[Let I'lian speak to her] I'm not fond of Daghan and I don't trust him. I think I'lian is a charmer plus he's a friend and ally. I'd like our group to be good people that don't torture, even if she doesn't give anything up.
Once again, I have to take back what I said earlier. While writing Garthon's PoV, I had an idea for John's PoV that required of me to extend… more it to the length of a full part. Sorry for those who were looking forward for Garthon, but here's a longer John part for you.
John
Daghan knew it. There was no doubt that the knight had already seen through John's weak attempts at hiding the truth. Still, John was afraid that telling the truth could be a grievous mistake. This feeling resulted from Daghan's unnerving confidence. They outnumbered him five to one, so it was either a result of insanity, or the knowledge that his skill would suffice to defeat a whole group of trained fighters. Even though John didn't know Daghan very well, he was reasonably certain that the knight wasn't insane.
John sighed and looked Daghan straight in the eyes. “Yes, I took your letter”, he admitted and slowly raised from his chair. Daghan narrowed his eyes, but… [view original content]
Once again, I have to take back what I said earlier. While writing Garthon's PoV, I had an idea for John's PoV that required of me to extend… more it to the length of a full part. Sorry for those who were looking forward for Garthon, but here's a longer John part for you.
John
Daghan knew it. There was no doubt that the knight had already seen through John's weak attempts at hiding the truth. Still, John was afraid that telling the truth could be a grievous mistake. This feeling resulted from Daghan's unnerving confidence. They outnumbered him five to one, so it was either a result of insanity, or the knowledge that his skill would suffice to defeat a whole group of trained fighters. Even though John didn't know Daghan very well, he was reasonably certain that the knight wasn't insane.
John sighed and looked Daghan straight in the eyes. “Yes, I took your letter”, he admitted and slowly raised from his chair. Daghan narrowed his eyes, but… [view original content]
[Let I'lian speak to her] Well, he says he is good, so I guess we should give him a chance.
And about the contact, I think it's pretty clear that it's Saerya. Sherryl is Durrandon spy after all. It's nice that the we are starting to get Targaryens to the game, especially since I have one of my "waiting to be introduced" characters in Dragonstone
Once again, I have to take back what I said earlier. While writing Garthon's PoV, I had an idea for John's PoV that required of me to extend… more it to the length of a full part. Sorry for those who were looking forward for Garthon, but here's a longer John part for you.
John
Daghan knew it. There was no doubt that the knight had already seen through John's weak attempts at hiding the truth. Still, John was afraid that telling the truth could be a grievous mistake. This feeling resulted from Daghan's unnerving confidence. They outnumbered him five to one, so it was either a result of insanity, or the knowledge that his skill would suffice to defeat a whole group of trained fighters. Even though John didn't know Daghan very well, he was reasonably certain that the knight wasn't insane.
John sighed and looked Daghan straight in the eyes. “Yes, I took your letter”, he admitted and slowly raised from his chair. Daghan narrowed his eyes, but… [view original content]
[Let I'lian speak to her] I think he is the right answer xD
Great Part Liquid. I fucking love the gutten parts and how u picture my character so perfect _
Once again, I have to take back what I said earlier. While writing Garthon's PoV, I had an idea for John's PoV that required of me to extend… more it to the length of a full part. Sorry for those who were looking forward for Garthon, but here's a longer John part for you.
John
Daghan knew it. There was no doubt that the knight had already seen through John's weak attempts at hiding the truth. Still, John was afraid that telling the truth could be a grievous mistake. This feeling resulted from Daghan's unnerving confidence. They outnumbered him five to one, so it was either a result of insanity, or the knowledge that his skill would suffice to defeat a whole group of trained fighters. Even though John didn't know Daghan very well, he was reasonably certain that the knight wasn't insane.
John sighed and looked Daghan straight in the eyes. “Yes, I took your letter”, he admitted and slowly raised from his chair. Daghan narrowed his eyes, but… [view original content]
[Let Daghan speak to her] He may or may not be aggresive but I'm curious to see how he can help. I can't wait to see House Targaryan's role in the fate of Raylansfair and what they said about Harris being a future threat.
[Let I'lian speak to her] I think he is the right answer xD
Great Part Liquid. I fucking love the gutten parts and how u picture my character so perfect _
No, Daghan's daughter just happens to have the same name. They are absolutely not the same person. Funny thing is, I haven't even realized the similarity until I have read through Daghan's backstory again while writing this part, so it was entirely accidental that John meets the one submitted character in the entire story who has a daughter named Cass
I have expected this outcome and it would have probably been the one I would have taken as well. So far, I'lian had only a small role, but this choice might be able to change it. The next John part is going to reveal if relying on his help was a good idea or not. One thing I already can reveal is, if you would have chosen Daghan, he would have provided results.
