I have a feeling you're a good man, and the right one to inherit Godsgrace."
"I want to believe so as well", Emerson replied with a sigh. "However, there are some who oppose my birthright, some who would rather see my cousin, your niece, take the rule of Godsgrace."
"Esperence may be my niece, but she is not the one who brought my sister safely back to home", Terren replied with a mild smirk. Then Artos joined the conversation.
"By all the laws of gods and men, you should inherit the lordship of Godsgrace before either of your cousins", he said with a sober tone on his voice. "Those who would oppose that should be seen as traitors."
"Indeed", Lord Terren confirmed the words of his son. "However, we can talk more about that later. For now, I want to get to know you a bit better, Emerson." Emerson nodded approvingly, and so the Lord of the Tor threw his first question at him. "This may seem like a strange question, but I want you to answer honestly. Which do you desire more, Emerson, power or happiness?"
Emerson was quiet for a moment, surprised by the question. It had never really been the power that had drawn him to grasp for the lordship of Godsgrace, or at least that's how he felt personally – it was just that it was his right, and his duty. At the same time, by now he knew that power and happiness didn't always go hand in hand. After all, it had been the struggle for power that had driven Emerson away from his cousins, the closest thing he had to a real family.
Emerson
Lady Vita, Emerson, Ser Niclas and the rest of the guards stood on a small hill, seeing the Tor about a mile to the north, standi… moreng proudly above the Sea of Dorne. Next to the white castle was a small town, and Emerson could hear the sounds of the town's folk on their daily chores. He turned to Vita, seeing in her eyes an amazed gaze, like she was looking at something otherworldly beautiful.
"Home", Vita muttered with a shaky voice, now turning her eyes to Emerson. "Are we home?" She asked with weak words, and Emerson gave her a nod. "Yes, mylady", he answered softly, a small smile on his face. He could only guess what was going through the mind of this broken woman, but for what Emerson knew Vita had both happy and painful memories of her childhood in the Tor. Morgan had once drunkenly told him and Esperence that Vita's father, Jorrel Jordayne, had been a despicable and evil man. For Morgan of all people to say that, Lord Jorre… [view original content]
Emerson
Lady Vita, Emerson, Ser Niclas and the rest of the guards stood on a small hill, seeing the Tor about a mile to the north, standi… moreng proudly above the Sea of Dorne. Next to the white castle was a small town, and Emerson could hear the sounds of the town's folk on their daily chores. He turned to Vita, seeing in her eyes an amazed gaze, like she was looking at something otherworldly beautiful.
"Home", Vita muttered with a shaky voice, now turning her eyes to Emerson. "Are we home?" She asked with weak words, and Emerson gave her a nod. "Yes, mylady", he answered softly, a small smile on his face. He could only guess what was going through the mind of this broken woman, but for what Emerson knew Vita had both happy and painful memories of her childhood in the Tor. Morgan had once drunkenly told him and Esperence that Vita's father, Jorrel Jordayne, had been a despicable and evil man. For Morgan of all people to say that, Lord Jorre… [view original content]
[Happiness] Terren most be testing his character and see if he would be a good ally of House Yronwood, and while power sounds good, it kinda would be a lie, after all Emerson doesn't have greater ambitions other than obtaining what's his by right.
Ah, Emerson is starting his storyline in this chapter in a pretty interesting way! I already like the Jordayne's, they seem to be very complex and interesting characters, so I look forward for what to expect of them. I am not sure if we can fully trust them, but there are worse first impressions than that
[Happiness]
Hm, it is one of these character building choices I enjoy so much, while simultaneously finding them to be very hard to make While I don't think this will change much about the raw story, it might change Emerson's character in some capacity. I myself am not sure if a power-hungry Emerson is truly going to be all that great. Sure, he should take Godsgrace from Esperence, to become the rightful Lord Allyrion as he should be. However, I first and foremost want him to be happy. This is the important thing here and the same applies for the utmost majority of PoV characters in the story. It remains to be seen if this is what Terren wants to hear, but he does appear to be a pretty okay guy, reasonable and certainly not too bad. With a bit of luck, he appreciates Emerson more if he learns that his nephew is not desiring more power than what is rightfully his. And well, I would prefer Emerson in that way at least.
Emerson
Lady Vita, Emerson, Ser Niclas and the rest of the guards stood on a small hill, seeing the Tor about a mile to the north, standi… moreng proudly above the Sea of Dorne. Next to the white castle was a small town, and Emerson could hear the sounds of the town's folk on their daily chores. He turned to Vita, seeing in her eyes an amazed gaze, like she was looking at something otherworldly beautiful.
"Home", Vita muttered with a shaky voice, now turning her eyes to Emerson. "Are we home?" She asked with weak words, and Emerson gave her a nod. "Yes, mylady", he answered softly, a small smile on his face. He could only guess what was going through the mind of this broken woman, but for what Emerson knew Vita had both happy and painful memories of her childhood in the Tor. Morgan had once drunkenly told him and Esperence that Vita's father, Jorrel Jordayne, had been a despicable and evil man. For Morgan of all people to say that, Lord Jorre… [view original content]
Ah, Emerson is starting his storyline in this chapter in a pretty interesting way! I already like the Jordayne's, they seem to be very complex and interesting characters, so I look forward for what to expect of them. I am not sure if we can fully trust them, but there are worse first impressions than that
I'm glad I managed to pique your interest for this storyline, and the Jordayne's! They, along with the Yronwood's, are the family I'm most hyped to introduce in this chapter. Terren especially is someone I know I'm going to enjoy writing, and luckily he should get plenty of screen time in Emerson's storyline. And well, considering who they are sworn to, it is probably better not to fully trust them, but at least they don't seem rotten like, say, Manwoody's
Ah, Emerson is starting his storyline in this chapter in a pretty interesting way! I already like the Jordayne's, they seem to be very compl… moreex and interesting characters, so I look forward for what to expect of them. I am not sure if we can fully trust them, but there are worse first impressions than that
[Happiness]
Hm, it is one of these character building choices I enjoy so much, while simultaneously finding them to be very hard to make While I don't think this will change much about the raw story, it might change Emerson's character in some capacity. I myself am not sure if a power-hungry Emerson is truly going to be all that great. Sure, he should take Godsgrace from Esperence, to become the rightful Lord Allyrion as he should be. However, I first and foremost want him to be happy. This is the important thing here and the same applies for the utmost majority of PoV characters in the story. It remains to be seen if this is what Te… [view original content]
Emerson
Lady Vita, Emerson, Ser Niclas and the rest of the guards stood on a small hill, seeing the Tor about a mile to the north, standi… moreng proudly above the Sea of Dorne. Next to the white castle was a small town, and Emerson could hear the sounds of the town's folk on their daily chores. He turned to Vita, seeing in her eyes an amazed gaze, like she was looking at something otherworldly beautiful.
"Home", Vita muttered with a shaky voice, now turning her eyes to Emerson. "Are we home?" She asked with weak words, and Emerson gave her a nod. "Yes, mylady", he answered softly, a small smile on his face. He could only guess what was going through the mind of this broken woman, but for what Emerson knew Vita had both happy and painful memories of her childhood in the Tor. Morgan had once drunkenly told him and Esperence that Vita's father, Jorrel Jordayne, had been a despicable and evil man. For Morgan of all people to say that, Lord Jorre… [view original content]
Yeah, Emerson most certainly isn't a power-hungry person. Of course just answering 'power' here wouldn't make him one, but it could be a beginning for that kind of development.
Btw, due to the abysmal update of this site I can't access our PM discussion anymore. So, I'll just say here that I like Dantor and Emilee very much!
Yeah, Emerson most certainly isn't a power-hungry person. Of course just answering 'power' here wouldn't make him one, but it could be a beg… moreinning for that kind of development.
Btw, due to the abysmal update of this site I can't access our PM discussion anymore. So, I'll just say here that I like Dantor and Emilee very much!
Emerson
Lady Vita, Emerson, Ser Niclas and the rest of the guards stood on a small hill, seeing the Tor about a mile to the north, standi… moreng proudly above the Sea of Dorne. Next to the white castle was a small town, and Emerson could hear the sounds of the town's folk on their daily chores. He turned to Vita, seeing in her eyes an amazed gaze, like she was looking at something otherworldly beautiful.
"Home", Vita muttered with a shaky voice, now turning her eyes to Emerson. "Are we home?" She asked with weak words, and Emerson gave her a nod. "Yes, mylady", he answered softly, a small smile on his face. He could only guess what was going through the mind of this broken woman, but for what Emerson knew Vita had both happy and painful memories of her childhood in the Tor. Morgan had once drunkenly told him and Esperence that Vita's father, Jorrel Jordayne, had been a despicable and evil man. For Morgan of all people to say that, Lord Jorre… [view original content]
And Emerson will say that he desires happiness over power. Aside from character building, this choice is about giving the first impression to Lord Terren. That said, there is not necessarily a wrong answer here. Sure, Terren will be more impressed with one of the answers compared to the other, but neither will disappoint him terribly.
