Hm, not good, not at all. I knew this would happen and I must say, I already start to dislike those Wyl bastards. Good thing is, Ser Kegan is still alive and being highborn and of importance to Benedict, I could imagine the Wyl's wanting to ransom him, or something like that. But still, this is really not good. I am not exactly sure how many men Benedict sent to Kingsgrave, but with the peasant rebellion breaking out in their lands, I'd guess the losses have been significant. Damn it, Garrison, I want to like that man, I really do, but he isn't making it easy now, with his deception forcing the Blackmont army into war, while his own forces retreat before this climactic battle, meaning they remain intact, while both, Albin and Benedict suffer heavy losses. Now, I gotta wonder what this will mean for Yorick's next move. Obviously, he wants to take Kingsgrave, but it might just be that he indeed wishes to build up an alliance for now, maybe having the Manwoody's ruling a vassal state. And I can only guess he eventually seeks to do the same with Blackmont, knowing how much they lost in this battle. And that in return does not bode well for Naemon, nor for Gwendis if she makes her return in time. At least Benedict is not as stubborn as Albin, but he has proven in the treatment of his children and his obsession with magic that he isn't exactly the most reasonable man around either, so for the sake of my dears, I can only hope he won't drag them down with him when the Yronwood army comes for him next, at least not more than he already did.
[Let Joran go to Jared Lonmouth]
So, this is a risk, but the way I see it, it could also be a big chance. With the Blackmont army gone, Myke and co. are without allies. They need to cling to the new arrivals, the Wyl army, hoping to ally with them and to outright force Kortney away from Albin during the very one-sided negotiations I believe are going to follow.
Thing is, I guess this Lonmouth guy is loyal to the Wyl's, who in turn are loyal to Yorick Yronwood. And from what we have seen so far, I'd say Yorick is not a cruel man, but a very pragmatic one. I don't know much about the Wyl's, but guess they act in his best interests, or else he wouldn't have sent them to Kingsgrave. Now, this means Yorick should have a personal interest in returning Kortney to Nightsong. His current ambition seems to be establishing vassal kingdoms in the red mountains, first Manwoody, then Blackmont, then possibly Fowler. If there is anything that could disturb his plans, it is a Stormlander army led by Kortney's father, attacking his newest vassal state. And the simple, effortless way to not only prevent this, but also to establish good connections to the Dornish Marches in a situation where he cannot afford to have trouble with them is to return Kortney to her family. That is logical and I assume Yorick is a man seeing things in a logical way. So, if Joran manages to get Jared to their side, they might be able to bring the Wyl's to their side, convincing them of the importance of their mission and assuring that Albin has to give up on his plaything during the negotiations to follow. The risk I see is that Jared or the Wyl's could be cruel bastards who don't see things the same way Yorick probably would and would rather appease Albin, but given that they don't seem to have much reason to do that, I at least consider the risk acceptable in exchange to the potential gain.
Myke
The battlements of Kingsgrave were crowded with soldiers of House Manwoody, all of them looking out to the field where the Blackmont… more army was forming a line of defense in front of their encampment, fortified by wooden spikes. From the east approached a large army carrying mainly the banners of House Wyl. The Wyl's had a bad reputation on the Stormlands, notorious for their constant raids to the lands of the Marcher lords. However, Myke hadn't expected them to get involved here, not now.
The supplies in the castle had been starting to run low recently, and it would've been just a few more weeks before the Manwoody's would've been forced to yield, but this changed everything. Of course, the Wyl's were here by the command of King Yorick Yronwood, who no doubt sought to benefit from this conflict of his neighboring kingdoms. Perhaps we should've seen this coming, Myke thought grimly.
The Wyl's seemed to have a slight advantage in nu… [view original content]
[Let Joran go to Jared Lonmouth] Considering Jared is my character, I wanna know if he's truly trustworthy, not the wisest choice but an interesting one nonetheless.
If Edindinosaur can't fully trust his own character, than I say letting Joran see him is a bad idea. If he talks to him, it may lead to everybody's exposure. Myke's whole mission to save Kortney could be put in jeapordy. It would be best for Joran not to see Jared.
Myke
The battlements of Kingsgrave were crowded with soldiers of House Manwoody, all of them looking out to the field where the Blackmont… more army was forming a line of defense in front of their encampment, fortified by wooden spikes. From the east approached a large army carrying mainly the banners of House Wyl. The Wyl's had a bad reputation on the Stormlands, notorious for their constant raids to the lands of the Marcher lords. However, Myke hadn't expected them to get involved here, not now.
The supplies in the castle had been starting to run low recently, and it would've been just a few more weeks before the Manwoody's would've been forced to yield, but this changed everything. Of course, the Wyl's were here by the command of King Yorick Yronwood, who no doubt sought to benefit from this conflict of his neighboring kingdoms. Perhaps we should've seen this coming, Myke thought grimly.
The Wyl's seemed to have a slight advantage in nu… [view original content]
[Let Joran go to Jared Lonmouth] Admittedly this is a pretty big risk since I consider Joran a very important part of this mission and a Stormlander assoiciating with House Wyl is quite suspicious to say the least. Like Joran said though, he will be the only one at risk at this point and I really can't see why Jared would react to this negatively since I can only see this news hurting House Manwoody amd Albin in particular.
On a side note though, the poor Blackmont's! I knew they would most likely lose but it was still sad nonetheless. The Blackmont's had enough problems going on to begin with the peasant rebellion and Gwendis leaving Blackmont so with the majority of the Blackmont army now gone, they really are in the worst shape of any of the other dornish kingdoms at this point. Plus other questions are raised now too such as whether Garrison knew the Wyl's were coming which is why the Fowler army retreated? I know it was most likely because of Ferris' death but Garrison clearly is not above using a negative situation to his advantage and taking out potential future rivals would be something Garrison would do I believe especially with with what he's already did to them. It was also getting to see more of Arvin in this part as well. I have been curious about him and I do believe that he is somewhat practical and is not mad like his father but is also loyal to him which in this case is definitely a fault. It will be interesting to see more of him and I am hoping we get to see this meeting between the Wyl's and Manwoody's somehow!
Myke
The battlements of Kingsgrave were crowded with soldiers of House Manwoody, all of them looking out to the field where the Blackmont… more army was forming a line of defense in front of their encampment, fortified by wooden spikes. From the east approached a large army carrying mainly the banners of House Wyl. The Wyl's had a bad reputation on the Stormlands, notorious for their constant raids to the lands of the Marcher lords. However, Myke hadn't expected them to get involved here, not now.
The supplies in the castle had been starting to run low recently, and it would've been just a few more weeks before the Manwoody's would've been forced to yield, but this changed everything. Of course, the Wyl's were here by the command of King Yorick Yronwood, who no doubt sought to benefit from this conflict of his neighboring kingdoms. Perhaps we should've seen this coming, Myke thought grimly.
The Wyl's seemed to have a slight advantage in nu… [view original content]
And Myke will let Joran go to Jared Lonmouth. It's a risk for sure, but Joran seems quite convinced that they can trust Jared. Well, we'll see later if it was a risk worth taking.
Next up, we'll have another Nealia part. After leaving Lemonwood with the rest of the Rose Company she has been doing some thinking regarding her future, and came to the conclusion that she wants to return to Starfall at some point, rather than continuing her life as a sellsword. Telling this to Lien resulted in a bit of an awkward situation, and Nealia decided to go to speak with Tryden, Jinora and the White Elephant instead of spending the evening with Lien, Ying and co. I'll try to get the part done in a day or two
-
And I also have another portrait for you, this time Wallace Wyl aka the Wild Wally:
With a sigh Nealia turned her eyes away from Lien, Ying, Sarina and Manda. It was better to stay away from them for now, there would be time to discuss things through later. Nealia took in a deep breath and turned towards Tryden, Broden, Jinora and the White Elephant.
"What are you discussing?" Nealia asked with a relaxed tone as she approached them, and Tryden looked at her with a somewhat surprised expression. "Something about our mission?" Nealia inquired, and now Tryden shook his head.
"There is no mission yet," he answered calmly. "However, we just met a traveler coming from Godsgrace."
"And?" Nealia asked with a mildly interested tone. "Princess Nymeria has taken over the city," the White Elephant clarified nonchalantly, and Tryden confirmed it with a silent nod. "Alright, that's nice, I guess. Not really surprising though," Nealia said with a shrug. "Are we going to work for her now?"
"If she is hiring," Tryden answered with a sigh. "And if she is still planning to take down the Kingdom of Brimstone, she definitely should be hiring all the swords she can." Nealia narrowed her eyes, looking at Tryden. There was something strange about the man's expression, an uncharacteristic nervousness. "You're not sure if we should join her," she deduced quietly, to which Tryden chuckled.
"There is never certainty in war," he said quietly, keeping his gaze at the ground. "Still, I like to side with the winners, and I'm not sure if this Rhoynar princess is going to be a winner in the long run."
"I'm sure you'll find your way to the winning side somehow," Nealia quipped dryly. "It's just a question of how many times you have to turn the coat." Tryden flashed her a sarcastic smirk, a mildly irritated gaze in his eyes. "Very funny, Nealia," he said coldly. "Sadly though, it's not that simple... piss off too many kings and lords and you'll be equally hated by everyone. And this Nymeria... her plans are ambitious. If I side against her and she succeeds, there will be no place for the Rose Company in Dorne. If I side with her and she is defeated... well, that probably won't end well either."
"What do you mean Rose Company won't have a place in Dorne?" Nealia asked with a raised eyebrow, and this time it was Broden who answered. "Because the Rhoynar bitch wants to rule the whole region, including the lands of your daddy," he said bluntly, before turning towards Tryden again. "Commander, I think we should avoid Nymeria. She isn't the only one hiring, we could go to Yronwood, I've heard King Yorick has plans for war as well."
"True, but at the moment we are deep in the territory of the Martell's," Tryden pointed out tonelessly. "Better not make any rash decisions. We will go to Godsgrace first, and learn more about the situation. Then we can decide on our next move."
"Sounds good to me," White Elephant stated with his stoic tone, turning to look at Jinora, who also nodded approvingly. "Good then," Tryden said with a subtle smirk. "Let's get some rest, we have many miles to travel tomorrow."
-
It was just past noon when they arrived to the stony bridge that crossed the Greenblood. On the other side of the bridge was a small army, its troops carrying Santagar and Ladybright banners. "Nymeria's vassals," Nealia heard Tryden muttering. "Nealia, Broden, come with me," he commanded, as he approached the bridge.
They walked to the middle of the bridge, and so from the army of Santagar's and Ladybright's four men approached them. The one leading them was a tall and slender knight, approximately on his fifties, with a bushy brown beard and bald head. He was clad in a light plated armor, the bathing maid of House Ladybright painted on it, and right behind him walked a young soldier with a similar sigil on his tabard.
Next to the Ladybright knight walked a much younger knight, under sixteen if Nealia had to guess. In his sturdy armor was engraved both the seven-pointed star and the leopard of House Santagar. Behind him walked a tall and muscular warrior in the blue-and-white tabard of Santagar.
"Good day, sers!" Tryden greeted them with a friendly tone, and while the young Santagar knight nodded politely, the Ladybright knight kept on a stern glare. "Who are you?" He asked sharply.
"I am Tryden Flowers, commander of the Rose Company," he introduced himself smoothly, but before he could move on to introduce Broden and Nealia, the Ladybright cut him off. "I've heard of you and your company," he sneered, a scornful expression on his face. "You have a reputation as a brute who only cares for his coin."
"That's not completely wrong," Tryden quipped with a smirk, before proceeding to introduce his companions. "With me is my most trusted warrior, Broden," he started, to which the Santagar's and Ladybright's seemed indifferent. Then Tryden turned to Nealia. "As well as Nealia Sand, the bastard daughter of King Vorian Dayne," he continued, and now the knights' eyes widened in surprise.
"King Vorian... my cousin serves him, I hear he is a good man," The Ladybright said with a respectful nod to Nealia, which she reciprocated, now noticing the similarity in this man's green eyes to those of Ser Laroy. "And an exalted knight," the young Santagar added with admiration in his words. "I am Ser Martyn Santagar, the Knight of Spottswood. It is an honor to meet you."
"Likewise," Nealia replied politely, and then the Ladybright spoke up. "I am Ser Albar Ladybright, the younger brother of Lord Jasper Ladybright," he introduced himself with a small sigh. "Nonetheless, I want to know what is your business here," he stated, turning his gaze to Tryden again.
"We are traveling to Godsgrace, looking for a new job," Tryden answered calmly, to which Ser Albar narrowed his eyes in a suspecting manner. "And your earlier job, did it happen to have something to do with Lemonwood?" He asked sternly, to which Tryden nodded without hesitation.
"Aye, we were hired by the Bandit Lord," he said nonchalantly. It was a seamless lie, because in truth they had been paid by King Lucifer, not Efran. "He took over Lemonwood, and that was the end of our business with him."
"We are on our way to take the city back from the bastard," Albar said coldly, and Tryden gave him a carefree shrug. "As I said, our business with Efran is over," he replied smoothly. "And in case you are interested, most of his other troops have abandoned him as well, including his Ironborn allies."
"That is good to hear," Ser Martyn weighed in calmly. "And if you are indeed going to Godsgrace, Princess Nymeria could have a use for you."
"Not sure if she wants turncloaks like you in her army though," Albar spat with a cold glare in his eyes, and Tryden flashed him an emotionless grin. "I guess we can let her decide that by herself," he said. With some frustration in his eyes, Ser Albar nodded in agreement. "So be it," he said coldly. "We'll let your company through. You must have at least some honor to attain the loyalty of King Vorian's daughter, bastard or not."
"Thank you," Tryden replied with a small bow. "And good luck in Lemonwood," he quipped, before turning to walk back to the rest of the Rose Company.
-
The sun had almost set when they finally arrived to Godsgrace. The riverbanks were occupied by small farmlands, and the city itself was covered by sturdy walls. A lot of noise came from inside those walls, which was no wonder if an army was residing there, in addition to the townsfolk.
They were stopped at the eastern gates, but as Tryden explained their business, they were let in to the city. The Dayne's liked to think that Southpoint was the most beautiful city in Dorne, but Nealia had to admit that Godsgrace was more beautiful. White Elephant and his crew didn't really look impressed though, nor did Lien, Ying or Manda. Of course, they had seen cities tenfold the size of Godsgrace, but for Nealia this was the biggest city she had ever been to.
The dusty streets were full of life, the colorful marketplaces filled with merchants, and taverns with weary travelers and soldiers. They made their way into one of them located near the southern gate, one called the Golden Hand. It was clearly one of the better taverns in town, the customers being mostly knights and wealthy sellswords.
Right as they stepped in their attention shifted to a certain particularly loud individual. A relatively young, lean and handsome man with short dark hair and stubble with a goatee, was clearly drunk and singing something from the bottom of his lungs. He was dressed in a dark blue cotton tunic and leather trousers, a goblet of wine on his hand. "Oh, fuck no," Tryden muttered with a frustrated tone, and Nealia gave him a curious glance. "You know this guy?" She asked, and just then the drunken man's eyes found them.
"Tryden Flowers!" He roared with a tone that made it hard to know if he was angry or happy to see him. "Fenn!" Tryden responded with a friendly tone, forcing a small smile on his face, and so the drunkard approached them, a wide grin forming on his face. "You lousy bastard," he said, raising his goblet right in front of Tryden. "This is Dornish Red, proper wine, unlike that piss you call Arbor Gold!"