The next part is hopefully going to be out later today. It is going to include the Garthon PoV I planned to include last time. As with the last PoV's from John and Sadie, it looks like this part is going to be longer than I originally thought, so there likely won't be a second PoV. If I have room to include a second PoV, it is most likely going to be a PoV from either Jenna or Lyria. But as I said, a long Garthon PoV is more likely at the moment.
As Garthon lay on the cold ground, surrounded by death and misery, looking up at the man responsible for all of it, he realized that he was weak, at least compared to his brother. He wasn't as strong as Torvin, who had no problem with dying for his convictions. Garthon was willing to die for his family, but right now there was nothing he could do to help Torvin. Not in his current position, chained to a damn wall and labelled a traitor. Yes, compared to Torvin he was weak, but he certainly wasn't stupid. This was a chance worth taking, for himself and for Torvin as well. Besides, wasn't it Torvin's stubborn refusal to accept defeat that brought them into this position in the first place? On top of that, Garthon had to admit that he was afraid, because he knew what Harren was capable of.
“I accept your offer”, he said in a hushed tone, barely looking up from the ground. He didn't even dare to face Torvin, but could feel his brothers' surprised glare. Harren's cruel grin got wider at these words. “As expected”, he answered. “Captain, get Holt. Tell him to release the prisoner”
Kyra gave him a nod and glanced at Garthon. Unlike Torvin, whose expression was impossible to read, and unlike Harren, who showed only amusement at this situation, the relieved smile on her face was genuine and refreshing. His gaze fell upon the small cut on her cheek, from where Harren had hit her, and in this moment, he hated the man more than ever.
“Holt won't be amused”, Kyra remarked casually, but cringed back as Harren suddenly and violently grabbed her shoulder. “I gave you an order”, he growled in a low tone, to which she only managed to nod, her eyes widely opened in sudden fear, her smile gone. Without saying another word, she left the room.
“So... I suppose this must be awkward for you, Torvin”, the king said with a wide, terrifying grin. “You were so reliant on your brothers' support, so convinced that he would have your back even now, even while you made one foolish mistake after the other” He looked at Garthon and his grin got smaller. “Only for Garthon to remember that he can think for himself”, he continued. “Your brother made the right decision, Torvin. Before this ends, you'll see it”
Shambling footsteps announced the return of Holt Torv, together with Kyra. As expected, the expression on the torturers face was a delightful sight and if it weren't for the expression on Torvin's face, Garthon would have smirked. His brother was still impossible to read and Garthon wasn't sure if Torvin was happy about his decision or if he was disappointed. The fact that he was completely silent pointed at the latter.
“Your grace... are you sure that you want to release this traitor?”, Holt asked with almost suicidal doubt in his voice. Harren narrowed his eyes and gave him a nod. “And if you don't want to take his place in the cell, you better follow this order immediately”, he answered.
“Of course, your grace”, Holt immediately said and limped towards Garthon. “You got lucky”, he growled in a low tone, as he reached to his belt, to grab one of the keys that were hanging there. “No man should be that lucky... but don't you worry, your brother is going to pay the price”
“You do anything to my brother and I'll have your head, cripple”, Garthon hissed back, as Holt leaned down to unlock his chains. “You can try, traitor”, Holt answered with a disgusting smirk. His bright blue eyes gleamed with excitement as he looked at Torvin. “You will try”
“Are you done?”, the king asked impatiently and Holt quickly rose up again, leaving it to Garthon to actually remove the open chains. “Yes, your grace”, he said and took a bow in front of Harren. “Is there anything else you want me to do?” Harren shook his head. “You can go and fuck yourself”, he remarked. For a moment, Holt seemed unsure what to answer, before he gave him a fearful nod. “As you wish, your grace”, he answered, before he left the room in a hurry, visibly glad to get away from the tyrant.
“Get up”, Harren snarled, just as Garthon was done removing the chains on his feet. For a moment, he held his aching wrists, before he slowly and clumsily followed the order. Not being able to stand for a whole week caused him to stagger backwards and he would have fallen to the ground if it weren't for Kyra, who stepped past the king to grab his shoulder. “Take it easy, I got you”, she assured him, before she leaned in to whisper into his ear. “Well done. You made the right decision”, she mumbled and separated from him.
Garthon gave her a nod, although he was anything but convinced that he really did the right decision. He glanced at Torvin, who wasn't even looking at him, and then at Harren Hoare. “Can I get a moment with my brother?”, he asked. Harren raised an eyebrow, before he shook his head. “You seriously just asked that?”, he said and his cruel grin returned. “Don't you worry, you'll see him again very soon. For now, you will leave, with me and Captain Greyjoy. A couple of Fishlords have gathered in the courtyard and I'm sure they are eager to hear what you have to say”
“Torvin...”, Garthon mumbled, trying to gain his brothers attention. From a personal standpoint, he wasn't regretting this decision. In the long run, it was probably the best for Torvin as well and Garthon knew, he would never stop trying to get his brother out of there. Now, he was in a position where he might be able to achieve this. But no matter how wise this decision was, he couldn't help but to feel as if he had betrayed his brother, the man who was willing to sacrifice everything for him.