The next part will be a Jamison PoV, taking us back to Vaith again. In Chapter 2, after his visit to Godsgrace, Jamison traveled with his convoy to Vaith, arriving there just before the battle. He was tricked by Valerie Sand and taken under her control. Later in the battle he fought against Dalia and Kris, and Kris' sword End of Night broke Jamison's sword the Darkness, scarring his face and knocking him out. He was later taken to the castle and has been patched up after the battle. Anyway, the part should be ready in a day or two
-
Aaand here is a portrait of our newest addition to the cast, Lord Terren Jordayne:
Oh, nice, a Jamison PoV! If I am not completely mistaken, due to Valerie's mind control, he is among the PoV's who hadn't had a part in the longest time, probably even the one with the longest break, though I am not too sure about it. It'll be great to see what his next steps might be. He has a badass scar now and all in all got out of this with relatively few troubles save for some massively hurt ego, though I could totally see him being vengeful towards Valerie now. Always a treat to see his parts and I don't doubt that his Chapter 3 storyline will live up to the hype
Aaand here is a portrait of our newest addition to the cast, Lord Terren Jordayne:
You mean Lord Magnum P.I. right? Jokes aside, I love that portrait Though it is hard to say with the great number you have drawn for NW, I do think this should be among my Top Ten. Really, it is hard to say, because as I just thought of my Top Ten drawings, I noticed that it's hard for me to narrow down the ten I am the most impressed with. I guess going through the gallery again, I think the ones that impressed me the most are, in no particular order, Varyn, Khazor, Verro, Efran, Myke, The Purple Swag-A-Lot, Jamison, the second Gwendis portrait (featuring GO-bro), Wesley (shockingly) and now Magnum Jordayne. And even then I had to keep out a lot of honourary mentions and feel bad for not mentioned them as well It's truly outstanding how you manage to give every single portrait their own unique look and I always look forward for more of them!
Voting is closed!
And Emerson will say that he desires happiness over power. Aside from character building, this choice is about giving t… morehe first impression to Lord Terren. That said, there is not necessarily a wrong answer here. Sure, Terren will be more impressed with one of the answers compared to the other, but neither will disappoint him terribly.
The next part will be a Jamison PoV, taking us back to Vaith again. In Chapter 2, after his visit to Godsgrace, Jamison traveled with his convoy to Vaith, arriving there just before the battle. He was tricked by Valerie Sand and taken under her control. Later in the battle he fought against Dalia and Kris, and Kris' sword End of Night broke Jamison's sword the Darkness, scarring his face and knocking him out. He was later taken to the castle and has been patched up after the battle. Anyway, the part should be ready in a day or two
-
Aaand here is a portrait of our newest addition to the cast, Lord Terren Jordayne:
Jamison Dayne laid awake on his bed in the small chambers that had been given to him in the castle of Vaith. This wasn't the first time he had been awake after the battle, but it was the first time his mind was perfectly clear again. His memories of the battle were blurry, as if he couldn't be sure if it had all been just a dream. However, he knew there had been a battle, and there was a fresh scar on his face, which was enough to convince Jamison that what little he remembered had actually happened.
"You'll be happy to know none of us got killed while you were... away", said Ser Laroy Ladybright, who sat next to the bed, and Jamison turned to look at him. His left eye was covered by the bandage, limiting his field of view, but he could still very well see the irritation in the old knight's expression. "What exactly did you do during the battle?" Jamison asked with a bored tone.
"We stayed in the tavern and defended ourselves", Ser Laroy answered nonchalantly. "When you didn't return I thought the Vaith's had taken you as a hostage."
"And did you ever find Ser Rolan?" Jamison asked, and Laroy shook his head. "I assume he rides with the combined army of King Lucifer and Lord Gargalen", he answered calmly. "They should be here in a day or two."
Jamison raised to a sitting position, still feeling a bit lightheaded. He put his hand on the bandage, feeling dried blood on its surface. Silently he started unwrapping it, seeing Laroy frowning at him. "The healer said you should keep it on for now", he said, but Jamison didn't care. After removing the bandage he stood up from the bed, and walked to the dusty mirror in the corner of the room. The scar had been stitched, but it was easy to see that the blade had cut dangerously deep into his face. An inch deeper and I would've died. The scar ran from his lower left cheek, over the bridge of his nose and all the way to his upper right forehead. The scar itself was gruesome, and the skin around it was still red and swollen. It wasn't a pretty sight, but that wasn't what irritated Jamison the most – it was the fact that this would be a constant reminder of a humiliation. Some warriors carried their scars with pride, but this was not that kind of scar. This wasn't the kind of scar that Jamison would want to tell stories about, yet it would disfigure his face for the rest of his life.
"It could've been a lot worse, you know", Laroy weighed in, and Jamison sent him a glare. "Worse?" He asked cynically. "What is worse than being humiliated and controlled by some bitch, and waking up with your face cut open?"
"Death, for example", Laroy answered dryly, and Jamison turned his gaze away. "Though what I meant was that the healer did an amazing job with that wound, it looked way worse when I first saw you after the battle." Jamison ignored the old knight's words, and walked to the table that was next to the window. There he saw his sword, the Darkness, but the blade was shattered in two. Another reminder of my humiliation.
"We can forge you a new one back in Starfall", Laroy said calmly, and Jamison chuckled. "Oh really?" He asked sarcastically, taking the broken sword to his hands and observing it. "How the hell did this happen?" He asked quietly.
"Apparently it was Lord Kris Vaith who shattered your blade", Laroy answered, stepping next to Jamison and taking the other half of the blade to his hands. "He has a Valyrian steel sword, you see."
"If only I had Dawn, he wouldn't have defeated me", Jamison muttered, dropped the broken Darkness back to the table and turned around. "Perhaps it is better that you were defeated", Laroy remarked. "After all, you were under some kind of... dark magic."
Jamison gulped, still hardly believing what had happened. Maester Norbert had spoken of magic as tricks and illusions that charlatans of foreign lands liked to use, Jamison had heard rumors of the sorcerers in Blackmont, and stories about water wizards that controlled the flowing of rivers to their advantage, but never had he expected to experience anything like what happened to him here in Vaith. It had been dark magic, there was no way around it. Jamison wanted to feel anger towards the dark woman who had seduced him and humiliated him, but in truth what he felt was fear. He could still see those bright blue eyes, staring into his soul. I never want to see that again.
Suddenly the door was opened, and Jamison turned to see an old man walking in. A very old man, to be precise – this man had a long white beard that reached his chest, his face suggested he had to be at least on his eighties, and in his turquoise eyes resided deep wisdom. "Looks like you're on your feet again, prince", the old man said softly, and Jamison narrowed his eyes.
"My prince, this is the man who healed your wound", Laroy explained, and the old man gave him a smile. "Indeed, and you're lucky I was here", he said calmly, stepping closer to Jamison now. "In the hands of someone less experienced the wound could've festered badly. My name is Wylie, by the way, a pleasure to meet you." With these words the healer offered his hand for Jamison. The prince looked at it for a moment, before finally deciding to shake Wylie's hand. If this man had truly healed his wound, he deserved that much.
"Are you asking for payment?" Jamison asked dryly as they let go of each other's hands, but Wylie shook his head. "I have no use for gold or silver", he said, taking from his pocket a small jar of something. "Here, I brought you this, take it", Wylie said, offering the jar to Jamison.
With a questioning look on his eyes Jamison grabbed the jar. Before he could ask, Wylie answered. "In there is an ointment, to speed up the healing process. Mind you, it's not my best work, because of the limited resources in this city. Still, you should spread it over the wound every night before sleeping."
Jamison handed the ointment to Laroy, keeping his eyes still on Wylie. "You're doing all this without expecting a reward?" Jamison asked skeptically. Wylie chuckled and shook his head. "It is enough of a reward for me to see you standing there, alive and ready to begin your recovery", he answered softly. "I'm an old man, I have already seen more gold in my life than you can imagine. In fact, I have seen so much of it I can hardly stomach the sight of it anymore. No, your gratitude will be enough of a payment, young prince."
"Well, you have it", Jamison replied with a nod. There was something strange about this old man, but he seemed to be a respectable individual nonetheless. Then the door was opened again. This time in walked a young girl with bright red hair, and a dress in same color. She was probably on her early teens, and in her dark eyes was a timid look.
"Ah, Lady Desirea", Wylie greeted the young girl cheerfully, and she gave him a curtesy. "Master Wylie", she responded with a kind tone on her voice. Then she turned towards Jamison, and immediately the look on her eyes turned nervous, almost scared. "Is the scar that bad, girl?" Jamison asked sternly, but Desirea shook her head.
"No, my prince", she answered quietly. "I'm Desirea, priestess of R'hllor, the Lord of Light. You were under the magic of a servant of the Great Other, the god of darkness, cold and death. Now that you're free from said control, I would have a few questions for you." Jamison sighed, and sat on his bed.
"Ask away then", he said grimly. Desirea glanced at Wylie and Laroy, who quickly took the hint. "We'll leave the room for you", Wylie said with his friendly tone, and so he and Laroy walked out of the room and closed the door behind them.
Desirea walked in front of Jamison, and took a seat next to him. "How exactly did Valerie Sand approach you?" She asked quietly. Jamison was quiet for a moment, his mind going back to that moment. Back then in the tavern she had seen an exotic and attractive young woman, now in his mind he saw a monster. "She came to talk to me in the tavern", he answered nonchalantly, and Desirea nodded.
"And did she promise you something? Power, gold?" She asked carefully. Jamison shook his head. "She praised me, made me think she wants to fuck", Jamison answered directly, anger in his words. Desirea nodded again, letting out a sigh. "So, she was charming?" She now asked, and Jamison nodded.
"Charming enough", he confirmed grimly. Desirea scratched her head, thinking for a moment before proceeding to her next question. "And... what happened next?"
"She said she had a place where we could go, so I followed her", Jamison answered, feeling like a fool when he thought back to it now. How could I have known?
"This place that she took you to, did you notice anything strange there?" Desirea asked with a focused look on her eyes. "I wasn't really paying attention to the place when there was a naked body of a beautiful woman in front of me", Jamison answered with a joyless chuckle. Desirea nodded again, a humorless expression on her face.