"We all have our preferences," Tryden replied with a tense chuckle, and Fenn proceeded to gulp down the rest of his wine, and patted Tryden on the side of his left arm. "Come on then, old friend, we need to have a conversation, it's been almost a year!" And so, Fenn led Tryden to his table, Broden following quickly behind them.
Nealia turned to Manda with a questioning look in her eyes, and the Summer Islander gave her an amused chuckle. "That's Fenn, he used to be part of the Rose Company for a while," she explained calmly. "Then, one night he had a disagreement with Tryden about wine, and decided to abandon the company."
"Seriously?" Nealia asked, and Manda nodded. "Aye, he's a somewhat... impulsive guy," she said with a sigh. "Anyway, Tryden would probably appreciate you going to help him with handling this guy. That said, I think Lien might want to have a conversation with you as well," Manda said, nodding towards the table that Lien, Ying, Sarina and Gauron had already settled to.
[Go to Lien's table] Maybe they should talk, get things straight, otherwise things are gonna get more complicated. I'm sure Tryden won't mind that much.
Nealia
With a sigh Nealia turned her eyes away from Lien, Ying, Sarina and Manda. It was better to stay away from them for now, there wou… moreld be time to discuss things through later. Nealia took in a deep breath and turned towards Tryden, Broden, Jinora and the White Elephant.
"What are you discussing?" Nealia asked with a relaxed tone as she approached them, and Tryden looked at her with a somewhat surprised expression. "Something about our mission?" Nealia inquired, and now Tryden shook his head.
"There is no mission yet," he answered calmly. "However, we just met a traveler coming from Godsgrace."
"And?" Nealia asked with a mildly interested tone. "Princess Nymeria has taken over the city," the White Elephant clarified nonchalantly, and Tryden confirmed it with a silent nod. "Alright, that's nice, I guess. Not really surprising though," Nealia said with a shrug. "Are we going to work for her now?"
"If she is hiring," Tryden an… [view original content]
Nealia
With a sigh Nealia turned her eyes away from Lien, Ying, Sarina and Manda. It was better to stay away from them for now, there wou… moreld be time to discuss things through later. Nealia took in a deep breath and turned towards Tryden, Broden, Jinora and the White Elephant.
"What are you discussing?" Nealia asked with a relaxed tone as she approached them, and Tryden looked at her with a somewhat surprised expression. "Something about our mission?" Nealia inquired, and now Tryden shook his head.
"There is no mission yet," he answered calmly. "However, we just met a traveler coming from Godsgrace."
"And?" Nealia asked with a mildly interested tone. "Princess Nymeria has taken over the city," the White Elephant clarified nonchalantly, and Tryden confirmed it with a silent nod. "Alright, that's nice, I guess. Not really surprising though," Nealia said with a shrug. "Are we going to work for her now?"
"If she is hiring," Tryden an… [view original content]
[Go to Tryden's table] Ha, Fenn! I wasn't expecting him to appear here at all, so I gotta say that was a great surprise. And he got just the introduction I imagined he would've and even though we haven't seen much of him, I can already tell that you were spot on with his personality I'm kinda curious to see how Fenn and Tryden's conversation is going to be like, its probably going to be kinda weird after Fenn left the Rose Company outta nowhere xD I'd be nice for Nealia to meet Fenn also, since I'm not sure if he's going to go back to the Rose Company or not. Besides, Nealia can talk to Lien later, best thing would be to let Lien make the first move and not the other way around.
Nealia
With a sigh Nealia turned her eyes away from Lien, Ying, Sarina and Manda. It was better to stay away from them for now, there wou… moreld be time to discuss things through later. Nealia took in a deep breath and turned towards Tryden, Broden, Jinora and the White Elephant.
"What are you discussing?" Nealia asked with a relaxed tone as she approached them, and Tryden looked at her with a somewhat surprised expression. "Something about our mission?" Nealia inquired, and now Tryden shook his head.
"There is no mission yet," he answered calmly. "However, we just met a traveler coming from Godsgrace."
"And?" Nealia asked with a mildly interested tone. "Princess Nymeria has taken over the city," the White Elephant clarified nonchalantly, and Tryden confirmed it with a silent nod. "Alright, that's nice, I guess. Not really surprising though," Nealia said with a shrug. "Are we going to work for her now?"
"If she is hiring," Tryden an… [view original content]
I don't want to leave Tryden alone in this particular situation, but I feel like now would be the best, perhaps last chance for Nealia to patch things up with Lien again. These two have been adorable and it breaks my heart that they have this standing between them, so naturally, I would like to pick the option that is more likely to see them reunite.
To be fair though, I wouldn't exactly be opposed to join Tryden here as well. Fenn seems like an interesting guy and there could be the benefit of potentially protecting Tryden, even if I really doubt things would escalate that badly here. Javier also brought up a good point, one I find myself agreeing with somewhat, namely that it would be nice if Lien could make the first move here. See, as much as I adore them, it shouldn't always be Nealia doing the apologizing, especially as what she did to cause this argument hasn't even been all that bad. However, since I adore these two, I would still slightly prefer to go to her table, out of fear that this might be the last chance for their relationship, but I realize, I am a bit on the fence here. Seems like Tryden is leading and well, that's probably not a bad thing either.
You know, I just noticed, probably the perfect way out of the dilemma with Lien and it was Tryden himself who brought me to it. He's definitely not fond of Nymeria, but he seems to have a liking to Dorne in general. So, given that he has the contacts thanks to Nealia, wouldn't it be great if the entire Rose Company could join forces with House Dayne? Vorian might not be the guy to hire sellswords, but I am sure Nealia could convince him. That'd give Tryden a good employer (though one I bet he'll leave as soon as things turn sour, that charming opportunist XD), Nealia a way to be with her family and her friends and Lien a way to remain by Nealia's side. Tryden is a smart guy, I bet he'll eventually come to the same conclusion and maybe he'll even consider it worth a shot. Because if he wants to stay in Dorne, he sooner or later has to pick a side and with him working for Lucifer Dryland, he kinda already did. He is opposed to Nymeria, personally and in terms of his employment, so working for her next big opponent sounds kinda logical to me and the only option for him if he doesn't want to leave Dorne or work for Nymeria. And if he survives that long (no doubt through constantly, and amazingly, switching sides), I could see the last option here to only happen in the very final stages of war, when it becomes clear that Nymeria has a very realistic chance at winning. I'm actually curious if he and the Rose Company will end up with Yorick Yronwood or with Nymeria and I guess it'll depend a bit on how capable Tryden considers Nym to be.
Nealia
With a sigh Nealia turned her eyes away from Lien, Ying, Sarina and Manda. It was better to stay away from them for now, there wou… moreld be time to discuss things through later. Nealia took in a deep breath and turned towards Tryden, Broden, Jinora and the White Elephant.
"What are you discussing?" Nealia asked with a relaxed tone as she approached them, and Tryden looked at her with a somewhat surprised expression. "Something about our mission?" Nealia inquired, and now Tryden shook his head.
"There is no mission yet," he answered calmly. "However, we just met a traveler coming from Godsgrace."
"And?" Nealia asked with a mildly interested tone. "Princess Nymeria has taken over the city," the White Elephant clarified nonchalantly, and Tryden confirmed it with a silent nod. "Alright, that's nice, I guess. Not really surprising though," Nealia said with a shrug. "Are we going to work for her now?"
"If she is hiring," Tryden an… [view original content]
Nealia
With a sigh Nealia turned her eyes away from Lien, Ying, Sarina and Manda. It was better to stay away from them for now, there wou… moreld be time to discuss things through later. Nealia took in a deep breath and turned towards Tryden, Broden, Jinora and the White Elephant.
"What are you discussing?" Nealia asked with a relaxed tone as she approached them, and Tryden looked at her with a somewhat surprised expression. "Something about our mission?" Nealia inquired, and now Tryden shook his head.
"There is no mission yet," he answered calmly. "However, we just met a traveler coming from Godsgrace."
"And?" Nealia asked with a mildly interested tone. "Princess Nymeria has taken over the city," the White Elephant clarified nonchalantly, and Tryden confirmed it with a silent nod. "Alright, that's nice, I guess. Not really surprising though," Nealia said with a shrug. "Are we going to work for her now?"
"If she is hiring," Tryden an… [view original content]
Nealia
With a sigh Nealia turned her eyes away from Lien, Ying, Sarina and Manda. It was better to stay away from them for now, there wou… moreld be time to discuss things through later. Nealia took in a deep breath and turned towards Tryden, Broden, Jinora and the White Elephant.
"What are you discussing?" Nealia asked with a relaxed tone as she approached them, and Tryden looked at her with a somewhat surprised expression. "Something about our mission?" Nealia inquired, and now Tryden shook his head.
"There is no mission yet," he answered calmly. "However, we just met a traveler coming from Godsgrace."
"And?" Nealia asked with a mildly interested tone. "Princess Nymeria has taken over the city," the White Elephant clarified nonchalantly, and Tryden confirmed it with a silent nod. "Alright, that's nice, I guess. Not really surprising though," Nealia said with a shrug. "Are we going to work for her now?"
"If she is hiring," Tryden an… [view original content]
Yeah, Fenn was a fairly easy character to write in quickly, and I basically decided on introducing him here as soon as I read the submission Anyway, I'm glad to hear you're satisfied with his portrayal so far. Fenn is a really fun character to write, so you can expect to see a lot more of him in the future!
[Go to Tryden's table] Ha, Fenn! I wasn't expecting him to appear here at all, so I gotta say that was a great surprise. And he got just the… more introduction I imagined he would've and even though we haven't seen much of him, I can already tell that you were spot on with his personality I'm kinda curious to see how Fenn and Tryden's conversation is going to be like, its probably going to be kinda weird after Fenn left the Rose Company outta nowhere xD I'd be nice for Nealia to meet Fenn also, since I'm not sure if he's going to go back to the Rose Company or not. Besides, Nealia can talk to Lien later, best thing would be to let Lien make the first move and not the other way around.
You know, I just noticed, probably the perfect way out of the dilemma with Lien and it was Tryden himself who brought me to it. He's definitely not fond of Nymeria, but he seems to have a liking to Dorne in general. So, given that he has the contacts thanks to Nealia, wouldn't it be great if the entire Rose Company could join forces with House Dayne? Vorian might not be the guy to hire sellswords, but I am sure Nealia could convince him. That'd give Tryden a good employer (though one I bet he'll leave as soon as things turn sour, that charming opportunist XD), Nealia a way to be with her family and her friends and Lien a way to remain by Nealia's side. Tryden is a smart guy, I bet he'll eventually come to the same conclusion and maybe he'll even consider it worth a shot. Because if he wants to stay in Dorne, he sooner or later has to pick a side and with him working for Lucifer Dryland, he kinda already did. He is opposed to Nymeria, personally and in terms of his employment, so working for her next big opponent sounds kinda logical to me and the only option for him if he doesn't want to leave Dorne or work for Nymeria. And if he survives that long (no doubt through constantly, and amazingly, switching sides), I could see the last option here to only happen in the very final stages of war, when it becomes clear that Nymeria has a very realistic chance at winning. I'm actually curious if he and the Rose Company will end up with Yorick Yronwood or with Nymeria and I guess it'll depend a bit on how capable Tryden considers Nym to be.
Indeed, Tryden doesn't seem particularly eager to join Nymeria, but that's mostly just because he sees her goal of trying to conquer all of Dorne a bit too risky and unlikely to succeed. Towards Nymeria as a person he is neutral. That said, a big reason why Tryden likes Dorne is the constant conflicts between its petty kings and lords, which gives him a reliable source of income. So, in that sense unifying Dorne might actually be against Tryden's interest. As for being hired by King Vorian, it could definitely happen. However, right now the Dayne's aren't actively in a conflict, so it's unlikely that Tryden would have much interest going to Starfall. Especially since there are at least two ongoing conflicts (Dryland-Martell and Blackmont/Fowler-Manwoody/Yronwood) to choose from.
[Go to Lien's table]
I don't want to leave Tryden alone in this particular situation, but I feel like now would be the best, perhaps last… more chance for Nealia to patch things up with Lien again. These two have been adorable and it breaks my heart that they have this standing between them, so naturally, I would like to pick the option that is more likely to see them reunite.
To be fair though, I wouldn't exactly be opposed to join Tryden here as well. Fenn seems like an interesting guy and there could be the benefit of potentially protecting Tryden, even if I really doubt things would escalate that badly here. Javier also brought up a good point, one I find myself agreeing with somewhat, namely that it would be nice if Lien could make the first move here. See, as much as I adore them, it shouldn't always be Nealia doing the apologizing, especially as what she did to cause this argument hasn't even been all that bad. However, since I adore t… [view original content]
While I do want to see Nealia and Lien patch things up, I also feel like it shouldn't be Nealia that always has to make the first move. Nealia didn't really do anything wrong in the first place and because of that, I feel Lien needs to be the one to step up and apologize to Nealia here. Plus I also want to learn a bit more about Finn here as well.
Nealia
With a sigh Nealia turned her eyes away from Lien, Ying, Sarina and Manda. It was better to stay away from them for now, there wou… moreld be time to discuss things through later. Nealia took in a deep breath and turned towards Tryden, Broden, Jinora and the White Elephant.
"What are you discussing?" Nealia asked with a relaxed tone as she approached them, and Tryden looked at her with a somewhat surprised expression. "Something about our mission?" Nealia inquired, and now Tryden shook his head.
"There is no mission yet," he answered calmly. "However, we just met a traveler coming from Godsgrace."
"And?" Nealia asked with a mildly interested tone. "Princess Nymeria has taken over the city," the White Elephant clarified nonchalantly, and Tryden confirmed it with a silent nod. "Alright, that's nice, I guess. Not really surprising though," Nealia said with a shrug. "Are we going to work for her now?"
"If she is hiring," Tryden an… [view original content]
And Nealia will go to Tryden's table. I'm kinda glad you chose this, because it gives me a great opportunity to properly introduce Fenn in Nealia's next part And don't worry, this doesn't mean that Nealia and Lien can't still patch up things later. In fact, Lien isn't really expecting apology, she understands Nealia's actions and is even thankful that she was honest with her about wanting to go back to Starfall. Anyway, we'll get more scenes between these two in the future, so don't worry about that.
And the next part goes to Emerson, who is traveling to Yronwood with Lord Terren Jordayne and Yoren Jordayne. On their way they stopped at the Wells, the seat of House Wells. There they met Lord Olyvar Wells and his wife Lady Mina Wells, as well as two of their three sons, Andar and Leo, and their daughter Lena. Later in a conversatoin Lena challenged Emerson's plan of taking his rightful place as the Lord of Godsgrace, implying that perhaps Esperence had deserved her place as the Lady. She asked Emerson if a rightful claim makes one a capable leader, and you voted Emerson to answer "no". I hope to get the part done tomorrow!
"No, of course a rightful claim alone doesn't make one a good ruler," Emerson answered sternly, seeing a satisfied smirk slowly forming on Lena Wells' face. "However, I know what it takes to be a good lord, and I'm confident I can rule Godsgrace with honor and wisdom, as is my duty and right."