“Torvin”, he said again, a bit louder this time. Torvin looked up, looking Garthon straight in the eyes. Still, he was impossible to read. “You made a good decision”, he mumbled tonelessly, no emotion giving away how he truly felt about this. “Torvin, I'm sorry...”, Garthon tried to add, but Harren Hoare's hand grabbed his shoulder, cutting him off in the process. “What a touching farewell”, the king mocked, as he pushed Garthon out of the room. Kyra followed immediately. Finally, Harren gave Torvin a last, triumphant look. “Maybe now you realize how much you lost, Breaker”, he growled. “The next time I'll come to visit you, you're going to beg me to give you another chance”
“Don't make promises you can't keep”, Torvin spat. The king turned away from him, a menacing grin on his scarred face. “Close the door”, he snarled, before he grabbed Garthon by the shoulder. “You and I, we're going to have a talk now” Behind them, Kyra slowly closed the thick door, leaving Torvin alone in the dark.
“About what?”, Garthon asked, even though he knew the answer. “About what you're going to say to the riverlords”, Harren answered calmly and gave him a signal to follow. Together, they walked through the dimly lit hallway, Kyra closely behind them. “As you can imagine, the situation is parlous”, Harren explained. “On paper, I rule over the most powerful kingdom in Westeros. The strength of the Ironborn, paired with the numbers of the Rivermen. My grandfather knew what he wanted when he paid the Iron Price for these lands”
Harren slowed down, forcing Garthon and Kyra to do the same. “What he failed to see was that he was getting a kingdom of Wildfire. Half of my lords are pathetic fishfuckers, only united in their hatred for me. The other half is iron, only waiting for me to show weakness”, he growled and for a moment, the dreaded tyrant looked almost tired. “And a tiny spark can be enough to blow everything up” He glared at Garthon, his fists clenched as he visibly restrained himself from doing worse. “You and your brother have been this spark”
“So you want me to calm the Riverlords down”, Garthon deduced and Harren gave him a nod. “At least those who are still in Harrenhal and willing to listen. It would have been a stronger message to have your brother declare for me, but I take what I can get”
“And if I refuse to help you?”, Garthon asked. It was a rhetorical question, both men knew it. “You wouldn't stand here if you would genuinely think about not following my order once again”, Harren remarked correctly. “Besides, always keep in mind that presenting your mutilated corpse would send the strongest of messages”
For a while, they walked in silence after this statement. Even now, as it was clear that King Harren depended on his help, Garthon felt intimidated by him. Even now, he had power over him. In this particular case, it was Torvin. As long as his brother wasn't safe, he wouldn't do anything that could enrage the king even further. Garthon had no problems with swallowing his pride. In fact, he felt relieved that he had gotten away with a relatively merciful sentence.
Harren glared at him as if he had read his thoughts. “We're almost there”, he answered and his hand moved to the fresh scar on his cheek. A dangerous look appeared in his eyes. “Though... there is one more thing we have to settle. What you did has been high treason and more. You don't think I'm letting you away that easily, do you?”
Garthon froze in terror as he looked into Harren's eyes, as black and cold as a starless winter night. “Captain, hand me the sharpest knife you're carrying with you”, he ordered. “Then restrain the prisoner. That one's going to get messy”
For a moment, Garthon had the foolish thought of running. Harren was more than twice his age, so he could probably escape him. Kyra might be a problem. As much as she meant to him, her loyalty to the king was out of question. Still, the look in her dark blue eyes was genuinely shocked. “Your... your grace, you said you're willing to pardon them if they bend the knee”, she stuttered.
“I promised to pardon the high treason. The attempted kingslaying, even the fact that they made my son even more pathetic than he already was”, Harren growled and stepped in front of Garthon. This destroyed any hope Garthon actually had of escaping him. In the narrow hallway, getting past a man as bulky as Harren Hoare was almost impossible. “I never promised to pardon this”, he said and moved a hand to the fresh scar on his face. “Your knife, captain”
“Your grace, is this really necessary?”, Kyra asked once more and Harren narrowed his eyes, as a deep, animalistic growl forced its way out of his throat. “Do as I said or take his place”, he snarled. A subtle hint of regret flashed over Kyra's face, as she gave him a nod. She reached down to her high boot and pulled out a thin, but visibly sharp knife, which she handed to the king.