"When you were defeated by Kris, this was around your neck", Desirea said, taking out an obsidian necklace from her sleeve. "Do you remember it?"
"Yes", Jamison muttered, quickly averting his eyes from the dark stone. "She put it around my neck, and then..."
"And then, what?" Desirea urged Jamison to continue. "Then her eyes turned bright blue, and she stared into my eyes... that is all I remember. After that, there are just foggy images."
"I understand." There was a hint of disappointment in the young priestesses' words, but she kept on a calm and professional face. Perhaps she had expected to learn more about her enemy from Jamison, but that wasn't his problem. Not anymore, never again. He would leave this pathetic town as soon as he could, and finally make his way home again. "How are you feeling now?" Desirea asked after they had both been silent for a moment.
"I feel like shit", Jamison admitted with a sigh. "But my mind is my own again, so no need to worry about that."
"Are you sure?" Desirea asked quietly, and Jamison nodded firmly. "I know my own mind, red girl", he said, a dark and stern look on his eyes. "No witch could understand me as well as I do myself. My pride, my feelings, my regrets."
"I believe you", Desirea assured calmly and stood up, still looking at Jamison. "Still, if you notice anything strange during the next few days, please come to me." With these words the young priestess left the room, leaving Jamison to sit alone on his bed.
However, soon Laroy walked back in again, and this time his squire Darnis of Southpoint was with him. Jamison noticed that his scar clearly shocked the lanky fifteen-year-old, but he decided to ignore it. "She wanted to know what that woman did to you, aye?" Laroy asked, and Jamison nodded. "Well, we can only hope she'll find her and bring her to justice", Laroy continued with a sigh.
"Was there something you wanted to talk about?" Jamison asked with a touch of irritation in his words. He would prefer to be alone now, he needed time to think, time to consider his mistakes.
"Aye", Laroy answered. "Just wanted to ask if you would want to join the ceremony for Lord Vaith at the town square. Could do good for you to get some fresh air."
Jamison turned his gaze down, unsure what to answer. Usually it would've been clear – he would rather go outside than stay alone in the bed, but this wasn't the usual time. He had been defeated and humiliated, and the scars of it were still fresh, both physical and mental.
[Stay and rest] While I think he needs the fresh air, he's not mentally ready to be with the other noblemen, and his pride won't let him feel vulnerable.
I just realized this Wylie is named the same as that healer from Forum of Thrones...
A coincidence, a deliberate naming, or something else...
Jamison
Jamison Dayne laid awake on his bed in the small chambers that had been given to him in the castle of Vaith. This wasn't the firs… moret time he had been awake after the battle, but it was the first time his mind was perfectly clear again. His memories of the battle were blurry, as if he couldn't be sure if it had all been just a dream. However, he knew there had been a battle, and there was a fresh scar on his face, which was enough to convince Jamison that what little he remembered had actually happened.
"You'll be happy to know none of us got killed while you were... away", said Ser Laroy Ladybright, who sat next to the bed, and Jamison turned to look at him. His left eye was covered by the bandage, limiting his field of view, but he could still very well see the irritation in the old knight's expression. "What exactly did you do during the battle?" Jamison asked with a bored tone.
"We stayed in the tavern and defended ourselves… [view original content]
Ah, it is a shame Jamison is not out for revenge when it comes to Valerie. It makes perfect sense for him to nope the hell out of this and it probably is the wiser decision, but I had hopes that Team Anti-GO might get the best swordsman in Dorne for their mission But as I said, I can understand this. Truth be told, I probably would have done the same in his situation. And given that Valerie likely only used him as a distraction to escape Vaith, I hope that at least he is going to be left alone by that cultist freakshow from now on. He deserves a break.
[Go to the ceremony]
I might be very wrong here, but I believe it is good for Jamison to get out immediately, to not let anyone know how much his recent experiences bother him. He's not only a strong badass, a big part of his entire persona is appearing like a strong badass. If he gets out already despite the ordeal he suffered, that'll send a message that he's not easy to beat down, at least not for long. I have the hopes it'll help his state of mind as well. After all, though his confidence might have been dealt a severe blow, he only has to fake it long enough to recover. That can help. Of course, as I said, I might be wrong here, but I believe that this will be the better choice for Jamison's mental well-being.
Jamison
Jamison Dayne laid awake on his bed in the small chambers that had been given to him in the castle of Vaith. This wasn't the firs… moret time he had been awake after the battle, but it was the first time his mind was perfectly clear again. His memories of the battle were blurry, as if he couldn't be sure if it had all been just a dream. However, he knew there had been a battle, and there was a fresh scar on his face, which was enough to convince Jamison that what little he remembered had actually happened.
"You'll be happy to know none of us got killed while you were... away", said Ser Laroy Ladybright, who sat next to the bed, and Jamison turned to look at him. His left eye was covered by the bandage, limiting his field of view, but he could still very well see the irritation in the old knight's expression. "What exactly did you do during the battle?" Jamison asked with a bored tone.
"We stayed in the tavern and defended ourselves… [view original content]
[Go to the ceremony] I pretty much agree with Liquid on this one, I feel like its better for Jamison to face this with his head held high rather than just cower in a room thinking about the humiliation he suffered.
That Wylie, such ancient, traveling story to story... Pretty sneaky. I think it's aroud 700 years difference between Forum of Thrones? Correct me if I am wrong.
Jamison
Jamison Dayne laid awake on his bed in the small chambers that had been given to him in the castle of Vaith. This wasn't the firs… moret time he had been awake after the battle, but it was the first time his mind was perfectly clear again. His memories of the battle were blurry, as if he couldn't be sure if it had all been just a dream. However, he knew there had been a battle, and there was a fresh scar on his face, which was enough to convince Jamison that what little he remembered had actually happened.
"You'll be happy to know none of us got killed while you were... away", said Ser Laroy Ladybright, who sat next to the bed, and Jamison turned to look at him. His left eye was covered by the bandage, limiting his field of view, but he could still very well see the irritation in the old knight's expression. "What exactly did you do during the battle?" Jamison asked with a bored tone.
"We stayed in the tavern and defended ourselves… [view original content]
[Go to the ceremony]
That Wylie, such ancient, traveling story to story... Pretty sneaky. I think it's aroud 700 years difference between Forum of Thrones? Correct me if I am wrong.
Jamison
Jamison Dayne laid awake on his bed in the small chambers that had been given to him in the castle of Vaith. This wasn't the firs… moret time he had been awake after the battle, but it was the first time his mind was perfectly clear again. His memories of the battle were blurry, as if he couldn't be sure if it had all been just a dream. However, he knew there had been a battle, and there was a fresh scar on his face, which was enough to convince Jamison that what little he remembered had actually happened.
"You'll be happy to know none of us got killed while you were... away", said Ser Laroy Ladybright, who sat next to the bed, and Jamison turned to look at him. His left eye was covered by the bandage, limiting his field of view, but he could still very well see the irritation in the old knight's expression. "What exactly did you do during the battle?" Jamison asked with a bored tone.
"We stayed in the tavern and defended ourselves… [view original content]
Comments
Dalia
Dalia sat next to the bed that injured Mizro was laying in. He had been hit in the head with a mace, but his helmet had saved him. He was fine, probably just a week and he would once again be in condition to fight. Still, seeing Mizro in this state made Dalia think – he could've died. Dalia had taken the friendship of his former lover for granted, not even considering the possibility of him dying, even if she constantly remembered to worry for the life of their daughter.
"You don't have to sit there watching me", Mizro said with a weak and tired voice. "I mean, it's touching and all, but I'm fine."
"I know you are", Dalia said dryly, giving him an indifferent glare. "I'm here to talk about something."
"I'm not really in a talking mood", Mizro replied lazily, and Dalia sighed. "I don't care about your mood, this is important", she said strictly, and slowly Mizro turned his gaze to her. "Well, what is it?" He asked unenthusiastically.
"It's about what we found during the battle, me and Desirea", she begun, and already Mizro sighed like he didn't care about this at all. "Like I said, this important", Dalia insisted with a mildly irritated tone.
"Alright, I'll listen", Mizro said tiredly. Dalia took a deep breath before continuing. "This witch called Valerie Sand, she controlled a dozen soldiers with her dark magic, completely stripping all of them from their free will, using them like puppets to defend her while she ran away. An inside the house she had done some nasty rituals, including human sacrifices." This made Mizro raise his eyebrow with a confused and mildly shocked expression on his face. Dalia ignored him and kept talking. "Someone with that kind of power and disregard for innocent lives is extremely dangerous as long as she is alive and free."
"And Desirea is going after her?" Mizro asked, a touch of concern in his voice, and Dalia nodded. "There is nothing I could say to her to make her give up on her mission", she answered with a sigh. For a moment they were both silent, until Mizro narrowed his eyes an spoke up again.
"And now you're thinking about going with Desi", he stated rather than asked. "Of course I am", Dalia answered harshly. "She needs someone to protect her."
"I understand, but you are the leader of the Wild Suns, Dalia", Mizro remarked calmly, which made Dalia sigh. "More importantly, I am the mother of Desirea", she replied strictly. Mizro nodded in a calming manner before speaking up again. "True, but you can send anyone to go with her", he said now.
"And who is going to defend her as fiercely as I do?" She asked sternly. "Who is ready to give their lives for her if needs be?"
"That Belan guy seems pretty eager to protect her", Mizro answered with a shrug, and Dalia just chuckled joylessly. "Belan is fourteen – one year older than Desi herself. And he just lost his father."