"Yes, I'm sure Lord Morgan raised you well for that role," Lena said with a dry and sarcastic tone. After a tense moment of silence, Lord Terren spoke up. "Morgan was indeed a misguided and bitter person, not a man fit for ruling," he stated with his calm and warm voice, his lips forming a small and friendly smile. "However, Emerson is the son of Lord Mason, and clearly shares his father's personality. Mason was a wise and loving man, and the best lord Godsgrace had seen in ages. With some guidance, I believe Emerson can achieve the same."
"Exactly," Lord Olyvar weighed in with his boisterous tone, and Emerson noticed Lena subtly rolling her eyes. The conversation quickly shifted away from Emerson again, with Olyvar, Mina and Terren starting to talk about the recent brief conflict between Toland's and Martell's, while Andar, Leo and Yoren chatted about tourneys of past. Throughout this, Emerson and Lena remained silent, occasionally glaring at each other.
-
Emerson was alone at the lavish gardens of the Wells, standing under the canopy and listening to the sound of the water and chirping of the birds. Emerson clenched his fists, troubling thoughts flying through his mind. What is Esperence doing right now? What about Emmett? The thought of having to go to war against the only real family he had ever had haunted Emerson. Perhaps Lena was right, perhaps he should just let Esperence keep Godsgrace and avoid conflict. No, I must do my duty, he reminded himself sternly.
Raising up his gaze, Emerson noticed Lena approaching him. She stopped a dozen feet away from him, leaning against the marble pillar of the canopy. "Hi," she said calmly, and Emerson responded with a hesitant nod. "I just... wanted to say I'm sorry, about what I said earlier," Lena continued with a sigh. "I imagine what you're going through right now is hard enough without me being an asshole about it."
"It's alright," Emerson replied emotionlessly and turned his eyes away. After a couple seconds of silence he heard Lena chuckling quietly, and taking a few steps closer to him. "Emerson, you do understand that Lord Terren and King Yorick want to use you, right?" She asked sharply, and Emerson let out a sigh. "What do you mean?" He asked with some frustration, and Lena took in a deep breath before answering.
"You are a tool for them, an instrument to further their own power," she claimed confidently. "I understand why you seek their help, but do you think they truly care about your happiness? About your right and duty as a lord?"
"And what do you suggest I should do then, huh?" Emerson snapped. "Should I just conquer Godsgrace all by myself? Live the rest of my days as an exile?" To this Lena shook her head, a mildly amused expression on her face. "Listen, you seem like a good and honorable person, Emerson," she started calmly. "I just don't want you to lose sight of your values when you start playing the games of men like Terren and Yorick. They don't care about you, they are not your friends, they only want to use you for their own benefit."
"Perhaps the benefit is mutual," Emerson responded, to which Lena simply shook her head. "That's what they want you to think, but in truth they want to make you their puppet," she said with a serious tone. "And puppets don't make good lords, do they? Anyway, you do what you must do, but just keep this in mind."
"Well, thanks for the advice, I guess," Emerson said dryly, and Lena flashed him a smile. "You're welcome," she said smoothly. "Anyway, Yoren and my brothers are at Andar's chambers, playing with dices and drinking some wine. Would you care to join?"
"I don't usually drink or gamble," Emerson answered quietly, but Lena just raised an eyebrow for him, an amused look in her eyes. "And would you rather just stand here alone for the rest of the day?" She asked with a humorous tone. "Come on, it'll be fun!"
"Ah, alright then," Emerson gave in, finally allowing a small smile on his face. And so, Lena led them to Andar's chambers.
-
"You lost, finish your drink," Yoren said to Leo Wells with a wide grin on his face, his words slurring ever so slightly from the effect of the wine. Leo sighed and raised up his wooden cup, gulping down the wine in it with one swing. "Ah, I think we should do something else now," he said as he put down the cup and burped.
"I figured you'd get tired of losing eventually," Yoren quipped, an arrogant smirk on his face. "So, what's the idea?"
"Maybe we could just talk, tell stories and so on," said Andar Wells, who was noticeably less drunk than his younger brother or Yoren. "That sounds boring," Yoren said lazily, and Emerson noticed Lena rolling her eyes. "Well, your stories certainly would be boring," she sneered.
"Shut up, bitch," Yoren muttered drunkenly, and Emerson could see Lena staring daggers at him. "Call me that once more and I'll smack you so hard you'll be crying for your mother," she threatened, and for a brief moment Yoren's expression was genuinely frightened. "Gods, you're crazy," he finally managed to say, before taking another gulp of the wine.
"I have another idea," Leo spoke up, a subtle smirk on his face. "Another drinking game, but no dices this time. It's called 'I swear that I have never'."
"And how does that work?" Yoren asked with a raised eyebrow. "Simple," Leo said calmly. "I say for example, 'I swear that I have never been beaten by a girl'. Then, those who can't swear it with honesty have to take a drink. And if everyone can swear it, then the one who said it has to drink. So, in this example, you'd be the only one drinking."
"Very funny," Yoren muttered sternly, and Leo chuckled. "But you get the idea, right?" He asked, and Yoren nodded begrudgingly. "Good then, I'll start. I swear that I have never killed," Leo said, eyeing at each person in the room. In the end, Andar was the only one who drank his wine. "Trouble with desert tribes a few years ago," he explained calmly. "So, do I continue?"
"Sure, go ahead," Leo agreed, and Andar took in a deep breath, considering his words carefully. "I swear that I have never lied to my father," he finally said. Yoren, Leo and Lena each immediately raised their goblets up and drank. As he shifted his gaze to Emerson, a realization sparked in Andar's eyes. "Oh man, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."
"It's alright," Emerson assured with a calm tone. "Let's just say this was an easy one for me," he added with a smirk, and Andar nodded to his words with a warm chuckle.
"Alright, my turn," Lena suddenly said, and the rest shifted their attention to her. "I swear that I have never betrayed my family," she said, and a tense silence followed. No one raised their goblet, but Emerson noticed Lena looking at him. Her gaze wasn't accusing or hostile, but rather just curious, like she wanted to know how Emerson would react. Have I betrayed my family? He asked himself. Certainly they had betrayed him, and not just once. Morgan had hid Emerson his true heritage for his whole childhood, and Esperence had conspired to take over behind his back. However, Esperence had also given him a chance to work with her, and he had abandoned her and Emmett.
[Don't drink] In my opinion he didn't betrayed her, he simply made a choice, not sure if its the most honest one, but I don't feel is betrayal.
Lena is right, while I think Terren genuinely likes him, he's certainly not above using him for his and Yorick's purposes, and he most remember that so he doesn't end up as a puppet.
Just wanted to point out that drinking would mean that Emerson "admits" to having betrayed his family. So, you might want to change to the other option if I'm interpreting your comment correctly
[Don't drink] In my opinion he didn't betrayed her, he simply made a choice, not sure if its the most honest one, but I don't feel is betray… moreal.
Lena is right, while I think Terren genuinely likes him, he's certainly not above using him for his and Yorick's purposes, and he most remember that so he doesn't end up as a puppet.
Just wanted to point out that drinking would mean that Emerson "admits" to having betrayed his family. So, you might want to change to the other option if I'm interpreting your comment correctly
Emerson
"No, of course a rightful claim alone doesn't make one a good ruler," Emerson answered sternly, seeing a satisfied smirk slowly f… moreorming on Lena Wells' face. "However, I know what it takes to be a good lord, and I'm confident I can rule Godsgrace with honor and wisdom, as is my duty and right."
"Yes, I'm sure Lord Morgan raised you well for that role," Lena said with a dry and sarcastic tone. After a tense moment of silence, Lord Terren spoke up. "Morgan was indeed a misguided and bitter person, not a man fit for ruling," he stated with his calm and warm voice, his lips forming a small and friendly smile. "However, Emerson is the son of Lord Mason, and clearly shares his father's personality. Mason was a wise and loving man, and the best lord Godsgrace had seen in ages. With some guidance, I believe Emerson can achieve the same."
"Exactly," Lord Olyvar weighed in with his boisterous tone, and Emerson noticed Lena subtly rollin… [view original content]
If anything, it has been Esperence who betrayed her family by turning on her own father. Emerson has been forced to pick a side in a conflict he did not provoke or desired. And correct me if I'm wrong, but he did not rat Esperence out, did he? Even then, he definitely did not betray his family. He remained loyal to his uncle, who was the head of said family. And on top of that, he is the one that has been betrayed by the very same family, Morgan and Esperence alike, by being lied to for most of his life and cheated out of what rightfully should have been his many years ago.
Seriously, why can I not be mad at Lena for pulling such a dick move? That's what it was, kind of a 'fuck you' to Emerson, but she's actually great and I really like that sassy nature of hers. Also the fact that she apologized for being a bit of an ass earlier and then doing pretty much the same thing again at the end of the part, even if it was probably done more out of curiosity than a general desire to be rude to him. I find her to be a very intriguing character and look forward to read more about her
Emerson
"No, of course a rightful claim alone doesn't make one a good ruler," Emerson answered sternly, seeing a satisfied smirk slowly f… moreorming on Lena Wells' face. "However, I know what it takes to be a good lord, and I'm confident I can rule Godsgrace with honor and wisdom, as is my duty and right."
"Yes, I'm sure Lord Morgan raised you well for that role," Lena said with a dry and sarcastic tone. After a tense moment of silence, Lord Terren spoke up. "Morgan was indeed a misguided and bitter person, not a man fit for ruling," he stated with his calm and warm voice, his lips forming a small and friendly smile. "However, Emerson is the son of Lord Mason, and clearly shares his father's personality. Mason was a wise and loving man, and the best lord Godsgrace had seen in ages. With some guidance, I believe Emerson can achieve the same."
"Exactly," Lord Olyvar weighed in with his boisterous tone, and Emerson noticed Lena subtly rollin… [view original content]
Seriously, why can I not be mad at Lena for pulling such a dick move? That's what it was, kind of a 'fuck you' to Emerson, but she's actually great and I really like that sassy nature of hers. Also the fact that she apologized for being a bit of an ass earlier and then doing pretty much the same thing again at the end of the part, even if it was probably done more out of curiosity than a general desire to be rude to him. I find her to be a very intriguing character and look forward to read more about her :)
Hehe, yeah, that's Lena for you She isn't a bad person by any means, but can be a bit overwhelming and aggressive at times. However, like you said, her goal here isn't to be rude or hurtful. Lena is just doing this to understand Emerson better, though she certainly doesn't bother with being sensitive about it either. Anyway, I'm glad you're enjoying the character so far
[Don't drink]
If anything, it has been Esperence who betrayed her family by turning on her own father. Emerson has been forced to pick a … moreside in a conflict he did not provoke or desired. And correct me if I'm wrong, but he did not rat Esperence out, did he? Even then, he definitely did not betray his family. He remained loyal to his uncle, who was the head of said family. And on top of that, he is the one that has been betrayed by the very same family, Morgan and Esperence alike, by being lied to for most of his life and cheated out of what rightfully should have been his many years ago.
Seriously, why can I not be mad at Lena for pulling such a dick move? That's what it was, kind of a 'fuck you' to Emerson, but she's actually great and I really like that sassy nature of hers. Also the fact that she apologized for being a bit of an ass earlier and then doing pretty much the same thing again at the end of the part, even if it was probabl… [view original content]
Emerson
"No, of course a rightful claim alone doesn't make one a good ruler," Emerson answered sternly, seeing a satisfied smirk slowly f… moreorming on Lena Wells' face. "However, I know what it takes to be a good lord, and I'm confident I can rule Godsgrace with honor and wisdom, as is my duty and right."
"Yes, I'm sure Lord Morgan raised you well for that role," Lena said with a dry and sarcastic tone. After a tense moment of silence, Lord Terren spoke up. "Morgan was indeed a misguided and bitter person, not a man fit for ruling," he stated with his calm and warm voice, his lips forming a small and friendly smile. "However, Emerson is the son of Lord Mason, and clearly shares his father's personality. Mason was a wise and loving man, and the best lord Godsgrace had seen in ages. With some guidance, I believe Emerson can achieve the same."
"Exactly," Lord Olyvar weighed in with his boisterous tone, and Emerson noticed Lena subtly rollin… [view original content]
Emerson
"No, of course a rightful claim alone doesn't make one a good ruler," Emerson answered sternly, seeing a satisfied smirk slowly f… moreorming on Lena Wells' face. "However, I know what it takes to be a good lord, and I'm confident I can rule Godsgrace with honor and wisdom, as is my duty and right."
"Yes, I'm sure Lord Morgan raised you well for that role," Lena said with a dry and sarcastic tone. After a tense moment of silence, Lord Terren spoke up. "Morgan was indeed a misguided and bitter person, not a man fit for ruling," he stated with his calm and warm voice, his lips forming a small and friendly smile. "However, Emerson is the son of Lord Mason, and clearly shares his father's personality. Mason was a wise and loving man, and the best lord Godsgrace had seen in ages. With some guidance, I believe Emerson can achieve the same."
"Exactly," Lord Olyvar weighed in with his boisterous tone, and Emerson noticed Lena subtly rollin… [view original content]
Emerson
"No, of course a rightful claim alone doesn't make one a good ruler," Emerson answered sternly, seeing a satisfied smirk slowly f… moreorming on Lena Wells' face. "However, I know what it takes to be a good lord, and I'm confident I can rule Godsgrace with honor and wisdom, as is my duty and right."
"Yes, I'm sure Lord Morgan raised you well for that role," Lena said with a dry and sarcastic tone. After a tense moment of silence, Lord Terren spoke up. "Morgan was indeed a misguided and bitter person, not a man fit for ruling," he stated with his calm and warm voice, his lips forming a small and friendly smile. "However, Emerson is the son of Lord Mason, and clearly shares his father's personality. Mason was a wise and loving man, and the best lord Godsgrace had seen in ages. With some guidance, I believe Emerson can achieve the same."
"Exactly," Lord Olyvar weighed in with his boisterous tone, and Emerson noticed Lena subtly rollin… [view original content]
Emerson
"No, of course a rightful claim alone doesn't make one a good ruler," Emerson answered sternly, seeing a satisfied smirk slowly f… moreorming on Lena Wells' face. "However, I know what it takes to be a good lord, and I'm confident I can rule Godsgrace with honor and wisdom, as is my duty and right."
"Yes, I'm sure Lord Morgan raised you well for that role," Lena said with a dry and sarcastic tone. After a tense moment of silence, Lord Terren spoke up. "Morgan was indeed a misguided and bitter person, not a man fit for ruling," he stated with his calm and warm voice, his lips forming a small and friendly smile. "However, Emerson is the son of Lord Mason, and clearly shares his father's personality. Mason was a wise and loving man, and the best lord Godsgrace had seen in ages. With some guidance, I believe Emerson can achieve the same."
"Exactly," Lord Olyvar weighed in with his boisterous tone, and Emerson noticed Lena subtly rollin… [view original content]
Emerson won't drink, basically making clear that he doesn't think he betrayed his family. The immediate consequence of this choice is of course Lena's reaction, but this will also affect on Emerson's attitude and thoughts going forward.
Next up will be a Tomas PoV. In his last part he arrived to the Tor, having been invited there by Lord Terren. However, with Terren's absence, it was his son Artos that welcomed Tomas. They had a conversation about House Toland's conflict with Nymeria, and Artos tried to convince Tomas that an alliance would be in both of their interest. Of course, Tomas knew from Argim that in truth the Jordayne's are planning to make Toland's bend the knee to King Yorick. However, Tomas decided to keep that knowledge to himself for now and play along.
Sadly I have to inform that I haven't made much progress on this part, because I'm currently working on an essay that I should get done before next Tuesday. So, I might not find much time for writing the story before that's done, but we'll see. I'd say that at latest you can expect the part to be done in about a week, though hopefully sooner.
-
And here we have a portrait of a recent addition to the cast, Fenn:
"An alliance, huh?" Tomas muttered quietly, deciding not to reveal that he knew the truth about the Jordayne's ambitions. "Yes," Artos Jordayne confirmed calmly, a small smile forming on his face now.
"I'll make sure to inform Lord Levor about your proposal," Tomas stated dryly, and the smile quickly faded from Artos' face. "Well, perhaps I could come with you, and bring some of our troops..."
"No," Tomas strictly cut Artos off. "There is no alliance between us yet, Jordayne, and I will not have your soldiers in our lands. I will inform Levor of your proposal, and if he agrees, we will send a raven to inform you."
"But mylord, you must understand we have no time to waste," Artos insisted with some frustration. "Every day we wait, Nymeria grows stronger."
"I doubt Nymeria will be your concern in quite a while," Tomas said calmly, to which Artos raised an eyebrow. "She is waging war against King Lucifer, who in turn is allied with the Dayne's," Tomas continued. "Right now, neither the Tor or Ghost Hill are in Princess Nymeria's mind."
"Yes, she is in war, which makes this the perfect time for us to strike," Artos argued, and Tomas nodded calmly. "Perhaps," he responded nonchalantly. "As I said, I will speak to Levor about this. Until he has made his decision, no troops of House Jordayne will enter the lands of House Toland – at the risk of instigating a war." As he said these last words, Tomas looked directly at Julia Jordayne, who was still recording the conversation.
A tense silence followed Tomas' words while Julia wrote them down, until finally Artos let out a sigh and stood up from his seat. "I understand, mylord," he said with a defeated tone. "I imagine you'd like to spend the night here, before you head back to Ghost Hill."
"That would be most kind of you," Tomas said dryly, glancing at Ser Garibald as he spoke, and the young knight nodded quietly. "Alright then, you can take the guest chambers, the best we have," Artos said, forcing a smile on his face. "Julia, you can end the recording there." The young lady nodded obediently, and proceeded to put away her ink and quill.
As they were making their way out of the office, Artos stepped between Tomas and the door, a stern look in his eyes. "I want to be honest with you, Lord Tomas," he said with a grim tone on his voice. "If your nephew decides to decline our proposal... King Yorick might want to take your lands by force."
Tomas narrowed his eyes and stared at Artos for a couple lingering seconds, before finally nodding. "I understand," he said emotionlessly, and pushed his way past Artos and out of the room.
-
"So, what do you think, mylord?" Ser Garibald asked as they were having dinner at the chambers given to them. "I mean, I think we should at least consider their offer. Nymeria defeated us once, but with the backing of King Yorick..."
"Yorick and Nymeria are the same, Garibald," Tomas cut off the young knight. "They both want to rule the Dorne, and they both want us to kneel. The best thing we can do is to let them fight each other."
"At least Yorick serves the Seven like we do," Garibald pointed out, to which Tomas chuckled. "I doubt it," he said grimly, taking a bite of the roasted chicken on his plate. "I think Yorick Yronwood is a godless man, and serves nothing but his own hunger for power. Yes, he may say that he serves the Seven, but Nymeria said that to me as well. Do you think we should truly believe either of them?"
"I don't know," Garibald answered hesitantly, and Tomas shook his head. "We shouldn't," he clarified grimly. "The only ones we can fully trust are ourselves. I have a duty to protect my brother's sons now that he is gone, and I have no plans to let Yorick get his hands on them."
"And what about Nymeria, mylord?" Garibald asked quietly. Tomas took in a deep breath, turning his gaze down. "Nymeria spared my life... she showed me mercy after I had savaged her lands and murdered her people by the orders of Donovar." Tomas raised his gaze to look Garibald to the eyes, and continued. "I pray that Levor will never have to bend his knee to anyone, but if it comes down to choosing between Yorick and Nymeria, I truly hope he chooses Nymeria."
"And do you think he will?" Garibald asked calmly. Tomas stayed silent for a moment, gulping down the rest of his wine. "I will do my best to convince him," he said with a sigh. For a moment the room fell silent, as both of them finished their meals. Soon after that a servant girl came to fetch the dishes, and as she left the room, Garibald stood up from his seat. He was about to approach the door, but hesitated and turned towards Tomas instead.
"Mylord, there was something I just thought," Garibald said nervously, and Tomas nodded, urging him to continue. "What Artos said at the end of the meeting, and what you have been saying... to me it looks like a war will be unavoidable."
"Perhaps," Tomas admitted grimly, and Garibald took in a deep breath. "Artos said earlier in the meeting that Nymeria has taken Godsgrace recently, so we know where she is... so, I just thought, perhaps you could send me to her."
Tomas raised his eyebrow in a surprised and confused manner, and he noticed Garibald gulping. "If you truly think we should choose Nymeria over Yorick, then the least she should do in return is to help us in our time of need. Send me to Godsgrace, and I'll tell her that we need her help."
Tomas smirked, satisfied to see the young knight so committed to protecting House Toland. However, he wasn't sure if it would be a good idea to send him to Nymeria now. For now they were impartial to this conflict, but that would change the moment they'd ask for Nymeria's aid.
[Send Garibald to Nymeria][Don't send Garibald to Nymeria]
Tomas
"An alliance, huh?" Tomas muttered quietly, deciding not to reveal that he knew the truth about the Jordayne's ambitions. "Yes," Ar… moretos Jordayne confirmed calmly, a small smile forming on his face now.
"I'll make sure to inform Lord Levor about your proposal," Tomas stated dryly, and the smile quickly faded from Artos' face. "Well, perhaps I could come with you, and bring some of our troops..."
"No," Tomas strictly cut Artos off. "There is no alliance between us yet, Jordayne, and I will not have your soldiers in our lands. I will inform Levor of your proposal, and if he agrees, we will send a raven to inform you."
"But mylord, you must understand we have no time to waste," Artos insisted with some frustration. "Every day we wait, Nymeria grows stronger."
"I doubt Nymeria will be your concern in quite a while," Tomas said calmly, to which Artos raised an eyebrow. "She is waging war against King Lucifer, who in turn is alli… [view original content]
[Send Garibald to Nymeria] While I doubt Nymeria could spare even more troops, it would be a good way to show her they intend to ally with her, and losing House Toland would be risky for all the houses in the area.
Tomas
"An alliance, huh?" Tomas muttered quietly, deciding not to reveal that he knew the truth about the Jordayne's ambitions. "Yes," Ar… moretos Jordayne confirmed calmly, a small smile forming on his face now.
"I'll make sure to inform Lord Levor about your proposal," Tomas stated dryly, and the smile quickly faded from Artos' face. "Well, perhaps I could come with you, and bring some of our troops..."
"No," Tomas strictly cut Artos off. "There is no alliance between us yet, Jordayne, and I will not have your soldiers in our lands. I will inform Levor of your proposal, and if he agrees, we will send a raven to inform you."
"But mylord, you must understand we have no time to waste," Artos insisted with some frustration. "Every day we wait, Nymeria grows stronger."
"I doubt Nymeria will be your concern in quite a while," Tomas said calmly, to which Artos raised an eyebrow. "She is waging war against King Lucifer, who in turn is alli… [view original content]
At first, I was going to pick this option because we know that in the long haul, fully allying with Nymeria is the better option. Sure, there might be some who enemy houses, or parts of enemy houses, who actually gain in importance due to allying with her enemies, at least initially, but in the long run, her major enemies will lie defeated and at the very least all of them will lose their independence as rulers. However, then I had to think, this is not the long run, this might prompt an immediate reaction from Yorick, who has kept his own troops still in Yronwood lands while letting the Wyl's do his dirty work at Kingsgrave. However, I kinda hope his main spy at court has been dealt with, leaving potential others in disorder and unable to properly react until Nymeria has actually sent aid. Of course, Nym has notably more problems at the time being, with Lucifer marching on Godsgrace, but maybe with the help of the Fallen Dragons, she has enough men to hold the city and the Toland lands (I am very tempted to call them the Tolands, but that'd be atrocious ). In any way, we know Tomas already decided against Yorick with his very determined actions against Argim and from what we have seen of that man so far, I doubt he's one to respect neutrality. If Yorick wants to have Ghost Hill, he'll take it, no matter if they remain neutral or not. Declaring for Nymeria is the best option I see here.
Tomas
"An alliance, huh?" Tomas muttered quietly, deciding not to reveal that he knew the truth about the Jordayne's ambitions. "Yes," Ar… moretos Jordayne confirmed calmly, a small smile forming on his face now.
"I'll make sure to inform Lord Levor about your proposal," Tomas stated dryly, and the smile quickly faded from Artos' face. "Well, perhaps I could come with you, and bring some of our troops..."
"No," Tomas strictly cut Artos off. "There is no alliance between us yet, Jordayne, and I will not have your soldiers in our lands. I will inform Levor of your proposal, and if he agrees, we will send a raven to inform you."
"But mylord, you must understand we have no time to waste," Artos insisted with some frustration. "Every day we wait, Nymeria grows stronger."
"I doubt Nymeria will be your concern in quite a while," Tomas said calmly, to which Artos raised an eyebrow. "She is waging war against King Lucifer, who in turn is alli… [view original content]
Tomas
"An alliance, huh?" Tomas muttered quietly, deciding not to reveal that he knew the truth about the Jordayne's ambitions. "Yes," Ar… moretos Jordayne confirmed calmly, a small smile forming on his face now.
"I'll make sure to inform Lord Levor about your proposal," Tomas stated dryly, and the smile quickly faded from Artos' face. "Well, perhaps I could come with you, and bring some of our troops..."
"No," Tomas strictly cut Artos off. "There is no alliance between us yet, Jordayne, and I will not have your soldiers in our lands. I will inform Levor of your proposal, and if he agrees, we will send a raven to inform you."
"But mylord, you must understand we have no time to waste," Artos insisted with some frustration. "Every day we wait, Nymeria grows stronger."
"I doubt Nymeria will be your concern in quite a while," Tomas said calmly, to which Artos raised an eyebrow. "She is waging war against King Lucifer, who in turn is alli… [view original content]
Tomas
"An alliance, huh?" Tomas muttered quietly, deciding not to reveal that he knew the truth about the Jordayne's ambitions. "Yes," Ar… moretos Jordayne confirmed calmly, a small smile forming on his face now.
"I'll make sure to inform Lord Levor about your proposal," Tomas stated dryly, and the smile quickly faded from Artos' face. "Well, perhaps I could come with you, and bring some of our troops..."
"No," Tomas strictly cut Artos off. "There is no alliance between us yet, Jordayne, and I will not have your soldiers in our lands. I will inform Levor of your proposal, and if he agrees, we will send a raven to inform you."
"But mylord, you must understand we have no time to waste," Artos insisted with some frustration. "Every day we wait, Nymeria grows stronger."
"I doubt Nymeria will be your concern in quite a while," Tomas said calmly, to which Artos raised an eyebrow. "She is waging war against King Lucifer, who in turn is alli… [view original content]
And Tomas will send Garibald to Nymeria, firmly siding House Toland with the Martell's. This will probably convince Nym that Tomas is loyal to her, but Levor might not exactly like his uncle making this choice without consulting with him.
And next up, we will get back to Gwendis' storyline! If you recall, last time Gwen, Trentan, Aisha and Mordekhai traveled in the Kingdom of Yronwood, and were confronted by two patrolling soldiers of House Vass. The soldiers wanted to take this strange group of travelers to meet their lord, but obviously Aisha and Mordekhai opposed to this. One of the soldiers died in combat, and the other one was brutally sacrificed for the Great Other. Aisha ripped out the man's heart, Mordekhai then held it, and offered it for Gwendis as well. You voted for Gwen to refuse taking the heart, and now we'll see how Mordekhai and Aisha react to that.
I've made a lot of progress with this part, but since it will be fairly long there is still some writing to do. Nonetheless, the part should be ready tomorrow
And next up, we will get back to Gwendis' storyline!
The most appropriate gif to describe how I feel about this:
Like, argh, I was not prepared! I was betting on there being a Naemon part before that and was gonna use that to prepare myself emotionally, but now I am not ready At the same time, I have missed that feeling of being equal parts scared shitless and oddly excited, though that next part is having me more scared than any previous one, maybe minus that one time I thought Aisha would straight out murder Gwen when she refused to put her hands onto that blasted altar. Now, I fear Wesley is going to straight out murder her for refusing to be as edgy as him. Seriously though, I doubt it is a bad thing to be scared about this, because there is reason to be scared, even if nothing happens. After all, the only storyline I think has more chances to turn bad at this point is Kortney's, though then again, she at least has a couple of actual allies nearby. Gwen has... Trentan, but as much as his moral support is appreciated, I am not sure how much he can do against a pissed off Wesley. Oh Dalia and Desi and Kris, where are thou? Hell, at this point I'd take even Mother Minesa over any of these Great Other freaks in a heartbeat. They want to murder Gwen, she wants to murder Gwen, but at least she's way past her physical prime, whereas Aisha and Worstley are way more capable (and Aisha probably also has some creepy mind-rape magic, because she is the worst, the worst I say!)
Though I could see Wesley and Aisha reacting differently. He might be viciously angry and I am scared at what he could do (after all, he could probably kill her with a single punch), while Aisha's anger might be colder. Also, daily reminder that Aisha is the worst and I am gladly going to remind you again tomorrow. Or maybe the tables are turned, with Aisha being openly furious for once (and I am not sure if I like her more if she shows genuine emotion, given that she has no positive emotions) and Wesley being more chill about it... Nah, I can't see Ser Edgelord being chill about anything, really. No matter what happens, I doubt either will have a reaction that can be described as even the tiniest bit of positive, though they might have a battle for whom actually is the worst. It's either the mad dog or his equally mad owner and Gwen is cornered by both now. At worst they are both furious and that means she is in for some serious trouble, unless Trentan somehow saves the day. And if he doesn't... oh dear, the wait for tomorrow has never been that hard before. At least it gives me time to prepare an Aisha rant of epic proportions, because we all know she deserves to be shat on even more than I already do. Seriously though, can it be possible that I was giving her too much credit so far? Given that she's the worst, I probably did, though I'm sure I should hold back on the Aisha insults right now, or else I'm going to be out of ideas when tomorrow comes and I hate nothing more than to repeat myself when it comes to that certain character who, by the way, is the worst
Voting is closed!
And Tomas will send Garibald to Nymeria, firmly siding House Toland with the Martell's. This will probably convince Nym… more that Tomas is loyal to her, but Levor might not exactly like his uncle making this choice without consulting with him.
And next up, we will get back to Gwendis' storyline! If you recall, last time Gwen, Trentan, Aisha and Mordekhai traveled in the Kingdom of Yronwood, and were confronted by two patrolling soldiers of House Vass. The soldiers wanted to take this strange group of travelers to meet their lord, but obviously Aisha and Mordekhai opposed to this. One of the soldiers died in combat, and the other one was brutally sacrificed for the Great Other. Aisha ripped out the man's heart, Mordekhai then held it, and offered it for Gwendis as well. You voted for Gwen to refuse taking the heart, and now we'll see how Mordekhai and Aisha react to that.