"Well, that should make him all the more motivated to kill the enemies of R'hllor", Mizro said with an uncaring tone. Dalia rolled her eyes. "You can't be serious", she said cynically, raising her eyebrow.
"Alright, you'll do as you please, as always", Mizro said with a sigh. "Just remember, if you abandon the company during the war, you might not be welcomed back as a leader when you return."
Dalia stood up from her chair, giving one last glare at Mizro. "I'll keep that in mind", she said coldly, and proceeded to walk out of the room. As much as it annoyed her, Dalia knew Mizro had a point. She was the leader of the Wild Suns, her duty was to lead them. But what is duty compared to the life of my daughter?
Dwelling in these thoughts, Dalia made her way to the chambers that had been given to her daughter. By the door she saw Belan the Brave standing in guard. The young boy had a grim expression on his face.
"Belan", Dalia said softly, and the boy turned his gaze to her. "Yes, Commander Dalia?" He answered with a stiff voice, and Dalia let out a compassionate sigh. "You don't have to take guard duty now", she said gently. "You have lost someone important, no one will judge you for resting now, mourning your father."
"No", Belan said strictly. "I'll continue guarding Desirea... it's what my father would've wanted." Dalia nodded quietly to the boy's words, knowing she couldn't change his mind. "Alright, just... stay strong", Dalia said, and Belan gave her a tense nod. Without further ado, Dalia opened the door and stepped into her daughter's chambers. She hadn't seen Desi much these past few days, due to her being busy with the company, while Desi herself had been busy helping the healers take care of the injured, as well as talking with Lady Myra and her son to make sure they weren't under any dark magic of Valerie Sand. Now Dalia found Desirea reading her massive book about the servants of Great Other. However, she did raise her gaze from the book as Dalia stepped in.
"Anything useful on that book?" Dalia asked casually. Desi let out a tired sigh, turning her eyes back to it. "Hardly anything", she said quietly. "Sometimes I feel like the man who wrote this book never actually encountered a single servant of the Great Other." With these words she closed the book, and turned her dark eyes to her mother again. Dalia sat down next to her, an observant look in her eyes.
"So, what are you thinking?" She asked softly, and Desi took a moment to answer. "Every day we wait here, Valerie gets further away", she said with quiet and serious words. Dalia nodded calmly. "I understand," she replied to her daughter, "but my father will arrive in just a day or two. Then I'll know where will the Wild Suns head next, and I can make my decision."
Dalia could see the disappointment in her daughter's eyes, but still she just nodded calmly to her. "I know", Desi said with a wistful sigh. "And part of me would never want to go after that monster anyway... but I know I must, no matter how much I fear."
"Perhaps there could be some other way", Dalia suggested carefully. "If you would return to Volantis and tell the red priests about the situation..."
"No", Desi cut her off, her voice full of determination. "This is my mission, and I will see it to its end."
"Well, you are about as stubborn as Belan", Dalia said with a soft chuckle, and Desi raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" She asked with confusion.
"About Belan? I just tried to tell him to take some rest, but he refused", Dalia answered, and now Desi closed her eyes in frustration. "I already told him he doesn't need to stand in guard today", she said, and Dalia let out a small laugh.
"I think the boy has a crush on you", she teased, which just made Desi roll her eyes. "Mother, please. Belan just lost his father, you shouldn't make jokes", she said, and Dalia smirked slyly. "Who said I was joking?" She asked, and now Desi just shook her head with an embarrassed expression on her face.
"Are you coming to Kris' ceremony?" Dalia asked softly, changing the topic for the relief of her daughter. "I suppose I should", Desi answered with a sigh, and Dalia raised her eyebrow. "Is there something else you need to do?" She asked calmly.
"I was planning to go visit the purple-eyed warrior that was under the control of Valerie", Desirea answered, and Dalia nodded. "I heard the guy is actually a prince from Starfall", Dalia stated nonchalantly.
"Yes, his name is Jamison Dayne", Desirea replied casually. "I've been helping the old healer take care of him, but I have yet to question him about how exactly did Valerie took him under her control."
"I see", Dalia said softly, standing up again. "Well, you still have time to go meet him before the ceremony", she added, now walking towards the door. "Well, I should go now, see you later dear."
Desirea nodded quietly to her mother's words, opening her book again. Dalia walked out of the chambers, and started to make her way towards the courtyard, where she believed some of her captains to be. However, before she made it there, she met Lord Kris at the hallway of the main keep. The Lord of Vaith had the old man named Henry with him, but he quickly shifted his gaze to Dalia as she approached him.
"Nice hair", Dalia quipped with a smirk, referring to the tips of Kris' hair that had been dyed orange. "Mother's idea", Kris replied dryly, giving Dalia a small smile. She eyed him for a moment, trying to figure out what was going on in his mind right now, behind those beautiful green eyes. Dalia knew Kris had decided to show mercy to his former wife, which had surprised her, even if by now it was clear she had never been the one to meddle with Kris' mind. At least not with magic.
"You met with your son yet?" Dalia asked casually, and Kris gave her a small nod. "He doesn't really remember me", he said with a sigh. "But... I hope I can still be a good father to him."
"Of course you can, mylord", Henry joined the conversation with a relaxed tone, tapping his lord on the shoulder. "You still have many years with Nickon."
"I agree with the old man", Dalia said softly. "It's not too late for you to be a father to your son." She spoke from experience, having been away from Desirea's life for most of her childhood. Kris clearly realized that, and gave her an approving nod.
"And what about Lady Myra?" Dalia asked, and the expression on Kris' face got tense. "Is she... doing alright?"
"She is in fine health, just... shocked, about all that's happened", Kris answered quietly. For a moment they were both quiet, just looking at each other. After a couple seconds Henry cleared his throat. "I'll wait outside", he mumbled, quickly walking away from the scene.
Dalia stepped closer to Kris, an intense look on her eyes as she gazed him. "Do you still love her?" Dalia asked quietly. The look on Kris' eyes was uncertain, and he took a moment with his answer. "I don't know, Dalia", he finally said with a weak tone. "I'm conflicted. I have a duty for this city, for my people, and especially my son. But at the same time, I am a servant of R'hllor." Kris looked at Dalia pleadingly, as if he was begging for her advice.
[Advice him to stay with his family] [Advice him to serve R'hllor] [Tell him he must make the decision himself]
Hnngh, it is amazing how much I like Desi now. I feel terrible for not seeing it right away and for misjudging her so severely
Really though, out of this duo, she was always the one I found harder to hate. In fact, I now have this theory that Gwendis' survival, undeniably my main and only true goal when it comes to the entire R'hllor/Great Other conflict in this chapter (though taking down Aisha, Wesley, Valerie and potentially their extended family and friends is on my list as well), could be closely linked with Desi's survival. I fully notice how ironic this is. Initially, I wanted nothing more but to kill her before she could become a danger, but the more I see of her and everyone else, I realize that she is the least dangerous person in this entire conflict. Well, maybe aside from Trentan, but being ridiculously out of his league is sort of his appeal in this situation. There's Aisha, Wesley, Valerie, Minesa and Dalia. Even Kris is surely not without danger, though I think the only thing that makes him more dangerous than Desi is his skill with a sword. Other than that, I consider him my second favourite character from Dalia's storyline, even if he has a storyline of his own by now. That makes him my third or fourth favourite character of this entire conflict, after Gwen herself, Desi and probably Trentan. I feel really invested in his conflict here and this was an interesting choice to make. I just hope he can truly be of help. Recently, I had this terrible thought that I am horribly off with my plan. It could work out, that sounds logical, but I have no doubt that there will be a twist as well. I just hope that the effort I put into actually raising Gwendis' chances won't cause the opposite, when Dalia or Kris cut her down without mercy, or even just by accident. Save to say, that would be the worst posible outcome 
I consider it unlikly though, because all things considered, the Great Other side in this conflict is way more dangerous and brutal, as well as less likely to show any sort of mercy.
[Tell him he must make the decision himself]
And well, it is another of these choices. It seems that Dalia is almost set about leaving with Desi, with only a little bit of doubt left and maybe this choice can push her into one direction or the other as well. That said, in her case, staying with her family and serving R'hllor are one and the same thing basically, so I am not so sure about that either. The thing is, I would love to outright advice him to go with Dalia and Desi, because he is undoubtedly going to be incredibly valuable to this mission. As I stated last time and several times before, I consider Kris to be an important factor for Gwendis' survival when it comes to a confrontation between Desi and Aisha. He is probably not the only factor and given the right choices, might even be unneeded to achieve the ending I hope for, but he is surely going to make things easier. Given how crucial his presence has been to achieve a better fate for Jamison, I have even more reason to believe that this will be the case for Gwen as well. So, I was torn between this option and the R'hllor option. At the same time, I do believe that this is a choice only Kris himself can make. Dalia can give him advice, sure, but as much as I want him to choose R'hllor, if only so that he can hopefully prevent the worst, I mostly want him to make his own decisions. I mean, I certainly wouldn't object to the R'hllor decision as well and on the positive side, it would probably make a later decision far easier, especially after we already made him doubt his own future path in his latest choice. So, if there is a tie, or if I change my mind, as I often do, then I would surely like to choose the R'hllor option. For now however, I think it is a nice thing for Kris to make his own decision. You know I have my priorities very much in order here and really want for him to go with Dalia and Desi (especially as his presence would, oddly enough, help with making it easier for me to trust Dalia), but even then, I don't really feel comfortable with outright telling Kris what to do. Ah, I just hope that he and Dalia will both decide to go with Desi in the end. I think Dalia is more important than Kris, but have no doubt that he could make things easier, when it comes to a fight against Wesley or Gwen's survival. For now however, I think allowing him to make his own decision can achieve this just as well, if he decides for the right option later on. It also feels easier for me to make, though I am really tempted by the R'hllor option. Like, really tempted and I am low-key rooting for it as well
[Tell him he must make the decision himself]
Like Liquid, I also agree that Kris needs to make this decision for himself without trying to influence him one way or the other. While I want to see Kris reunite with his family and take his place as the rightful lord of Vaith, going with Desi and Dalia would no doubt lead to an exciting storyline and he could be the difference maker whether they can catch Valerie and eventually help Gwendis or not. Another factor that comes into play is Lucifer will soon be arriving to Vaith will an army and as the Lord of Vaith, he will have a decision to make about whether to help the Dryland's or not which make take his storyline that way. Either way, I am excited to see where Kris' storyline goes from here!