I've made a lot of progress with this part, but si… [view original content]
"No," Gwendis said defiantly, looking Mordekhai Crusher straight to his one red eye. "I will take no part in this wickedness."
Rage instantly took over Mordekhai's expression, and he dropped the Vass soldier's heart to the ground. Without a warning the dark knight grabbed Gwendis from her neck with both hands and raised her up. Gwendis was choking, and tried to fight back by grasping on Mordekhai's large hands and trying to kick him, but there was nothing she could do to 7make him release her. At any moment he could snap her neck, and with every passing second she felt more dizzy, her vision getting so blurry that she could hardly even see Mordekhai's face. I'm going to die, she realized, and felt tears running down her cheeks.
"Enough!" Aisha's voice finally yelled. "Let her down," she commanded sternly, and so Mordekhai released his grip, and Gwendis collapsed to the ground. She laid on her back, frantically gasping for air, as Trentan rushed to help her. He raised her gently to a sitting position, and looked at her with concern and panic in his eyes. "A-are you alright?" He asked with a gulp, and Gwendis managed to give him an uncertain nod.
Aisha approached them, her face and hands still smeared with the blood of the soldier she had sacrificed. She extended her hand for Gwendis, an emotionless expression on her face. After a few seconds of hesitation, Gwendis grabbed Aisha's hand, and she pulled her back up to her feet. "Come with me," the priestess said quietly, and led her away from Mordekhai and Trentan, far enough that they couldn't hear their conversation.
"I have to say, I am disappointed with your refusal to cooperate," Aisha started with a sigh, to which Gwendis frowned. She felt anger overtaking the shock and fear she had felt in Mordekhai's hands. "And I am disappointed in you," she hissed back at Aisha. "After seeing you murder Lyla I didn't think you could sink much lower, but looks like I was wrong. You just brutally tortured and mutilated an innocent man, and expect me to cooperate?"
"No one is innocent, princess, and that man's life was meaningless compared to our mission," Aisha responded coldly. Gwendis shook her head in disbelief. "And who are you to say his life was meaningless?" She asked strictly, to which Aisha sighed.
"We serve the Great Other in his eternal conflict against the Lord of Light," the priestess said quietly. "What you just saw is shocking, and hard to accept. I know this, because my own reaction was very similar when my master taught me. However, you must realize this is all for a greater purpose, and many sheep will have to be sacrificed to win this war."
"I'm not convinced your greater purpose is all that great," Gwendis protested sternly, which made Aisha frown. "Hopefully you will understand one day," she said quietly, a sharp look in her eyes. "But first we must survive the confrontation against the servants of fire, and you haven't been particularly helpful on that front."
Gwendis turned her eyes away, gulping as she looked at Mordekhai and Trentan. The Great Other had warned her about the fire, saying it would consume her if she didn't blow it out. However, now she had to wonder if that was truly a worse fate than being enslaved by Aisha and her monster for the rest of her life. "Why did you wait so long?" Gwendis asked quietly, keeping her eyes away from Aisha as she spoke. "You almost let that monster kill me, why? To punish me? To make me scared?"
Aisha ignored her questions, and started walking back towards Mordekhai and Trentan. "We should get going," she said calmly. "There are still many hours to sundown, and we have a long way to travel."
-
Next day they made it to the Boneway, and continued traveling south. By noon they reached the large stone bridge that crossed the river of Greenbelt. The bridge was guarded by a dozen soldiers, most of them in the colors of House Vass, but a few of them wearing Yronwood tabards. Gwendis, Trentan, Aisha and Mordekhai watched the bridge from afar, staying out of the soldiers' sight.
"It might be easier to slip past during the night," Aisha said quietly, and Trentan nodded. "I agree," he said nervously. "I've slipped past many guards, and darkness is the best ally you can have in that job."
"Sounds like a coward's way," Mordekhai muttered grimly, and Aisha shot him a glare. "You are powerful, Mordekhai, but not invincible," she stated sharply. "We cannot risk our mission by being reckless."
"Hey, what are they doing?" Trentan suddenly said, and everyone shifted their attention to the soldiers again. All of them had grouped to the southern end of the bridge, forming a line of defense. Looking further south, Gwendis noticed a small group approaching the bridge. There were ten of them, and they were led by a tall woman dressed in dark robes. Few of the men following this woman were clearly soldiers, armed with swords and shields, but the others looked more like mere farmers, carrying scythes and pitchforks.
"Some kind of rebels?" Trentan mumbled, but no one answered. Gwendis looked at Aisha, who had a knowing look in her eyes. "This could be our chance," she said with quiet determination. "Follow me," she commanded, and started to quietly approach the bridge. Mordekhai was the first to follow her, while Trentan and Gwendis shared an alarmed glance.
"If something goes wrong, we escape together," Gwendis said with all the confidence she could muster, and Trentan nodded with a gulp. Together they followed after Aisha and Mordekhai.
Meanwhile, the strange group south of the bridge had attacked the soldiers guarding it. The soldiers were keeping their line, and a couple of the farmers already laid dead on the ground, while only one of the defenders had been defeated. However, then Mordekhai unsheathed his massive sword, and charged towards the defenders from behind with an animalistic growl.
Surprised and confused, few of the defenders turned around. Mordekhai rushed into the fight with the ferocity of a wild beast, immediately taking down two of the soldiers. And so, quickly the attackers gained the upper hand, and it didn't take long before the skirmish was over. Most of the defenders laid dead on the ground, and the few that were injured were quickly finished off by Mordekhai. From the strange group of attackers five remained standing, as well as the strange woman leading them.
As she got closer, Gwendis noticed this tall woman had a dark skin, and other features common for Summer Islanders. Aisha approached the woman calmly, like she was already familiar with her. "I assume our meeting here isn't a coincidence, Valerie," she said with a calm and confident tone, and the tall woman smirked at her words.
"You would be correct, Aisha," she responded smoothly, her dark eyes now shifting to Mordekhai. "And you must be Mordekhai Crusher," she purred, putting her hand softly on the plated chest of the warrior. "From what I've seen so far, I must say you are worthy of your reputation."
"These men, they are under your control?" Aisha asked calmly, observing the soldiers and farmers that stood still, their eyes empty and lifeless. "They are," Valerie simply confirmed, now walking past Mordekhai and approaching Trentan and Gwendis.
"But how?" Aisha asked, a hint of concern in her words. "This many men, it would require..."
"It has required a lot of dedication and pain, all in the name of our Lord," Valerie concluded sharply, now standing right in front of Trentan and Gwendis, looking at them with a mix of scorn and indifference. "And who are these peasants you've brought with you, Aisha?" She asked with an almost amused tone.
Aisha walked next to Valerie, a cold expression on her face. "Do you truly claim that the Great Other hasn't shown her to you in your dreams, Valerie?" She asked quietly, now stepping next to Gwendis. "This is Gwendis Blackmont, daughter of King Benedict Blackmont. The Great Other has blessed her with visions, and made her powerful."
"She doesn't seem that powerful to me," Valerie spat arrogantly, glaring at Gwendis as she spoke. Aisha chuckled coldly, as she stepped between them. "Not yet," she said quietly, tapping Valerie on the shoulder. "However, one day she could be more powerful than either of us."
"I doubt it," Valerie hissed, now turning her eyes to Trentan. "And who is the other one?" She asked strictly, and Aisha shifted her attention to Trentan as well. For a brief moment there was a hint of compassion and softness in the priestess' eyes, until she hardened herself and spoke up. "His name is Trentan, he... he has helped us a great deal during our journey," she explained hastily, before quickly changing the topic. "Anyway, you have yet to explain what you are doing here, Valerie," she pointed out, and the tall woman let out a frustrated sigh.
"I have sought you out because I need your help," she said, sounding almost ashamed to admit it. "Servants of R'hllor have driven me from my home, and seek to destroy me."
"I warned you not to reveal yourself," Aisha said quietly, which made Valerie frown. "I served our lord from the shadows, I remained hidden for years, but that wasn’t an option any longer," she insisted sternly. "The time for hiding is over, we need to destroy these servants of fire now, before they destroy us."
"I know," Aisha responded quietly, glancing at Mordekhai as she spoke. "That is the reason why we are here."
"I- I'm sorry to interrupt, but don't you think we should keep moving?" Trentan suddenly spoke up, clearly nervous to say this. "I mean, there will probably be more soldiers patrolling here sooner or later, and when they see this..."
"You're right, Trentan," Aisha cut him off with a calm and comforting tone. "We should find a safe place, somewhere away from the road."
"There's a farm fairly close, where I've been staying the last few days," Valerie said nonchalantly. "We can go there." Everyone agreed, and so they started to travel east along the river. Few words were exchanged between them, and more than anything Gwendis felt creeped out by the silent and seemingly mindless warriors of Valerie. Clearly they were under some kind of dark spell, completely stripped from their own free will. Just more proof that Aisha's god is evil, Gwendis thought grimly.
In a few hours they finally arrived to the farmhouse, which stood on a small hill next to the river. The house was clearly abandoned, and as they walked through the yard Gwendis noticed trails of dried blood on the ground. She didn't even want to imagine what atrocities Valerie had committed here, though the image of Aisha ripping out the Vass soldier's heart was still fresh in her mind.
They made themselves at home quickly, and took food and mead from the farmer's storage. It was the first proper meal Gwendis had had in a long time, and while eating she realized how hungry she had actually been. Nonetheless, food and drink did little to lighten the mood. Gwendis could see from Trentan's face that he was constantly scared, and she couldn’t blame him. In fact, she shared the feeling, even if she was able to hide it. Mordekhai had already almost killed her, and judging from her cold glares, this new priestess didn't think highly of her either. Then there were the silent warriors that Valerie had brought with her, standing in the corners without a hint of emotion on their faces.
As the sun begun to set, Mordekhai went out to the yard to stand on guard, while the rest of them laid down to rest. Gwendis took the straw bed next to the fireplace, as it was the one furthest away from Valerie's silent warriors. Her whole body was tired and aching, but still she struggled to fall asleep. All the violence and atrocities she had seen during the last few days troubled her mind, and on top of that she feared she would see the blue eyes again if she fell asleep.
An hour or so went by, and Gwendis could hear Trentan snoring softly from the other side of the room. She kept her eyes closed, but suddenly a strange feeling overcame her. It was like something was right above her, and as she opened her eyes, she saw Valerie standing silently right next to her bed, a cold glare in her dark eyes. Shocked and frightened, Gwendis couldn't say a word, she just stared at the tall and dark figure standing next to her.
"Gwendis Blackmont," Valerie finally said quietly, narrowing her eyes as she spoke. "Aisha claims that you have a strong connection to our god... Is she telling the truth?"
Taken aback by the question and unsure how to react, Gwendis managed to just gulp nervously. She pulled herself up to a sitting position, still unable to find words. "Answer to me," Valerie demanded, her voice now slightly more aggressive. "Is Aisha telling the truth about you?"
[Say that Aisha is telling the truth][Say that Aisha is lying][Say that you don't know]
Gwendis
"No," Gwendis said defiantly, looking Mordekhai Crusher straight to his one red eye. "I will take no part in this wickedness."
… more Rage instantly took over Mordekhai's expression, and he dropped the Vass soldier's heart to the ground. Without a warning the dark knight grabbed Gwendis from her neck with both hands and raised her up. Gwendis was choking, and tried to fight back by grasping on Mordekhai's large hands and trying to kick him, but there was nothing she could do to 7make him release her. At any moment he could snap her neck, and with every passing second she felt more dizzy, her vision getting so blurry that she could hardly even see Mordekhai's face. I'm going to die, she realized, and felt tears running down her cheeks.
"Enough!" Aisha's voice finally yelled. "Let her down," she commanded sternly, and so Mordekhai released his grip, and Gwendis collapsed to the ground. She laid on her back, frantically gasping for air… [view original content]
Comments
Hm, not good, not at all. I knew this would happen and I must say, I already start to dislike those Wyl bastards. Good thing is, Ser Kegan is still alive and being highborn and of importance to Benedict, I could imagine the Wyl's wanting to ransom him, or something like that. But still, this is really not good. I am not exactly sure how many men Benedict sent to Kingsgrave, but with the peasant rebellion breaking out in their lands, I'd guess the losses have been significant. Damn it, Garrison, I want to like that man, I really do, but he isn't making it easy now, with his deception forcing the Blackmont army into war, while his own forces retreat before this climactic battle, meaning they remain intact, while both, Albin and Benedict suffer heavy losses. Now, I gotta wonder what this will mean for Yorick's next move. Obviously, he wants to take Kingsgrave, but it might just be that he indeed wishes to build up an alliance for now, maybe having the Manwoody's ruling a vassal state. And I can only guess he eventually seeks to do the same with Blackmont, knowing how much they lost in this battle. And that in return does not bode well for Naemon, nor for Gwendis if she makes her return in time. At least Benedict is not as stubborn as Albin, but he has proven in the treatment of his children and his obsession with magic that he isn't exactly the most reasonable man around either, so for the sake of my dears, I can only hope he won't drag them down with him when the Yronwood army comes for him next, at least not more than he already did.
[Let Joran go to Jared Lonmouth]
So, this is a risk, but the way I see it, it could also be a big chance. With the Blackmont army gone, Myke and co. are without allies. They need to cling to the new arrivals, the Wyl army, hoping to ally with them and to outright force Kortney away from Albin during the very one-sided negotiations I believe are going to follow.
Thing is, I guess this Lonmouth guy is loyal to the Wyl's, who in turn are loyal to Yorick Yronwood. And from what we have seen so far, I'd say Yorick is not a cruel man, but a very pragmatic one. I don't know much about the Wyl's, but guess they act in his best interests, or else he wouldn't have sent them to Kingsgrave. Now, this means Yorick should have a personal interest in returning Kortney to Nightsong. His current ambition seems to be establishing vassal kingdoms in the red mountains, first Manwoody, then Blackmont, then possibly Fowler. If there is anything that could disturb his plans, it is a Stormlander army led by Kortney's father, attacking his newest vassal state. And the simple, effortless way to not only prevent this, but also to establish good connections to the Dornish Marches in a situation where he cannot afford to have trouble with them is to return Kortney to her family. That is logical and I assume Yorick is a man seeing things in a logical way. So, if Joran manages to get Jared to their side, they might be able to bring the Wyl's to their side, convincing them of the importance of their mission and assuring that Albin has to give up on his plaything during the negotiations to follow. The risk I see is that Jared or the Wyl's could be cruel bastards who don't see things the same way Yorick probably would and would rather appease Albin, but given that they don't seem to have much reason to do that, I at least consider the risk acceptable in exchange to the potential gain.
[Let Joran go to Jared Lonmouth]
[Let Joran go to Jared Lonmouth] Considering Jared is my character, I wanna know if he's truly trustworthy, not the wisest choice but an interesting one nonetheless.
[Don't let Joran go to Jared Lonmouth]
If Edindinosaur can't fully trust his own character, than I say letting Joran see him is a bad idea. If he talks to him, it may lead to everybody's exposure. Myke's whole mission to save Kortney could be put in jeapordy. It would be best for Joran not to see Jared.
[Let Joran go to Jared Lonmouth] Admittedly this is a pretty big risk since I consider Joran a very important part of this mission and a Stormlander assoiciating with House Wyl is quite suspicious to say the least. Like Joran said though, he will be the only one at risk at this point and I really can't see why Jared would react to this negatively since I can only see this news hurting House Manwoody amd Albin in particular.
On a side note though, the poor Blackmont's! I knew they would most likely lose but it was still sad nonetheless. The Blackmont's had enough problems going on to begin with the peasant rebellion and Gwendis leaving Blackmont so with the majority of the Blackmont army now gone, they really are in the worst shape of any of the other dornish kingdoms at this point. Plus other questions are raised now too such as whether Garrison knew the Wyl's were coming which is why the Fowler army retreated? I know it was most likely because of Ferris' death but Garrison clearly is not above using a negative situation to his advantage and taking out potential future rivals would be something Garrison would do I believe especially with with what he's already did to them. It was also getting to see more of Arvin in this part as well. I have been curious about him and I do believe that he is somewhat practical and is not mad like his father but is also loyal to him which in this case is definitely a fault. It will be interesting to see more of him and I am hoping we get to see this meeting between the Wyl's and Manwoody's somehow!
Voting is closed!
And Myke will let Joran go to Jared Lonmouth. It's a risk for sure, but Joran seems quite convinced that they can trust Jared. Well, we'll see later if it was a risk worth taking.
Next up, we'll have another Nealia part. After leaving Lemonwood with the rest of the Rose Company she has been doing some thinking regarding her future, and came to the conclusion that she wants to return to Starfall at some point, rather than continuing her life as a sellsword. Telling this to Lien resulted in a bit of an awkward situation, and Nealia decided to go to speak with Tryden, Jinora and the White Elephant instead of spending the evening with Lien, Ying and co. I'll try to get the part done in a day or two
-
And I also have another portrait for you, this time Wallace Wyl aka the Wild Wally:
Nealia
With a sigh Nealia turned her eyes away from Lien, Ying, Sarina and Manda. It was better to stay away from them for now, there would be time to discuss things through later. Nealia took in a deep breath and turned towards Tryden, Broden, Jinora and the White Elephant.
"What are you discussing?" Nealia asked with a relaxed tone as she approached them, and Tryden looked at her with a somewhat surprised expression. "Something about our mission?" Nealia inquired, and now Tryden shook his head.
"There is no mission yet," he answered calmly. "However, we just met a traveler coming from Godsgrace."
"And?" Nealia asked with a mildly interested tone. "Princess Nymeria has taken over the city," the White Elephant clarified nonchalantly, and Tryden confirmed it with a silent nod. "Alright, that's nice, I guess. Not really surprising though," Nealia said with a shrug. "Are we going to work for her now?"
"If she is hiring," Tryden answered with a sigh. "And if she is still planning to take down the Kingdom of Brimstone, she definitely should be hiring all the swords she can." Nealia narrowed her eyes, looking at Tryden. There was something strange about the man's expression, an uncharacteristic nervousness. "You're not sure if we should join her," she deduced quietly, to which Tryden chuckled.
"There is never certainty in war," he said quietly, keeping his gaze at the ground. "Still, I like to side with the winners, and I'm not sure if this Rhoynar princess is going to be a winner in the long run."
"I'm sure you'll find your way to the winning side somehow," Nealia quipped dryly. "It's just a question of how many times you have to turn the coat." Tryden flashed her a sarcastic smirk, a mildly irritated gaze in his eyes. "Very funny, Nealia," he said coldly. "Sadly though, it's not that simple... piss off too many kings and lords and you'll be equally hated by everyone. And this Nymeria... her plans are ambitious. If I side against her and she succeeds, there will be no place for the Rose Company in Dorne. If I side with her and she is defeated... well, that probably won't end well either."
"What do you mean Rose Company won't have a place in Dorne?" Nealia asked with a raised eyebrow, and this time it was Broden who answered. "Because the Rhoynar bitch wants to rule the whole region, including the lands of your daddy," he said bluntly, before turning towards Tryden again. "Commander, I think we should avoid Nymeria. She isn't the only one hiring, we could go to Yronwood, I've heard King Yorick has plans for war as well."
"True, but at the moment we are deep in the territory of the Martell's," Tryden pointed out tonelessly. "Better not make any rash decisions. We will go to Godsgrace first, and learn more about the situation. Then we can decide on our next move."
"Sounds good to me," White Elephant stated with his stoic tone, turning to look at Jinora, who also nodded approvingly. "Good then," Tryden said with a subtle smirk. "Let's get some rest, we have many miles to travel tomorrow."
-
It was just past noon when they arrived to the stony bridge that crossed the Greenblood. On the other side of the bridge was a small army, its troops carrying Santagar and Ladybright banners. "Nymeria's vassals," Nealia heard Tryden muttering. "Nealia, Broden, come with me," he commanded, as he approached the bridge.
They walked to the middle of the bridge, and so from the army of Santagar's and Ladybright's four men approached them. The one leading them was a tall and slender knight, approximately on his fifties, with a bushy brown beard and bald head. He was clad in a light plated armor, the bathing maid of House Ladybright painted on it, and right behind him walked a young soldier with a similar sigil on his tabard.
Next to the Ladybright knight walked a much younger knight, under sixteen if Nealia had to guess. In his sturdy armor was engraved both the seven-pointed star and the leopard of House Santagar. Behind him walked a tall and muscular warrior in the blue-and-white tabard of Santagar.
"Good day, sers!" Tryden greeted them with a friendly tone, and while the young Santagar knight nodded politely, the Ladybright knight kept on a stern glare. "Who are you?" He asked sharply.
"I am Tryden Flowers, commander of the Rose Company," he introduced himself smoothly, but before he could move on to introduce Broden and Nealia, the Ladybright cut him off. "I've heard of you and your company," he sneered, a scornful expression on his face. "You have a reputation as a brute who only cares for his coin."
"That's not completely wrong," Tryden quipped with a smirk, before proceeding to introduce his companions. "With me is my most trusted warrior, Broden," he started, to which the Santagar's and Ladybright's seemed indifferent. Then Tryden turned to Nealia. "As well as Nealia Sand, the bastard daughter of King Vorian Dayne," he continued, and now the knights' eyes widened in surprise.
"King Vorian... my cousin serves him, I hear he is a good man," The Ladybright said with a respectful nod to Nealia, which she reciprocated, now noticing the similarity in this man's green eyes to those of Ser Laroy. "And an exalted knight," the young Santagar added with admiration in his words. "I am Ser Martyn Santagar, the Knight of Spottswood. It is an honor to meet you."
"Likewise," Nealia replied politely, and then the Ladybright spoke up. "I am Ser Albar Ladybright, the younger brother of Lord Jasper Ladybright," he introduced himself with a small sigh. "Nonetheless, I want to know what is your business here," he stated, turning his gaze to Tryden again.
"We are traveling to Godsgrace, looking for a new job," Tryden answered calmly, to which Ser Albar narrowed his eyes in a suspecting manner. "And your earlier job, did it happen to have something to do with Lemonwood?" He asked sternly, to which Tryden nodded without hesitation.
"Aye, we were hired by the Bandit Lord," he said nonchalantly. It was a seamless lie, because in truth they had been paid by King Lucifer, not Efran. "He took over Lemonwood, and that was the end of our business with him."
"We are on our way to take the city back from the bastard," Albar said coldly, and Tryden gave him a carefree shrug. "As I said, our business with Efran is over," he replied smoothly. "And in case you are interested, most of his other troops have abandoned him as well, including his Ironborn allies."
"That is good to hear," Ser Martyn weighed in calmly. "And if you are indeed going to Godsgrace, Princess Nymeria could have a use for you."
"Not sure if she wants turncloaks like you in her army though," Albar spat with a cold glare in his eyes, and Tryden flashed him an emotionless grin. "I guess we can let her decide that by herself," he said. With some frustration in his eyes, Ser Albar nodded in agreement. "So be it," he said coldly. "We'll let your company through. You must have at least some honor to attain the loyalty of King Vorian's daughter, bastard or not."
"Thank you," Tryden replied with a small bow. "And good luck in Lemonwood," he quipped, before turning to walk back to the rest of the Rose Company.
-
The sun had almost set when they finally arrived to Godsgrace. The riverbanks were occupied by small farmlands, and the city itself was covered by sturdy walls. A lot of noise came from inside those walls, which was no wonder if an army was residing there, in addition to the townsfolk.
They were stopped at the eastern gates, but as Tryden explained their business, they were let in to the city. The Dayne's liked to think that Southpoint was the most beautiful city in Dorne, but Nealia had to admit that Godsgrace was more beautiful. White Elephant and his crew didn't really look impressed though, nor did Lien, Ying or Manda. Of course, they had seen cities tenfold the size of Godsgrace, but for Nealia this was the biggest city she had ever been to.
The dusty streets were full of life, the colorful marketplaces filled with merchants, and taverns with weary travelers and soldiers. They made their way into one of them located near the southern gate, one called the Golden Hand. It was clearly one of the better taverns in town, the customers being mostly knights and wealthy sellswords.
Right as they stepped in their attention shifted to a certain particularly loud individual. A relatively young, lean and handsome man with short dark hair and stubble with a goatee, was clearly drunk and singing something from the bottom of his lungs. He was dressed in a dark blue cotton tunic and leather trousers, a goblet of wine on his hand. "Oh, fuck no," Tryden muttered with a frustrated tone, and Nealia gave him a curious glance. "You know this guy?" She asked, and just then the drunken man's eyes found them.
"Tryden Flowers!" He roared with a tone that made it hard to know if he was angry or happy to see him. "Fenn!" Tryden responded with a friendly tone, forcing a small smile on his face, and so the drunkard approached them, a wide grin forming on his face. "You lousy bastard," he said, raising his goblet right in front of Tryden. "This is Dornish Red, proper wine, unlike that piss you call Arbor Gold!"
"We all have our preferences," Tryden replied with a tense chuckle, and Fenn proceeded to gulp down the rest of his wine, and patted Tryden on the side of his left arm. "Come on then, old friend, we need to have a conversation, it's been almost a year!" And so, Fenn led Tryden to his table, Broden following quickly behind them.
Nealia turned to Manda with a questioning look in her eyes, and the Summer Islander gave her an amused chuckle. "That's Fenn, he used to be part of the Rose Company for a while," she explained calmly. "Then, one night he had a disagreement with Tryden about wine, and decided to abandon the company."
"Seriously?" Nealia asked, and Manda nodded. "Aye, he's a somewhat... impulsive guy," she said with a sigh. "Anyway, Tryden would probably appreciate you going to help him with handling this guy. That said, I think Lien might want to have a conversation with you as well," Manda said, nodding towards the table that Lien, Ying, Sarina and Gauron had already settled to.
[Go to Tryden's table] [Go to Lien's table]
[Go to Lien's table] Maybe they should talk, get things straight, otherwise things are gonna get more complicated. I'm sure Tryden won't mind that much.
[Go to Tryden's table]
[Go to Tryden's table]
[Go to Tryden's table] Ha, Fenn! I wasn't expecting him to appear here at all, so I gotta say that was a great surprise. And he got just the introduction I imagined he would've and even though we haven't seen much of him, I can already tell that you were spot on with his personality
I'm kinda curious to see how Fenn and Tryden's conversation is going to be like, its probably going to be kinda weird after Fenn left the Rose Company outta nowhere xD I'd be nice for Nealia to meet Fenn also, since I'm not sure if he's going to go back to the Rose Company or not. Besides, Nealia can talk to Lien later, best thing would be to let Lien make the first move and not the other way around.
[Go to Lien's table]
I don't want to leave Tryden alone in this particular situation, but I feel like now would be the best, perhaps last chance for Nealia to patch things up with Lien again. These two have been adorable and it breaks my heart that they have this standing between them, so naturally, I would like to pick the option that is more likely to see them reunite.
To be fair though, I wouldn't exactly be opposed to join Tryden here as well. Fenn seems like an interesting guy and there could be the benefit of potentially protecting Tryden, even if I really doubt things would escalate that badly here. Javier also brought up a good point, one I find myself agreeing with somewhat, namely that it would be nice if Lien could make the first move here. See, as much as I adore them, it shouldn't always be Nealia doing the apologizing, especially as what she did to cause this argument hasn't even been all that bad. However, since I adore these two, I would still slightly prefer to go to her table, out of fear that this might be the last chance for their relationship, but I realize, I am a bit on the fence here. Seems like Tryden is leading and well, that's probably not a bad thing either.
You know, I just noticed, probably the perfect way out of the dilemma with Lien and it was Tryden himself who brought me to it. He's definitely not fond of Nymeria, but he seems to have a liking to Dorne in general. So, given that he has the contacts thanks to Nealia, wouldn't it be great if the entire Rose Company could join forces with House Dayne? Vorian might not be the guy to hire sellswords, but I am sure Nealia could convince him. That'd give Tryden a good employer (though one I bet he'll leave as soon as things turn sour, that charming opportunist XD), Nealia a way to be with her family and her friends and Lien a way to remain by Nealia's side. Tryden is a smart guy, I bet he'll eventually come to the same conclusion and maybe he'll even consider it worth a shot. Because if he wants to stay in Dorne, he sooner or later has to pick a side and with him working for Lucifer Dryland, he kinda already did. He is opposed to Nymeria, personally and in terms of his employment, so working for her next big opponent sounds kinda logical to me and the only option for him if he doesn't want to leave Dorne or work for Nymeria. And if he survives that long (no doubt through constantly, and amazingly, switching sides), I could see the last option here to only happen in the very final stages of war, when it becomes clear that Nymeria has a very realistic chance at winning. I'm actually curious if he and the Rose Company will end up with Yorick Yronwood or with Nymeria and I guess it'll depend a bit on how capable Tryden considers Nym to be.
[Go to Tryden's table]
I'm curious to see more of this new guy.
[Go to Lien's table]
Yeah, Fenn was a fairly easy character to write in quickly, and I basically decided on introducing him here as soon as I read the submission
Anyway, I'm glad to hear you're satisfied with his portrayal so far. Fenn is a really fun character to write, so you can expect to see a lot more of him in the future!
Indeed, Tryden doesn't seem particularly eager to join Nymeria, but that's mostly just because he sees her goal of trying to conquer all of Dorne a bit too risky and unlikely to succeed. Towards Nymeria as a person he is neutral. That said, a big reason why Tryden likes Dorne is the constant conflicts between its petty kings and lords, which gives him a reliable source of income. So, in that sense unifying Dorne might actually be against Tryden's interest. As for being hired by King Vorian, it could definitely happen. However, right now the Dayne's aren't actively in a conflict, so it's unlikely that Tryden would have much interest going to Starfall. Especially since there are at least two ongoing conflicts (Dryland-Martell and Blackmont/Fowler-Manwoody/Yronwood) to choose from.
[Go to Tryden's table]
While I do want to see Nealia and Lien patch things up, I also feel like it shouldn't be Nealia that always has to make the first move. Nealia didn't really do anything wrong in the first place and because of that, I feel Lien needs to be the one to step up and apologize to Nealia here. Plus I also want to learn a bit more about Finn here as well.
Voting is closed!
And Nealia will go to Tryden's table. I'm kinda glad you chose this, because it gives me a great opportunity to properly introduce Fenn in Nealia's next part
And don't worry, this doesn't mean that Nealia and Lien can't still patch up things later. In fact, Lien isn't really expecting apology, she understands Nealia's actions and is even thankful that she was honest with her about wanting to go back to Starfall. Anyway, we'll get more scenes between these two in the future, so don't worry about that.