From the sound of what Desi has said here, it seems that she has already talked to Jamison and this will be where his chapter 3 storyline will start. I am very excited for this as it will be interesting to see Jamison's opinion on Desi, his scar and everything that has just happened to him in Vaith. So safe to say I am look forward to this!
[Tell him he must make the decision himself] I feel like Kris should really make this decision himself without any "outside" influence, this is a very personal matter after all.
[Tell him he must make the decision himself]
[Tell him he must make the decision himself] Is not as if she knows better, I mean, she isn't more devote to the Red God than Kris is, so is better letting him choose.
Is good that Desirea isn't as fanatic as it first seemed, and it shows she can act like a normal girl if she isn't pressured. Clearly the burden of the God isn't as heavy with her as it is with Minesa and much later Melisandre.
[Tell him he must make the decision himself]
I pretty much agree with the others, on this one.
[Tell him he must make the decision himself]
Voting is closed!
And Dalia will tell Kris that he must make the decision himself. Now, I will say that this wasn't really intended as Dalia making the choice for him anyway, just giving her advice, but I understand why you want to stay neutral here. Mostly this choice is just character building and affects the relationship of these characters, but Kris will still make his own decisions regardless of what Dalia says here.
Anyway, next we will take a break from Vaith, and go to Ghost Hill! And that of course means we'll have a Tomas PoV. In Chapter 2 Tomas returned to Ghost Hill after being a prisoner of the Martell's. Nymeria tasked him to convince his nephew Levor to take off his crown and make peace with the Martell's. This was what Tomas went to do, but Argim Taler did his best to stop him, trying to convince Levor to continue his father's war against Nymeria. However, Tomas managed to convince Levor, and Argim attempted to flee from Ghost Hill. However, being suspicious of the man's intentions, Tomas sent men to stop Argim, and bring him back to Ghost Hill. Argim was taken to the dungeons, where Tomas went to confront him. It came clear that Argim had loyalties to King Yorick Yronwood, and that he had been spying the Toland's for him. However, he refused to reveal anything about Yorick's plans, claiming he wouldn't betray his king. In his last choice of Chapter 2, Tomas decided to keep Argim alive and imprisoned.
The part will most likely be ready later today, and it should be pretty fun
-
And this time I present you, the portrait of Belan the Brave:
I really like the portrait of Belan. You drew him, just how I imagined him.
Tomas
Tomas sat on his office, on the desk in front of him a scroll that had arrived in the morning, carried by a raven from the Tor. For what was probably the hundredth time, Tomas' eyes scanned through the message.
Lord Tomas Toland,
It has recently come to my knowledge that you have safely returned to Ghost Hill, after your captivity in the hands of the Martell's. I would have sent this message to your nephew, but I reckon it is better that an experienced and honorable man such as yourself receives these words, rather than a child.
The resistance of Toland's against the Martell's and their foreign friends has been admirable, but after the fall of King Donovar you have been left with little chances to protect yourselves against the tyranny of Princess Nymeria. House Toland and House Jordayne have had their wars in the past, but more often we have been allies. I believe this is something we should strive towards once again, to ensure that Nymeria and the Rhoynar invasion can be stopped.
It would be an honor to invite you to my halls in the Tor, so that we can discuss the future of our houses, and the coming war.
Seven blessings,
Terren Jordayne, Lord of the Tor
With a frustrated sigh Tomas raised his gaze from the parchment, tapping his fingers on the table nervously. He would have to inform Levor of this message soon, but before that he wanted to make sure he knew what would be the right move next. If he would rode to the Tor, he'd be at the mercy of the Jordayne's, and by extension King Yorick Yronwood. However, if he wouldn't give them any kind of response, they would take it as a sign that he has chosen to side with the Martell's.
Tomas' thoughts were interrupted, as the door of his office was knocked. "Come in", Tomas commanded tiredly, and soon the door opened. In walked the bald Braavosi with dark blue eyes and bald head, dressed in his dark clothes. Forovos Norvoshi flashed a smirk to Tomas, walking closer to the desk.
"My Lord", the keyholder said smoothly, giving him a small and elegant bow. Tomas sighed, a cynical look on his eyes. "What do you want?" He asked harshly.
"I have come to discuss about our dear friend Argim", Forovos replied slyly, pushing his fingers together. "Oh", Tomas said dryly, subtly pulling Lord Jordayne's message away from the desk. "What about him?"
"I just wanted to say you made a good decision keeping him alive", Forovos complimented. "However, I would like to ask what do you plan to do with him next?" Tomas took in a deep breath, considering his answer for a moment. He hadn't put much thought into Argim after his last visit to the dungeons.
"Sooner or later he will have to be killed, before Levor finds out about him", he finally answered, and Forovos nodded. "I agree", he said politely. "However, I believe there is still a lot we can learn from the man."
"I will try", Tomas replied sternly. "Though he didn't really seem eager to share his secrets the last time."
"Perhaps you need someone who is more... persuasive", the look on the keyholder's eyes was menacing as he said this, even if the tone of his voice remained calm and polite. "And who would that be?" Tomas asked quietly, seeing now a subtle grin forming on Forovos' face.
"Maybe I could be of use, my lord", he answered with a perfectly calm tone, but something about it sent shivers down Tomas' spine. "You?" He asked with a mildly confused tone, and Forovos nodded. "I have skills outside of mere loan peddling", he answered smoothly. "Perhaps you could take me to the cell of our mutual friend?"
For a moment Tomas remained silent, just observing this mysterious Braavosi in front of him with narrowed eyes. "You think you can make him talk?" He asked sternly, and Forovos nodded with a small smile on his face. "Fine then, let's go", Tomas said and stood up. The keyholder bowed to him once again, and together they made their way out of the office. In silence they walked through the keep, and into the dungeons.
The guards let Tomas past them without questions, and they walked into the cell of Argim Taler. The man looked remarkably weaker and dirtier than usually, still chained to the pole in the middle of the cell. Slowly he turned his gaze to Tomas and Forovos, a tired look on his eyes. Under those eyes were dark bags, his usually clean shaven face had a small stubble now, and his long hair was greasy and uncombed.
"How good of you to come see me again, Lord Tomas." Argim tried to speak with a snarky and confident voice, but it came out weak and frail. Tomas chuckled joylessly, looking at this weasel with disdain. "What a pleasure indeed", he replied sarcastically.
"And you brought Nymeria's man servant too, how great", Argim muttered, glaring at Forovos now. Tomas took a couple steps closer to the man in chains, staring him down with a cold and merciless look in his eyes. "There is nothing I'd enjoy more than to beat you to a bloody pulp, so you better not give me a reason", he growled, seeing now a hint of fear in Argim's eyes. "You'll answer when questioned, otherwise you'll keep your mouth shut."
"I already gave you my answer", Argim hissed. "I will not betray my King." Tomas raised his fist, ready to throw a punch. However, before he could do that, Forovos stopped him by grabbing his arm.
"Let me have a word with him", he said smoothly. Tomas lowered his fist, looking at Forovos with confusion. Then he nodded, and Forovos stepped past him and lowered himself to the level of Argim.
"Argim Taler", he said quietly, observing the man's face with great interest. Argim stayed silent, so Forovos kept talking. "You have a remarkable amount of loyalty for King Yorick Yronwood. But what is it that inspires your loyalty?" Quietly Forovos pulled a small dagger from his belt, moving it closer to Argim. "Is it love?" He asked, pressing the tip of the blade against Argim's chest. "Or is it fear?" Forovos continued, moving the blade to the neck of Argim, who closed his eyes now, breathing faster.
Forovos moved the dagger away from Argim, a subtle smile on his face. Argim opened his eyes, a tense look on them. "Why did King Yorick task you with spying the Toland's?" Forovos asked quietly. Argim gulped, clearly more hesitant with his words now. "I will not speak", he still insisted, and Forovos nodded calmly. Then he grabbed Argim's right hand, and pushed it against the cold stone floor of the dungeon. He pressed the tip of the dagger against Argim's little finger, staring him to the eyes with an intense glare.
"Why did King Yorick task you with spying the Toland's?" He repeated the question, his voice as calm and smooth as ever. Now Argim just shook his head, fear and panic in his eyes. Forovos started adding pressure, and the tip of the dagger started biting into Argim's finger, and he screamed in pain. For a couple second Forovos slowly pushed the dagger deeper, until finally Argim broke. "NO! I'll speak! I'll speak!" He screamed frantically, and Forovos raised the dagger, still the intense glare in his eyes. For a moment Argim caught his breath, looking at his bleeding little finger. "Speak", Forovos said coldly, and Argim nodded hastily.