And the next part goes to Emerson, who is traveling to Yronwood with Lord Terren Jordayne and Yoren Jordayne. On their way they stopped at the Wells, the seat of House Wells. There they met Lord Olyvar Wells and his wife Lady Mina Wells, as well as two of their three sons, Andar and Leo, and their daughter Lena. Later in a conversatoin Lena challenged Emerson's plan of taking his rightful place as the Lord of Godsgrace, implying that perhaps Esperence had deserved her place as the Lady. She asked Emerson if a rightful claim makes one a capable leader, and you voted Emerson to answer "no". I hope to get the part done tomorrow!
Emerson
"No, of course a rightful claim alone doesn't make one a good ruler," Emerson answered sternly, seeing a satisfied smirk slowly forming on Lena Wells' face. "However, I know what it takes to be a good lord, and I'm confident I can rule Godsgrace with honor and wisdom, as is my duty and right."
"Yes, I'm sure Lord Morgan raised you well for that role," Lena said with a dry and sarcastic tone. After a tense moment of silence, Lord Terren spoke up. "Morgan was indeed a misguided and bitter person, not a man fit for ruling," he stated with his calm and warm voice, his lips forming a small and friendly smile. "However, Emerson is the son of Lord Mason, and clearly shares his father's personality. Mason was a wise and loving man, and the best lord Godsgrace had seen in ages. With some guidance, I believe Emerson can achieve the same."
"Exactly," Lord Olyvar weighed in with his boisterous tone, and Emerson noticed Lena subtly rolling her eyes. The conversation quickly shifted away from Emerson again, with Olyvar, Mina and Terren starting to talk about the recent brief conflict between Toland's and Martell's, while Andar, Leo and Yoren chatted about tourneys of past. Throughout this, Emerson and Lena remained silent, occasionally glaring at each other.
-
Emerson was alone at the lavish gardens of the Wells, standing under the canopy and listening to the sound of the water and chirping of the birds. Emerson clenched his fists, troubling thoughts flying through his mind. What is Esperence doing right now? What about Emmett? The thought of having to go to war against the only real family he had ever had haunted Emerson. Perhaps Lena was right, perhaps he should just let Esperence keep Godsgrace and avoid conflict. No, I must do my duty, he reminded himself sternly.
Raising up his gaze, Emerson noticed Lena approaching him. She stopped a dozen feet away from him, leaning against the marble pillar of the canopy. "Hi," she said calmly, and Emerson responded with a hesitant nod. "I just... wanted to say I'm sorry, about what I said earlier," Lena continued with a sigh. "I imagine what you're going through right now is hard enough without me being an asshole about it."
"It's alright," Emerson replied emotionlessly and turned his eyes away. After a couple seconds of silence he heard Lena chuckling quietly, and taking a few steps closer to him. "Emerson, you do understand that Lord Terren and King Yorick want to use you, right?" She asked sharply, and Emerson let out a sigh. "What do you mean?" He asked with some frustration, and Lena took in a deep breath before answering.
"You are a tool for them, an instrument to further their own power," she claimed confidently. "I understand why you seek their help, but do you think they truly care about your happiness? About your right and duty as a lord?"
"And what do you suggest I should do then, huh?" Emerson snapped. "Should I just conquer Godsgrace all by myself? Live the rest of my days as an exile?" To this Lena shook her head, a mildly amused expression on her face. "Listen, you seem like a good and honorable person, Emerson," she started calmly. "I just don't want you to lose sight of your values when you start playing the games of men like Terren and Yorick. They don't care about you, they are not your friends, they only want to use you for their own benefit."
"Perhaps the benefit is mutual," Emerson responded, to which Lena simply shook her head. "That's what they want you to think, but in truth they want to make you their puppet," she said with a serious tone. "And puppets don't make good lords, do they? Anyway, you do what you must do, but just keep this in mind."
"Well, thanks for the advice, I guess," Emerson said dryly, and Lena flashed him a smile. "You're welcome," she said smoothly. "Anyway, Yoren and my brothers are at Andar's chambers, playing with dices and drinking some wine. Would you care to join?"
"I don't usually drink or gamble," Emerson answered quietly, but Lena just raised an eyebrow for him, an amused look in her eyes. "And would you rather just stand here alone for the rest of the day?" She asked with a humorous tone. "Come on, it'll be fun!"
"Ah, alright then," Emerson gave in, finally allowing a small smile on his face. And so, Lena led them to Andar's chambers.
-
"You lost, finish your drink," Yoren said to Leo Wells with a wide grin on his face, his words slurring ever so slightly from the effect of the wine. Leo sighed and raised up his wooden cup, gulping down the wine in it with one swing. "Ah, I think we should do something else now," he said as he put down the cup and burped.
"I figured you'd get tired of losing eventually," Yoren quipped, an arrogant smirk on his face. "So, what's the idea?"
"Maybe we could just talk, tell stories and so on," said Andar Wells, who was noticeably less drunk than his younger brother or Yoren. "That sounds boring," Yoren said lazily, and Emerson noticed Lena rolling her eyes. "Well, your stories certainly would be boring," she sneered.
"Shut up, bitch," Yoren muttered drunkenly, and Emerson could see Lena staring daggers at him. "Call me that once more and I'll smack you so hard you'll be crying for your mother," she threatened, and for a brief moment Yoren's expression was genuinely frightened. "Gods, you're crazy," he finally managed to say, before taking another gulp of the wine.
"I have another idea," Leo spoke up, a subtle smirk on his face. "Another drinking game, but no dices this time. It's called 'I swear that I have never'."
"And how does that work?" Yoren asked with a raised eyebrow. "Simple," Leo said calmly. "I say for example, 'I swear that I have never been beaten by a girl'. Then, those who can't swear it with honesty have to take a drink. And if everyone can swear it, then the one who said it has to drink. So, in this example, you'd be the only one drinking."
"Very funny," Yoren muttered sternly, and Leo chuckled. "But you get the idea, right?" He asked, and Yoren nodded begrudgingly. "Good then, I'll start. I swear that I have never killed," Leo said, eyeing at each person in the room. In the end, Andar was the only one who drank his wine. "Trouble with desert tribes a few years ago," he explained calmly. "So, do I continue?"
"Sure, go ahead," Leo agreed, and Andar took in a deep breath, considering his words carefully. "I swear that I have never lied to my father," he finally said. Yoren, Leo and Lena each immediately raised their goblets up and drank. As he shifted his gaze to Emerson, a realization sparked in Andar's eyes. "Oh man, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."
"It's alright," Emerson assured with a calm tone. "Let's just say this was an easy one for me," he added with a smirk, and Andar nodded to his words with a warm chuckle.
"Alright, my turn," Lena suddenly said, and the rest shifted their attention to her. "I swear that I have never betrayed my family," she said, and a tense silence followed. No one raised their goblet, but Emerson noticed Lena looking at him. Her gaze wasn't accusing or hostile, but rather just curious, like she wanted to know how Emerson would react. Have I betrayed my family? He asked himself. Certainly they had betrayed him, and not just once. Morgan had hid Emerson his true heritage for his whole childhood, and Esperence had conspired to take over behind his back. However, Esperence had also given him a chance to work with her, and he had abandoned her and Emmett.
[Drink] [Don't drink]
[Don't drink] In my opinion he didn't betrayed her, he simply made a choice, not sure if its the most honest one, but I don't feel is betrayal.
Lena is right, while I think Terren genuinely likes him, he's certainly not above using him for his and Yorick's purposes, and he most remember that so he doesn't end up as a puppet.
Just wanted to point out that drinking would mean that Emerson "admits" to having betrayed his family. So, you might want to change to the other option if I'm interpreting your comment correctly
Thanks, I got confused.
[Don't drink]
[Don't drink]
If anything, it has been Esperence who betrayed her family by turning on her own father. Emerson has been forced to pick a side in a conflict he did not provoke or desired. And correct me if I'm wrong, but he did not rat Esperence out, did he? Even then, he definitely did not betray his family. He remained loyal to his uncle, who was the head of said family. And on top of that, he is the one that has been betrayed by the very same family, Morgan and Esperence alike, by being lied to for most of his life and cheated out of what rightfully should have been his many years ago.
Seriously, why can I not be mad at Lena for pulling such a dick move? That's what it was, kind of a 'fuck you' to Emerson, but she's actually great and I really like that sassy nature of hers. Also the fact that she apologized for being a bit of an ass earlier and then doing pretty much the same thing again at the end of the part, even if it was probably done more out of curiosity than a general desire to be rude to him. I find her to be a very intriguing character and look forward to read more about her
Hehe, yeah, that's Lena for you
She isn't a bad person by any means, but can be a bit overwhelming and aggressive at times. However, like you said, her goal here isn't to be rude or hurtful. Lena is just doing this to understand Emerson better, though she certainly doesn't bother with being sensitive about it either. Anyway, I'm glad you're enjoying the character so far 
[Don't drink]
[Don't drink]
[Don't drink]
I agree with the others here, Emerson has not betrayed anyone and doesn't have any reason to feel guilty
[Don't drink]
Voting is closed!
Emerson won't drink, basically making clear that he doesn't think he betrayed his family. The immediate consequence of this choice is of course Lena's reaction, but this will also affect on Emerson's attitude and thoughts going forward.
Next up will be a Tomas PoV. In his last part he arrived to the Tor, having been invited there by Lord Terren. However, with Terren's absence, it was his son Artos that welcomed Tomas. They had a conversation about House Toland's conflict with Nymeria, and Artos tried to convince Tomas that an alliance would be in both of their interest. Of course, Tomas knew from Argim that in truth the Jordayne's are planning to make Toland's bend the knee to King Yorick. However, Tomas decided to keep that knowledge to himself for now and play along.
Sadly I have to inform that I haven't made much progress on this part, because I'm currently working on an essay that I should get done before next Tuesday. So, I might not find much time for writing the story before that's done, but we'll see. I'd say that at latest you can expect the part to be done in about a week, though hopefully sooner.
-
And here we have a portrait of a recent addition to the cast, Fenn:
Tomas
"An alliance, huh?" Tomas muttered quietly, deciding not to reveal that he knew the truth about the Jordayne's ambitions. "Yes," Artos Jordayne confirmed calmly, a small smile forming on his face now.
"I'll make sure to inform Lord Levor about your proposal," Tomas stated dryly, and the smile quickly faded from Artos' face. "Well, perhaps I could come with you, and bring some of our troops..."
"No," Tomas strictly cut Artos off. "There is no alliance between us yet, Jordayne, and I will not have your soldiers in our lands. I will inform Levor of your proposal, and if he agrees, we will send a raven to inform you."
"But mylord, you must understand we have no time to waste," Artos insisted with some frustration. "Every day we wait, Nymeria grows stronger."
"I doubt Nymeria will be your concern in quite a while," Tomas said calmly, to which Artos raised an eyebrow. "She is waging war against King Lucifer, who in turn is allied with the Dayne's," Tomas continued. "Right now, neither the Tor or Ghost Hill are in Princess Nymeria's mind."
"Yes, she is in war, which makes this the perfect time for us to strike," Artos argued, and Tomas nodded calmly. "Perhaps," he responded nonchalantly. "As I said, I will speak to Levor about this. Until he has made his decision, no troops of House Jordayne will enter the lands of House Toland – at the risk of instigating a war." As he said these last words, Tomas looked directly at Julia Jordayne, who was still recording the conversation.
A tense silence followed Tomas' words while Julia wrote them down, until finally Artos let out a sigh and stood up from his seat. "I understand, mylord," he said with a defeated tone. "I imagine you'd like to spend the night here, before you head back to Ghost Hill."
"That would be most kind of you," Tomas said dryly, glancing at Ser Garibald as he spoke, and the young knight nodded quietly. "Alright then, you can take the guest chambers, the best we have," Artos said, forcing a smile on his face. "Julia, you can end the recording there." The young lady nodded obediently, and proceeded to put away her ink and quill.
As they were making their way out of the office, Artos stepped between Tomas and the door, a stern look in his eyes. "I want to be honest with you, Lord Tomas," he said with a grim tone on his voice. "If your nephew decides to decline our proposal... King Yorick might want to take your lands by force."
Tomas narrowed his eyes and stared at Artos for a couple lingering seconds, before finally nodding. "I understand," he said emotionlessly, and pushed his way past Artos and out of the room.
-
"So, what do you think, mylord?" Ser Garibald asked as they were having dinner at the chambers given to them. "I mean, I think we should at least consider their offer. Nymeria defeated us once, but with the backing of King Yorick..."
"Yorick and Nymeria are the same, Garibald," Tomas cut off the young knight. "They both want to rule the Dorne, and they both want us to kneel. The best thing we can do is to let them fight each other."
"At least Yorick serves the Seven like we do," Garibald pointed out, to which Tomas chuckled. "I doubt it," he said grimly, taking a bite of the roasted chicken on his plate. "I think Yorick Yronwood is a godless man, and serves nothing but his own hunger for power. Yes, he may say that he serves the Seven, but Nymeria said that to me as well. Do you think we should truly believe either of them?"
"I don't know," Garibald answered hesitantly, and Tomas shook his head. "We shouldn't," he clarified grimly. "The only ones we can fully trust are ourselves. I have a duty to protect my brother's sons now that he is gone, and I have no plans to let Yorick get his hands on them."
"And what about Nymeria, mylord?" Garibald asked quietly. Tomas took in a deep breath, turning his gaze down. "Nymeria spared my life... she showed me mercy after I had savaged her lands and murdered her people by the orders of Donovar." Tomas raised his gaze to look Garibald to the eyes, and continued. "I pray that Levor will never have to bend his knee to anyone, but if it comes down to choosing between Yorick and Nymeria, I truly hope he chooses Nymeria."
"And do you think he will?" Garibald asked calmly. Tomas stayed silent for a moment, gulping down the rest of his wine. "I will do my best to convince him," he said with a sigh. For a moment the room fell silent, as both of them finished their meals. Soon after that a servant girl came to fetch the dishes, and as she left the room, Garibald stood up from his seat. He was about to approach the door, but hesitated and turned towards Tomas instead.
"Mylord, there was something I just thought," Garibald said nervously, and Tomas nodded, urging him to continue. "What Artos said at the end of the meeting, and what you have been saying... to me it looks like a war will be unavoidable."
"Perhaps," Tomas admitted grimly, and Garibald took in a deep breath. "Artos said earlier in the meeting that Nymeria has taken Godsgrace recently, so we know where she is... so, I just thought, perhaps you could send me to her."
Tomas raised his eyebrow in a surprised and confused manner, and he noticed Garibald gulping. "If you truly think we should choose Nymeria over Yorick, then the least she should do in return is to help us in our time of need. Send me to Godsgrace, and I'll tell her that we need her help."
Tomas smirked, satisfied to see the young knight so committed to protecting House Toland. However, he wasn't sure if it would be a good idea to send him to Nymeria now. For now they were impartial to this conflict, but that would change the moment they'd ask for Nymeria's aid.
[Send Garibald to Nymeria] [Don't send Garibald to Nymeria]
[Send Garibald to Nymeria]
[Send Garibald to Nymeria] While I doubt Nymeria could spare even more troops, it would be a good way to show her they intend to ally with her, and losing House Toland would be risky for all the houses in the area.