"Yorick... He wants to expand his kingdom", he said glancing around nervously. Forovos raised an eyebrow, but didn't break his eye contact with Argim. "Go on", the Braavosi said quietly, and Argim gulped. He was clearly weighing in his mind if he feared more the immediate threat of Forovos or the anger of his masters in Yronwood. "He is being patient, waiting for the kingdoms around him to be weakened by the wars", Argim explained with shaky words. "He plans to spread his rule everywhere from Blackmont to Godsgrace, and to Ghost Hill."
"He will never rule over us", Tomas growled with anger, and now Argim shot a glare at him. There wasn't much arrogance left in his eyes, but it was still a spiteful glare. "You will see", he hissed, and before Tomas could reply, Forovos spoke up again.
"What are his plans for Ghost Hill specifically?" He asked with his calm voice. However, having regained at least part of his confidence, Argim just shook his head. "I will say no more", he said with quiet and determinant words. Without a warning, Forovos proceeded to cut off the little finger of his right hand. In shock and pain Argim screamed once again, blood streaming from stump of the finger.
"You will speak", Forovos stated nonchalantly, now moving the tip of the dagger on Argim's ring finger. "No! Please no!" Argim begged weakly, and Forovos nodded. "Speak", he said quietly.
"King Yorick, he... he has tasked the Jordayne's with the conquering of Ghost Hill", Argim now revealed, a fearful look on his eyes. Forovos narrowed his eyes, a pondering look on them. "And how will the Jordayne's do this?" He asked with his calm and unwavering persistence.
"The plan was to offer an alliance, and if that wouldn't work, then take it by force", Argim spoke with a defeated tone, turning his gaze to the floor. The man was clearly ashamed of having revealed his king's plans.
Forovos stood up now and put his dagger away. "Looks like you're going to have to prepare for another war, Lord Tomas", he said dryly, before turning his eyes to Argim again. "As for him... he has nothing more to offer – I would advise you to kill him." Argim didn't even protest at the words of the Braavosi. Perhaps he thought the situation was hopeless, or perhaps he preferred to die after betraying his king. Whatever his reasons, he stayed silent as grave, staring at the floor. "And after you're done, I can take care of the body – to make sure your nephew won't hear about this."
Tomas frowned, looking at Argim. Perhaps Forovos was right, perhaps this man had nothing more to offer and it was time to kill him. And Tomas certainly wouldn't lose his sleep over this weasel, but he had to wonder if there was something more Argim still knew, something that could be of use in the war to come.
[Kill Argim] [Keep him alive]
[Kill Argim]
You know, the one thing that made me somewhat hesitant to choose this is that I actually sort of enjoy Argim as a villain. It might just be my fondness for Lord of the Rings and anything that was inspired by it, but I do like that slimy bastard
However, I believe being pragmatic is the better approach here. Argim has revealed his most valuable knowledge. Now, his presence will be a danger. If he is kept alive, Levor could learn of his presence in the cells and could decide that freeing him and giving him Tomas' position would be a good idea, that kneeling to Yorick Yronwood means getting vengeance for his father's death. Now, I probably wouldn't complain about keeping Argim around for longer, if only because Tomas is far from being my favourite and since Argim is entertaining, but all in all, I believe that it is the smarter choice to get rid of him now, before he becomes a danger later on. It has already been super risky to keep him alive so far and it paid off, but I don't think this will be a good approach for much longer.
[Kill Argim] I'd say better get rid of a small problem before it turns into a complete mess. Argim already gave us crucial information, I pretty much doubt there's much more he knows.
[Kill Argim]
[Kill Argim]
[Kill Argim] I have to agree on this one with everyone else, since there's probably nothing more he knows and I seriously doubt the Yronwood's or the Jordayne's are willing to ransom him.
[Kill Argim]
For pretty much the same reasons everyone else said.
[Kill Argim] Safe to say I agree with the others here.
Voting is closed!
Tomas will kill Argim. Well, I can reveal now that there could've been some minor perks from keeping him alive. However, in the long run it would've backfired, as Levor would've eventually found out.
Anyway, the next part will take us to a new location in the story - the Tor. That of course is the home of the Jordayne's, and we'll meet Lord Terren, whose message to Tomas we saw in the earlier part. And as you probably guessed already, this will be an Emerson PoV. In Chapter 2 he ended up siding with his uncle, Lord Morgan Allyrion, over his cousin Esperence. Learning of Esperence's plans, Morgan decided to send Emerson to the Tor with Lady Vita and Ser Niclas, seeking the help of his brother-in-law, Lord Terren Jordayne. I'll try to get the part done as soon as I can, which should be before the weekend is over.
Emerson
Lady Vita, Emerson, Ser Niclas and the rest of the guards stood on a small hill, seeing the Tor about a mile to the north, standing proudly above the Sea of Dorne. Next to the white castle was a small town, and Emerson could hear the sounds of the town's folk on their daily chores. He turned to Vita, seeing in her eyes an amazed gaze, like she was looking at something otherworldly beautiful.
"Home", Vita muttered with a shaky voice, now turning her eyes to Emerson. "Are we home?" She asked with weak words, and Emerson gave her a nod. "Yes, mylady", he answered softly, a small smile on his face. He could only guess what was going through the mind of this broken woman, but for what Emerson knew Vita had both happy and painful memories of her childhood in the Tor. Morgan had once drunkenly told him and Esperence that Vita's father, Jorrel Jordayne, had been a despicable and evil man. For Morgan of all people to say that, Lord Jorrel must have truly been a monster. Emerson could only hope Lord Terren Jordayne was a better man than his late father.
"Shall we go, my lord?" Ser Niclas asked with a cold and impatient tone. Emerson gave him a silent nod, and they began to approach the castle. They rode past the town and up to the cliffs where the fort stood. Seeing the Allyrion banner's that the guards carried, the Jordayne's opened the gates for them. As they strolled into the courtyard, Emerson could see what looked to be the whole noble family waiting for them by the steps of the main keep. Emerson and Niclas dismounted their horses, and helped Vita down from hers, before approaching the Jordayne family.
In the middle stood a tall man with a robust body and a calm expression on his long face, his green eyes fixed first on Vita, and then on Emerson. His short dark hair was combed back, and he had thick mustache under his large nose. Lord Terren was wearing a dark green vest over a silk tunic of lighter green tone, and above them was a golden shash.
Next to the Lord stood his wife, a slender woman on her late forties with wavy blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She was dressed in a long silky dark blue dress, and the look on her eyes was somewhat shaken as she looked at Lady Vita.
Beside Lady Vita stood a broad shouldered man on his mid-twenties, who Emerson assumed was the heir of Lord Terren. He had the green eyes of his father, and a prideful gaze on them. He wore his dark hair very similarly to Terren, but his face was completely clean shaven. Holding the young man's hand and standing right next to him was a little girl, probably at the age of three or four. The little girl had blue eyes and a curly light brown hair. Next to the little girl was a beautiful young woman with similar hair and eyes, which made Emerson guess she was the wife of the heir, and the girl between them was their daughter.
On the other side of Lord Terren stood one more man, this one clearly younger than the heir, perhaps on his late teens – most likely the second son of Lord Terren. He had the blonde hair and blue eyes of his mother, but the sturdy built of a warrior like his father's. And on his youthful face was a bored expression as he shifted his gaze from Vita to Emerson to Niclas.
Emerson kneeled before Lord Terren, his gaze down on the man's boots. Niclas and the guards followed his example. "My Lord, it is an honor to meet you", he said with a humble tone.
"Rise, Emerson Allyrion", Terren said with calm and soft words, and Emerson obeyed, Ser Niclas and the guards doing the same after him. He now looked the Lord of the Tor to the eyes, seeing a slight smirk on his face. "The honor is mine, my friend", the lord continued now, offering his hand for Emerson, and after a split second of hesitation Emerson grabbed it. Lord Terren had a strong grip, one you would expect from a warrior. "Last time we met you were a little boy with a fearful gaze and rebellious spirit, and I was led to believe you were the bastard of my brother-in-law. Since then you've become a man, son of the late Lord Mason Allyrion, and the heir to Godsgrace. Life is full of surprises, isn't it?"
"Indeed, my lord", Emerson answered tensely, and Terren now turned to gesture towards the woman beside him. "Here is my lovely wife, Lady Ynys, the younger sister of King Yorick himself", he introduced, and Ynys gave Emerson a forced smile. "A pleasure to meet you", she said tonelessly, and Emerson gave her a small bow in return.
"My name is Artos Jordayne, the heir to the Tor", the young man next to Lady Ynys introduced himself, a subtle smile on his face. "Here is my wife, Lady Myranda, daughter of Lord Manfred Marcant, and our daughter Marissa." The girl turned to look at her father as her name was said, and Artos softly ruffled her hair.
"Nice to meet you", Emerson said awkwardly, giving them another bow. He turned his eyes to the last person who hadn't been introduced.
"Yoren Jordayne", the younger son said lazily, and Emerson settled to giving him a nod. As he turned his eyes to Terren again, he noticed that the lord had now shifted his attention fully to Lady Vita.
Emerson could see from those green eyes that seeing his sister was a troubling sight for Lord Terren. "I see you brought my sweet little sister home as well, just as Morgan promised in his letter." He spoke with a much more serious tone on his voice now, and Emerson gulped, nervous about Terren's reaction to Vita's state. Without saying anything more, Terren approached his sister, who looked at him with almost terrified expression.
"Vita... my sister, it has been a long time", he begun with a polite tone, carefully offering his hand for her. However, Vita just backed away from the hand, turning her eyes to Emerson now. "Who is he?" She asked with quiet and shaky words. Terren turned his gaze to Emerson and again, and the anger could be seen in his eyes.
"What is wrong with her?" He asked with quiet and tense words. "Did Morgan do something to her?"
"It was the wine, my lord", Emerson said with uncertainty in his words. "Ever since she lost her first son, before I was even born, she started drinking more and more over the years. Some even say it was because of her drinking that my cousin Emmett was born... different. A few years ago her state started to get worse than ever before, and she never came back from that. She forgets things that happened yesterday, or even today, but remembers clearly her childhood. She seems constantly shaken and separated from the reality, living in her own worlds." For some time Terren stayed silent, a pondering and irritated look on his eyes.
"Lord Morgan should've informed me of this", he said with a sigh, and Emerson nodded to him. "I am sorry, my lord", he said with a genuinely apologetic tone. "I know this must be a shock."
"It isn't your fault, son", he said, an uneasy smile on his face. Emerson was a bit taken aback by Lord Terren calling him 'son', but he nodded nonetheless. "Come on then, let's get inside, have some wine and meat to celebrate your safe arrival." With these words Terren turned towards the doors of the keep, which were opened by the guardsmen.
Emerson turned to Vita, gently grabbing her hand. "Follow me, my lady", he said softly, but the look on Vita's eyes was hesitant. "You are home, remember?" Now Vita's expression got slightly easier, even a nervous little smile coming to her face. "Home", she muttered under her breath once again, and so they followed the Jordayne's in to the keep.
They made their way into the lavishly decorated dining room of the Jordayne's. The walls were decorated with several shining spears and swords, and dark green drapery hung next to the tall windows that opened a view towards the north. On the southern wall, above the fireplace was an old shield, painted green with a golden quill in the middle, and not far from it was a large tapestry that depicted a king with a golden crown standing on the cliff above the sea, pointing his sword towards dark clouds in the sky.
Lord Terren took his place at the end of the table, and Lady Ynys took the other end. Lady Myranda sat next to Lady Ynys to the northern side of the table with little Marissa, and Artos took his place between them and his father. Emerson escorted Vita to the seat next to Lord Terren on the southern side of the table, and took the next seat himself. Lastly, Yoren took the place between Emerson and his mother.
There was already wine on the table, and soon the servants begun to bring in the appetizers as well – bread and olives. As Emerson took his first sip of the wine, Terren spoke up again. "I hope you are feeling welcome here, Emerson", he said smoothly. "We may not be bound by blood, but I have a feeling you're a good man, and the right one to inherit Godsgrace."
"I want to believe so as well", Emerson replied with a sigh. "However, there are some who oppose my birthright, some who would rather see my cousin, your niece, take the rule of Godsgrace."
"Esperence may be my niece, but she is not the one who brought my sister safely back to home", Terren replied with a mild smirk. Then Artos joined the conversation.
"By all the laws of gods and men, you should inherit the lordship of Godsgrace before either of your cousins", he said with a sober tone on his voice. "Those who would oppose that should be seen as traitors."
"Indeed", Lord Terren confirmed the words of his son. "However, we can talk more about that later. For now, I want to get to know you a bit better, Emerson." Emerson nodded approvingly, and so the Lord of the Tor threw his first question at him. "This may seem like a strange question, but I want you to answer honestly. Which do you desire more, Emerson, power or happiness?"
Emerson was quiet for a moment, surprised by the question. It had never really been the power that had drawn him to grasp for the lordship of Godsgrace, or at least that's how he felt personally – it was just that it was his right, and his duty. At the same time, by now he knew that power and happiness didn't always go hand in hand. After all, it had been the struggle for power that had driven Emerson away from his cousins, the closest thing he had to a real family.
[Power] [Happiness]
[Happiness]
[Happiness]
[Happiness] Terren most be testing his character and see if he would be a good ally of House Yronwood, and while power sounds good, it kinda would be a lie, after all Emerson doesn't have greater ambitions other than obtaining what's his by right.
Ah, Emerson is starting his storyline in this chapter in a pretty interesting way! I already like the Jordayne's, they seem to be very complex and interesting characters, so I look forward for what to expect of them. I am not sure if we can fully trust them, but there are worse first impressions than that
[Happiness]
Hm, it is one of these character building choices I enjoy so much, while simultaneously finding them to be very hard to make
While I don't think this will change much about the raw story, it might change Emerson's character in some capacity. I myself am not sure if a power-hungry Emerson is truly going to be all that great. Sure, he should take Godsgrace from Esperence, to become the rightful Lord Allyrion as he should be. However, I first and foremost want him to be happy. This is the important thing here and the same applies for the utmost majority of PoV characters in the story. It remains to be seen if this is what Terren wants to hear, but he does appear to be a pretty okay guy, reasonable and certainly not too bad. With a bit of luck, he appreciates Emerson more if he learns that his nephew is not desiring more power than what is rightfully his. And well, I would prefer Emerson in that way at least.
I'm glad I managed to pique your interest for this storyline, and the Jordayne's!
They, along with the Yronwood's, are the family I'm most hyped to introduce in this chapter. Terren especially is someone I know I'm going to enjoy writing, and luckily he should get plenty of screen time in Emerson's storyline. And well, considering who they are sworn to, it is probably better not to fully trust them, but at least they don't seem rotten like, say, Manwoody's 
[Happiness] is the way to go here in my opinion, I don't really see Emerson as a power-hungry type of person.
[Happiness]
Yeah, Emerson most certainly isn't a power-hungry person. Of course just answering 'power' here wouldn't make him one, but it could be a beginning for that kind of development.
Btw, due to the abysmal update of this site I can't access our PM discussion anymore. So, I'll just say here that I like Dantor and Emilee very much!
I thought that was the case, the update really screwed things up for everyone and it seems like it's gonna take forever for them to actually fix this.
Oh, and its really great to hear that you liked Emilee and Dantor!
[Happiness]
Voting is closed!
And Emerson will say that he desires happiness over power. Aside from character building, this choice is about giving the first impression to Lord Terren. That said, there is not necessarily a wrong answer here. Sure, Terren will be more impressed with one of the answers compared to the other, but neither will disappoint him terribly.
The next part will be a Jamison PoV, taking us back to Vaith again. In Chapter 2, after his visit to Godsgrace, Jamison traveled with his convoy to Vaith, arriving there just before the battle. He was tricked by Valerie Sand and taken under her control. Later in the battle he fought against Dalia and Kris, and Kris' sword End of Night broke Jamison's sword the Darkness, scarring his face and knocking him out. He was later taken to the castle and has been patched up after the battle. Anyway, the part should be ready in a day or two
-
Aaand here is a portrait of our newest addition to the cast, Lord Terren Jordayne:
Oh, nice, a Jamison PoV! If I am not completely mistaken, due to Valerie's mind control, he is among the PoV's who hadn't had a part in the longest time, probably even the one with the longest break, though I am not too sure about it. It'll be great to see what his next steps might be. He has a badass scar now and all in all got out of this with relatively few troubles save for some massively hurt ego, though I could totally see him being vengeful towards Valerie now. Always a treat to see his parts and I don't doubt that his Chapter 3 storyline will live up to the hype
You mean Lord Magnum P.I. right? Jokes aside, I love that portrait
Though it is hard to say with the great number you have drawn for NW, I do think this should be among my Top Ten. Really, it is hard to say, because as I just thought of my Top Ten drawings, I noticed that it's hard for me to narrow down the ten I am the most impressed with. I guess going through the gallery again, I think the ones that impressed me the most are, in no particular order, Varyn, Khazor, Verro, Efran, Myke, The Purple Swag-A-Lot, Jamison, the second Gwendis portrait (featuring GO-bro), Wesley (shockingly) and now Magnum Jordayne. And even then I had to keep out a lot of honourary mentions and feel bad for not mentioned them as well 
It's truly outstanding how you manage to give every single portrait their own unique look and I always look forward for more of them!
Jamison
Jamison Dayne laid awake on his bed in the small chambers that had been given to him in the castle of Vaith. This wasn't the first time he had been awake after the battle, but it was the first time his mind was perfectly clear again. His memories of the battle were blurry, as if he couldn't be sure if it had all been just a dream. However, he knew there had been a battle, and there was a fresh scar on his face, which was enough to convince Jamison that what little he remembered had actually happened.
"You'll be happy to know none of us got killed while you were... away", said Ser Laroy Ladybright, who sat next to the bed, and Jamison turned to look at him. His left eye was covered by the bandage, limiting his field of view, but he could still very well see the irritation in the old knight's expression. "What exactly did you do during the battle?" Jamison asked with a bored tone.
"We stayed in the tavern and defended ourselves", Ser Laroy answered nonchalantly. "When you didn't return I thought the Vaith's had taken you as a hostage."
"And did you ever find Ser Rolan?" Jamison asked, and Laroy shook his head. "I assume he rides with the combined army of King Lucifer and Lord Gargalen", he answered calmly. "They should be here in a day or two."
Jamison raised to a sitting position, still feeling a bit lightheaded. He put his hand on the bandage, feeling dried blood on its surface. Silently he started unwrapping it, seeing Laroy frowning at him. "The healer said you should keep it on for now", he said, but Jamison didn't care. After removing the bandage he stood up from the bed, and walked to the dusty mirror in the corner of the room. The scar had been stitched, but it was easy to see that the blade had cut dangerously deep into his face. An inch deeper and I would've died. The scar ran from his lower left cheek, over the bridge of his nose and all the way to his upper right forehead. The scar itself was gruesome, and the skin around it was still red and swollen. It wasn't a pretty sight, but that wasn't what irritated Jamison the most – it was the fact that this would be a constant reminder of a humiliation. Some warriors carried their scars with pride, but this was not that kind of scar. This wasn't the kind of scar that Jamison would want to tell stories about, yet it would disfigure his face for the rest of his life.