[Send Garibald to Nymeria]
At first, I was going to pick this option because we know that in the long haul, fully allying with Nymeria is the better option. Sure, there might be some who enemy houses, or parts of enemy houses, who actually gain in importance due to allying with her enemies, at least initially, but in the long run, her major enemies will lie defeated and at the very least all of them will lose their independence as rulers. However, then I had to think, this is not the long run, this might prompt an immediate reaction from Yorick, who has kept his own troops still in Yronwood lands while letting the Wyl's do his dirty work at Kingsgrave. However, I kinda hope his main spy at court has been dealt with, leaving potential others in disorder and unable to properly react until Nymeria has actually sent aid. Of course, Nym has notably more problems at the time being, with Lucifer marching on Godsgrace, but maybe with the help of the Fallen Dragons, she has enough men to hold the city and the Toland lands (I am very tempted to call them the Tolands, but that'd be atrocious
). In any way, we know Tomas already decided against Yorick with his very determined actions against Argim and from what we have seen of that man so far, I doubt he's one to respect neutrality. If Yorick wants to have Ghost Hill, he'll take it, no matter if they remain neutral or not. Declaring for Nymeria is the best option I see here.
[Send Garibald to Nymeria]
[Send Garibald to Nymeria]
Voting is closed!
And Tomas will send Garibald to Nymeria, firmly siding House Toland with the Martell's. This will probably convince Nym that Tomas is loyal to her, but Levor might not exactly like his uncle making this choice without consulting with him.
And next up, we will get back to Gwendis' storyline! If you recall, last time Gwen, Trentan, Aisha and Mordekhai traveled in the Kingdom of Yronwood, and were confronted by two patrolling soldiers of House Vass. The soldiers wanted to take this strange group of travelers to meet their lord, but obviously Aisha and Mordekhai opposed to this. One of the soldiers died in combat, and the other one was brutally sacrificed for the Great Other. Aisha ripped out the man's heart, Mordekhai then held it, and offered it for Gwendis as well. You voted for Gwen to refuse taking the heart, and now we'll see how Mordekhai and Aisha react to that.
I've made a lot of progress with this part, but since it will be fairly long there is still some writing to do. Nonetheless, the part should be ready tomorrow
The most appropriate gif to describe how I feel about this:
Like, argh, I was not prepared! I was betting on there being a Naemon part before that and was gonna use that to prepare myself emotionally, but now I am not ready
At the same time, I have missed that feeling of being equal parts scared shitless and oddly excited, though that next part is having me more scared than any previous one, maybe minus that one time I thought Aisha would straight out murder Gwen when she refused to put her hands onto that blasted altar. Now, I fear Wesley is going to straight out murder her for refusing to be as edgy as him. Seriously though, I doubt it is a bad thing to be scared about this, because there is reason to be scared, even if nothing happens. After all, the only storyline I think has more chances to turn bad at this point is Kortney's, though then again, she at least has a couple of actual allies nearby. Gwen has... Trentan, but as much as his moral support is appreciated, I am not sure how much he can do against a pissed off Wesley. Oh Dalia and Desi and Kris, where are thou? Hell, at this point I'd take even Mother Minesa over any of these Great Other freaks in a heartbeat. They want to murder Gwen, she wants to murder Gwen, but at least she's way past her physical prime, whereas Aisha and Worstley are way more capable (and Aisha probably also has some creepy mind-rape magic, because she is the worst, the worst I say!)
Though I could see Wesley and Aisha reacting differently. He might be viciously angry and I am scared at what he could do (after all, he could probably kill her with a single punch), while Aisha's anger might be colder. Also, daily reminder that Aisha is the worst and I am gladly going to remind you again tomorrow. Or maybe the tables are turned, with Aisha being openly furious for once (and I am not sure if I like her more if she shows genuine emotion, given that she has no positive emotions) and Wesley being more chill about it... Nah, I can't see Ser Edgelord being chill about anything, really. No matter what happens, I doubt either will have a reaction that can be described as even the tiniest bit of positive, though they might have a battle for whom actually is the worst. It's either the mad dog or his equally mad owner and Gwen is cornered by both now. At worst they are both furious and that means she is in for some serious trouble, unless Trentan somehow saves the day. And if he doesn't... oh dear, the wait for tomorrow has never been that hard before. At least it gives me time to prepare an Aisha rant of epic proportions, because we all know she deserves to be shat on even more than I already do. Seriously though, can it be possible that I was giving her too much credit so far? Given that she's the worst, I probably did, though I'm sure I should hold back on the Aisha insults right now, or else I'm going to be out of ideas when tomorrow comes and I hate nothing more than to repeat myself when it comes to that certain character who, by the way, is the worst
Gwendis
"No," Gwendis said defiantly, looking Mordekhai Crusher straight to his one red eye. "I will take no part in this wickedness."
Rage instantly took over Mordekhai's expression, and he dropped the Vass soldier's heart to the ground. Without a warning the dark knight grabbed Gwendis from her neck with both hands and raised her up. Gwendis was choking, and tried to fight back by grasping on Mordekhai's large hands and trying to kick him, but there was nothing she could do to 7make him release her. At any moment he could snap her neck, and with every passing second she felt more dizzy, her vision getting so blurry that she could hardly even see Mordekhai's face. I'm going to die, she realized, and felt tears running down her cheeks.
"Enough!" Aisha's voice finally yelled. "Let her down," she commanded sternly, and so Mordekhai released his grip, and Gwendis collapsed to the ground. She laid on her back, frantically gasping for air, as Trentan rushed to help her. He raised her gently to a sitting position, and looked at her with concern and panic in his eyes. "A-are you alright?" He asked with a gulp, and Gwendis managed to give him an uncertain nod.
Aisha approached them, her face and hands still smeared with the blood of the soldier she had sacrificed. She extended her hand for Gwendis, an emotionless expression on her face. After a few seconds of hesitation, Gwendis grabbed Aisha's hand, and she pulled her back up to her feet. "Come with me," the priestess said quietly, and led her away from Mordekhai and Trentan, far enough that they couldn't hear their conversation.
"I have to say, I am disappointed with your refusal to cooperate," Aisha started with a sigh, to which Gwendis frowned. She felt anger overtaking the shock and fear she had felt in Mordekhai's hands. "And I am disappointed in you," she hissed back at Aisha. "After seeing you murder Lyla I didn't think you could sink much lower, but looks like I was wrong. You just brutally tortured and mutilated an innocent man, and expect me to cooperate?"
"No one is innocent, princess, and that man's life was meaningless compared to our mission," Aisha responded coldly. Gwendis shook her head in disbelief. "And who are you to say his life was meaningless?" She asked strictly, to which Aisha sighed.
"We serve the Great Other in his eternal conflict against the Lord of Light," the priestess said quietly. "What you just saw is shocking, and hard to accept. I know this, because my own reaction was very similar when my master taught me. However, you must realize this is all for a greater purpose, and many sheep will have to be sacrificed to win this war."
"I'm not convinced your greater purpose is all that great," Gwendis protested sternly, which made Aisha frown. "Hopefully you will understand one day," she said quietly, a sharp look in her eyes. "But first we must survive the confrontation against the servants of fire, and you haven't been particularly helpful on that front."
Gwendis turned her eyes away, gulping as she looked at Mordekhai and Trentan. The Great Other had warned her about the fire, saying it would consume her if she didn't blow it out. However, now she had to wonder if that was truly a worse fate than being enslaved by Aisha and her monster for the rest of her life. "Why did you wait so long?" Gwendis asked quietly, keeping her eyes away from Aisha as she spoke. "You almost let that monster kill me, why? To punish me? To make me scared?"
Aisha ignored her questions, and started walking back towards Mordekhai and Trentan. "We should get going," she said calmly. "There are still many hours to sundown, and we have a long way to travel."
-
Next day they made it to the Boneway, and continued traveling south. By noon they reached the large stone bridge that crossed the river of Greenbelt. The bridge was guarded by a dozen soldiers, most of them in the colors of House Vass, but a few of them wearing Yronwood tabards. Gwendis, Trentan, Aisha and Mordekhai watched the bridge from afar, staying out of the soldiers' sight.
"It might be easier to slip past during the night," Aisha said quietly, and Trentan nodded. "I agree," he said nervously. "I've slipped past many guards, and darkness is the best ally you can have in that job."
"Sounds like a coward's way," Mordekhai muttered grimly, and Aisha shot him a glare. "You are powerful, Mordekhai, but not invincible," she stated sharply. "We cannot risk our mission by being reckless."
"Hey, what are they doing?" Trentan suddenly said, and everyone shifted their attention to the soldiers again. All of them had grouped to the southern end of the bridge, forming a line of defense. Looking further south, Gwendis noticed a small group approaching the bridge. There were ten of them, and they were led by a tall woman dressed in dark robes. Few of the men following this woman were clearly soldiers, armed with swords and shields, but the others looked more like mere farmers, carrying scythes and pitchforks.
"Some kind of rebels?" Trentan mumbled, but no one answered. Gwendis looked at Aisha, who had a knowing look in her eyes. "This could be our chance," she said with quiet determination. "Follow me," she commanded, and started to quietly approach the bridge. Mordekhai was the first to follow her, while Trentan and Gwendis shared an alarmed glance.
"If something goes wrong, we escape together," Gwendis said with all the confidence she could muster, and Trentan nodded with a gulp. Together they followed after Aisha and Mordekhai.
Meanwhile, the strange group south of the bridge had attacked the soldiers guarding it. The soldiers were keeping their line, and a couple of the farmers already laid dead on the ground, while only one of the defenders had been defeated. However, then Mordekhai unsheathed his massive sword, and charged towards the defenders from behind with an animalistic growl.
Surprised and confused, few of the defenders turned around. Mordekhai rushed into the fight with the ferocity of a wild beast, immediately taking down two of the soldiers. And so, quickly the attackers gained the upper hand, and it didn't take long before the skirmish was over. Most of the defenders laid dead on the ground, and the few that were injured were quickly finished off by Mordekhai. From the strange group of attackers five remained standing, as well as the strange woman leading them.
As she got closer, Gwendis noticed this tall woman had a dark skin, and other features common for Summer Islanders. Aisha approached the woman calmly, like she was already familiar with her. "I assume our meeting here isn't a coincidence, Valerie," she said with a calm and confident tone, and the tall woman smirked at her words.
"You would be correct, Aisha," she responded smoothly, her dark eyes now shifting to Mordekhai. "And you must be Mordekhai Crusher," she purred, putting her hand softly on the plated chest of the warrior. "From what I've seen so far, I must say you are worthy of your reputation."
"These men, they are under your control?" Aisha asked calmly, observing the soldiers and farmers that stood still, their eyes empty and lifeless. "They are," Valerie simply confirmed, now walking past Mordekhai and approaching Trentan and Gwendis.
"But how?" Aisha asked, a hint of concern in her words. "This many men, it would require..."
"It has required a lot of dedication and pain, all in the name of our Lord," Valerie concluded sharply, now standing right in front of Trentan and Gwendis, looking at them with a mix of scorn and indifference. "And who are these peasants you've brought with you, Aisha?" She asked with an almost amused tone.
Aisha walked next to Valerie, a cold expression on her face. "Do you truly claim that the Great Other hasn't shown her to you in your dreams, Valerie?" She asked quietly, now stepping next to Gwendis. "This is Gwendis Blackmont, daughter of King Benedict Blackmont. The Great Other has blessed her with visions, and made her powerful."
"She doesn't seem that powerful to me," Valerie spat arrogantly, glaring at Gwendis as she spoke. Aisha chuckled coldly, as she stepped between them. "Not yet," she said quietly, tapping Valerie on the shoulder. "However, one day she could be more powerful than either of us."
"I doubt it," Valerie hissed, now turning her eyes to Trentan. "And who is the other one?" She asked strictly, and Aisha shifted her attention to Trentan as well. For a brief moment there was a hint of compassion and softness in the priestess' eyes, until she hardened herself and spoke up. "His name is Trentan, he... he has helped us a great deal during our journey," she explained hastily, before quickly changing the topic. "Anyway, you have yet to explain what you are doing here, Valerie," she pointed out, and the tall woman let out a frustrated sigh.
"I have sought you out because I need your help," she said, sounding almost ashamed to admit it. "Servants of R'hllor have driven me from my home, and seek to destroy me."
"I warned you not to reveal yourself," Aisha said quietly, which made Valerie frown. "I served our lord from the shadows, I remained hidden for years, but that wasn’t an option any longer," she insisted sternly. "The time for hiding is over, we need to destroy these servants of fire now, before they destroy us."
"I know," Aisha responded quietly, glancing at Mordekhai as she spoke. "That is the reason why we are here."
"I- I'm sorry to interrupt, but don't you think we should keep moving?" Trentan suddenly spoke up, clearly nervous to say this. "I mean, there will probably be more soldiers patrolling here sooner or later, and when they see this..."
"You're right, Trentan," Aisha cut him off with a calm and comforting tone. "We should find a safe place, somewhere away from the road."
"There's a farm fairly close, where I've been staying the last few days," Valerie said nonchalantly. "We can go there." Everyone agreed, and so they started to travel east along the river. Few words were exchanged between them, and more than anything Gwendis felt creeped out by the silent and seemingly mindless warriors of Valerie. Clearly they were under some kind of dark spell, completely stripped from their own free will. Just more proof that Aisha's god is evil, Gwendis thought grimly.
In a few hours they finally arrived to the farmhouse, which stood on a small hill next to the river. The house was clearly abandoned, and as they walked through the yard Gwendis noticed trails of dried blood on the ground. She didn't even want to imagine what atrocities Valerie had committed here, though the image of Aisha ripping out the Vass soldier's heart was still fresh in her mind.
They made themselves at home quickly, and took food and mead from the farmer's storage. It was the first proper meal Gwendis had had in a long time, and while eating she realized how hungry she had actually been. Nonetheless, food and drink did little to lighten the mood. Gwendis could see from Trentan's face that he was constantly scared, and she couldn’t blame him. In fact, she shared the feeling, even if she was able to hide it. Mordekhai had already almost killed her, and judging from her cold glares, this new priestess didn't think highly of her either. Then there were the silent warriors that Valerie had brought with her, standing in the corners without a hint of emotion on their faces.
As the sun begun to set, Mordekhai went out to the yard to stand on guard, while the rest of them laid down to rest. Gwendis took the straw bed next to the fireplace, as it was the one furthest away from Valerie's silent warriors. Her whole body was tired and aching, but still she struggled to fall asleep. All the violence and atrocities she had seen during the last few days troubled her mind, and on top of that she feared she would see the blue eyes again if she fell asleep.
An hour or so went by, and Gwendis could hear Trentan snoring softly from the other side of the room. She kept her eyes closed, but suddenly a strange feeling overcame her. It was like something was right above her, and as she opened her eyes, she saw Valerie standing silently right next to her bed, a cold glare in her dark eyes. Shocked and frightened, Gwendis couldn't say a word, she just stared at the tall and dark figure standing next to her.
"Gwendis Blackmont," Valerie finally said quietly, narrowing her eyes as she spoke. "Aisha claims that you have a strong connection to our god... Is she telling the truth?"
Taken aback by the question and unsure how to react, Gwendis managed to just gulp nervously. She pulled herself up to a sitting position, still unable to find words. "Answer to me," Valerie demanded, her voice now slightly more aggressive. "Is Aisha telling the truth about you?"
[Say that Aisha is telling the truth] [Say that Aisha is lying] [Say that you don't know]
[Say that Aisha is telling the truth]