"It could've been a lot worse, you know", Laroy weighed in, and Jamison sent him a glare. "Worse?" He asked cynically. "What is worse than being humiliated and controlled by some bitch, and waking up with your face cut open?"
"Death, for example", Laroy answered dryly, and Jamison turned his gaze away. "Though what I meant was that the healer did an amazing job with that wound, it looked way worse when I first saw you after the battle." Jamison ignored the old knight's words, and walked to the table that was next to the window. There he saw his sword, the Darkness, but the blade was shattered in two. Another reminder of my humiliation.
"We can forge you a new one back in Starfall", Laroy said calmly, and Jamison chuckled. "Oh really?" He asked sarcastically, taking the broken sword to his hands and observing it. "How the hell did this happen?" He asked quietly.
"Apparently it was Lord Kris Vaith who shattered your blade", Laroy answered, stepping next to Jamison and taking the other half of the blade to his hands. "He has a Valyrian steel sword, you see."
"If only I had Dawn, he wouldn't have defeated me", Jamison muttered, dropped the broken Darkness back to the table and turned around. "Perhaps it is better that you were defeated", Laroy remarked. "After all, you were under some kind of... dark magic."
Jamison gulped, still hardly believing what had happened. Maester Norbert had spoken of magic as tricks and illusions that charlatans of foreign lands liked to use, Jamison had heard rumors of the sorcerers in Blackmont, and stories about water wizards that controlled the flowing of rivers to their advantage, but never had he expected to experience anything like what happened to him here in Vaith. It had been dark magic, there was no way around it. Jamison wanted to feel anger towards the dark woman who had seduced him and humiliated him, but in truth what he felt was fear. He could still see those bright blue eyes, staring into his soul. I never want to see that again.
Suddenly the door was opened, and Jamison turned to see an old man walking in. A very old man, to be precise – this man had a long white beard that reached his chest, his face suggested he had to be at least on his eighties, and in his turquoise eyes resided deep wisdom. "Looks like you're on your feet again, prince", the old man said softly, and Jamison narrowed his eyes.
"My prince, this is the man who healed your wound", Laroy explained, and the old man gave him a smile. "Indeed, and you're lucky I was here", he said calmly, stepping closer to Jamison now. "In the hands of someone less experienced the wound could've festered badly. My name is Wylie, by the way, a pleasure to meet you." With these words the healer offered his hand for Jamison. The prince looked at it for a moment, before finally deciding to shake Wylie's hand. If this man had truly healed his wound, he deserved that much.
"Are you asking for payment?" Jamison asked dryly as they let go of each other's hands, but Wylie shook his head. "I have no use for gold or silver", he said, taking from his pocket a small jar of something. "Here, I brought you this, take it", Wylie said, offering the jar to Jamison.
With a questioning look on his eyes Jamison grabbed the jar. Before he could ask, Wylie answered. "In there is an ointment, to speed up the healing process. Mind you, it's not my best work, because of the limited resources in this city. Still, you should spread it over the wound every night before sleeping."
Jamison handed the ointment to Laroy, keeping his eyes still on Wylie. "You're doing all this without expecting a reward?" Jamison asked skeptically. Wylie chuckled and shook his head. "It is enough of a reward for me to see you standing there, alive and ready to begin your recovery", he answered softly. "I'm an old man, I have already seen more gold in my life than you can imagine. In fact, I have seen so much of it I can hardly stomach the sight of it anymore. No, your gratitude will be enough of a payment, young prince."
"Well, you have it", Jamison replied with a nod. There was something strange about this old man, but he seemed to be a respectable individual nonetheless. Then the door was opened again. This time in walked a young girl with bright red hair, and a dress in same color. She was probably on her early teens, and in her dark eyes was a timid look.
"Ah, Lady Desirea", Wylie greeted the young girl cheerfully, and she gave him a curtesy. "Master Wylie", she responded with a kind tone on her voice. Then she turned towards Jamison, and immediately the look on her eyes turned nervous, almost scared. "Is the scar that bad, girl?" Jamison asked sternly, but Desirea shook her head.
"No, my prince", she answered quietly. "I'm Desirea, priestess of R'hllor, the Lord of Light. You were under the magic of a servant of the Great Other, the god of darkness, cold and death. Now that you're free from said control, I would have a few questions for you." Jamison sighed, and sat on his bed.
"Ask away then", he said grimly. Desirea glanced at Wylie and Laroy, who quickly took the hint. "We'll leave the room for you", Wylie said with his friendly tone, and so he and Laroy walked out of the room and closed the door behind them.
Desirea walked in front of Jamison, and took a seat next to him. "How exactly did Valerie Sand approach you?" She asked quietly. Jamison was quiet for a moment, his mind going back to that moment. Back then in the tavern she had seen an exotic and attractive young woman, now in his mind he saw a monster. "She came to talk to me in the tavern", he answered nonchalantly, and Desirea nodded.
"And did she promise you something? Power, gold?" She asked carefully. Jamison shook his head. "She praised me, made me think she wants to fuck", Jamison answered directly, anger in his words. Desirea nodded again, letting out a sigh. "So, she was charming?" She now asked, and Jamison nodded.
"Charming enough", he confirmed grimly. Desirea scratched her head, thinking for a moment before proceeding to her next question. "And... what happened next?"
"She said she had a place where we could go, so I followed her", Jamison answered, feeling like a fool when he thought back to it now. How could I have known?
"This place that she took you to, did you notice anything strange there?" Desirea asked with a focused look on her eyes. "I wasn't really paying attention to the place when there was a naked body of a beautiful woman in front of me", Jamison answered with a joyless chuckle. Desirea nodded again, a humorless expression on her face.
"When you were defeated by Kris, this was around your neck", Desirea said, taking out an obsidian necklace from her sleeve. "Do you remember it?"
"Yes", Jamison muttered, quickly averting his eyes from the dark stone. "She put it around my neck, and then..."
"And then, what?" Desirea urged Jamison to continue. "Then her eyes turned bright blue, and she stared into my eyes... that is all I remember. After that, there are just foggy images."
"I understand." There was a hint of disappointment in the young priestesses' words, but she kept on a calm and professional face. Perhaps she had expected to learn more about her enemy from Jamison, but that wasn't his problem. Not anymore, never again. He would leave this pathetic town as soon as he could, and finally make his way home again. "How are you feeling now?" Desirea asked after they had both been silent for a moment.
"I feel like shit", Jamison admitted with a sigh. "But my mind is my own again, so no need to worry about that."
"Are you sure?" Desirea asked quietly, and Jamison nodded firmly. "I know my own mind, red girl", he said, a dark and stern look on his eyes. "No witch could understand me as well as I do myself. My pride, my feelings, my regrets."
"I believe you", Desirea assured calmly and stood up, still looking at Jamison. "Still, if you notice anything strange during the next few days, please come to me." With these words the young priestess left the room, leaving Jamison to sit alone on his bed.
However, soon Laroy walked back in again, and this time his squire Darnis of Southpoint was with him. Jamison noticed that his scar clearly shocked the lanky fifteen-year-old, but he decided to ignore it. "She wanted to know what that woman did to you, aye?" Laroy asked, and Jamison nodded. "Well, we can only hope she'll find her and bring her to justice", Laroy continued with a sigh.
"Was there something you wanted to talk about?" Jamison asked with a touch of irritation in his words. He would prefer to be alone now, he needed time to think, time to consider his mistakes.
"Aye", Laroy answered. "Just wanted to ask if you would want to join the ceremony for Lord Vaith at the town square. Could do good for you to get some fresh air."
Jamison turned his gaze down, unsure what to answer. Usually it would've been clear – he would rather go outside than stay alone in the bed, but this wasn't the usual time. He had been defeated and humiliated, and the scars of it were still fresh, both physical and mental.
[Stay and rest] [Go to the ceremony]
[Stay and rest] While I think he needs the fresh air, he's not mentally ready to be with the other noblemen, and his pride won't let him feel vulnerable.
I just realized this Wylie is named the same as that healer from Forum of Thrones...
A coincidence, a deliberate naming, or something else...
Ah, it is a shame Jamison is not out for revenge when it comes to Valerie. It makes perfect sense for him to nope the hell out of this and it probably is the wiser decision, but I had hopes that Team Anti-GO might get the best swordsman in Dorne for their mission
But as I said, I can understand this. Truth be told, I probably would have done the same in his situation. And given that Valerie likely only used him as a distraction to escape Vaith, I hope that at least he is going to be left alone by that cultist freakshow from now on. He deserves a break.
[Go to the ceremony]
I might be very wrong here, but I believe it is good for Jamison to get out immediately, to not let anyone know how much his recent experiences bother him. He's not only a strong badass, a big part of his entire persona is appearing like a strong badass. If he gets out already despite the ordeal he suffered, that'll send a message that he's not easy to beat down, at least not for long. I have the hopes it'll help his state of mind as well. After all, though his confidence might have been dealt a severe blow, he only has to fake it long enough to recover. That can help. Of course, as I said, I might be wrong here, but I believe that this will be the better choice for Jamison's mental well-being.
[Go to the ceremony] I pretty much agree with Liquid on this one, I feel like its better for Jamison to face this with his head held high rather than just cower in a room thinking about the humiliation he suffered.
[Go to the ceremony]
That Wylie, such ancient, traveling story to story... Pretty sneaky. I think it's aroud 700 years difference between Forum of Thrones? Correct me if I am wrong.
Indeed, there's around 700 years between NW and FoT
That old "man" seen some history then.
[Go to the ceremony]
He can't let others know how defeated he feels.