“I'm sorry, Garthon. I don't have a choice”, she said and without further warning, she grabbed his arms and pulled him closer, tightly holding him in a way that made it impossible for him to escape. Under any other circumstances, Garthon might have enjoyed being close to her, but right now, the only thing in his mind was sheer terror as he glanced at Harren and at the knife in his hands.
“That's where you are wrong, captain. You always have a choice”, Harren clarified. “But you quite correctly realized that taking his position wouldn't be worth it. Despite, I would have hated ruining such a pretty face” He glared back at Garthon, his face showing a grotesque expression of sadistic joy.
Garthon gulped, his stare focussed on the knife. He started to breath faster and if it wouldn't have been for Kyra practically forcing him into a standing position, his weak legs would have yielded by now. He wasn't a coward, but he was reasonably sure that any man would have been afraid of what would probably follow. Still, he wouldn't scream. He would deny Harren at least this victory.
“Open your mouth. It'll make it easier”, the king ordered and Garthon clenched his teeth, slowly shaking his head. It was a pathetic display of defiance and he knew it wouldn't change a thing. Harren sighed in return. “Very well. Keep it closed if you want to, though it might make it more painful”
With these words, he moved the knife towards Garthon's right cheek. The moment the cold, hellishly sharp steel reached his flesh, he couldn't hold back a pained groan. As soon as the king started to cut, Garthon had to open his mouth, to scream in sheer agony. It was just a simple and quick cut, but it went all the way across his cheek and down to the bone, so the pain remained even after Harren removed the knife again.
“I believe that should settle the score”, the king chuckled as he threw the knife on the ground without a second thought. In that moment, Garthon would have loved nothing more than to drop down as well, to fall unconscious from the horrible pain. The only thing he was able to do was to press a hand onto the deep cut, while warm blood was flowing down the lower part of his face.
Not without a sick form of pride, Harren looked at his work. “Doesn't look too bad, as far as gruesome cheek scars go”, he chuckled. “Trust me, women love a man with scars. Just make sure it doesn't get infected if you want to live”
“Are you... are you done?”, Garthon managed to say, while his entire face burned with pain. Harren gave him a simple nod, before he continued to walk down the hallway. Kyra finally separated from Garthon and as he turned around, he saw shock and guilt on her face. “Garthon, I'm sorry”, she said and sounded genuine. “I didn't knew what he was planning, I...”
She was going to continue, but Garthon cut her off. “It's...”, he started to say, but he was unsure how he should continue. It's fine? It wasn't fine, but it would have been unfair to blame her. Garthon could never do this. Instead, he glared down the hallway, at Harren Hoare. “Let's just... get this over with”, he pressed out.
Following the king, Garthon and Kyra soon reached the narrow staircase that led to the outside. Neither of them was saying a word. In Garthon's case, he had to focus on not fainting. The cut was deep, spanning across his entire cheek, and the continuing bleeding concerned him. By now, his right hand was stained with blood, which continued to flow down his cheek, chin and neck. He was just dragging himself up the stairs, closely following the king, trying his best not to think too much about the gruesome wound.
It was surprising to him that it was barely noon as they stepped outside. A whole week that was spent mostly in the dark left his eyes sensitive to the sunlight and he had to shield them with his hand. Between his fingers, he was barely able to see the menacing figure of Harren Hoare. The king had turned around and faced him and Garthon noticed that the courtyard was empty aside from them. “There are a number of fishlords present in Harrenhal, as well as numerous lords of the isles. The rivercunts Piper, Strong and Whent with their fishfucking entourage, as well as Lord Orkwood, Cleaver Clint Volmark, the Blacktyde siblings and others. I'm going to call for them this evening and I expect you to be there as well”, Harren growled. “Get your cheek patched up, but not too much. Everyone shall see how merciful I truly am”
With these words, he walked away, not even bothering with giving Garthon any further instructions. Kyra remained for a moment. By now, his eyes had adjusted to the lightning and he was able to remove the hand again, fully looking at the captain of the guard. She was focussing on the deep cut on his cheek and shook his head. “That bastard...”, she mumbled almost inaudibly.
Garthon glanced at his right hand. The palm was stained with blood and more was flowing out of his cheek. He was able to taste it in his mouth and a disgusted expression flashed over his face as he moved his tongue. “You really have to go to the Maester”, Kyra said with concern in her voice. Garthon forced himself to smile at her. It turned out to be a mistake, as a new wave of pain nearly forced him to his knees. “It's alright!”, he lied and Kyra shook her head. “Being a stubborn fool does not suit you”, she stated
Garthon gave her a disgruntled nod. “Fine...”, he mumbled. “The Maester it is then...” He turned to the southern tower, which was were the thralls were kept. Harren's contempt for the Order of Maesters was well-known, up to the point where the Maester of Harrenhal was supposed to live in a tiny room next to the other thralls of House Hoare, a slave in anything but name.
“After you're done with the Maester...”, Kyra said and let out a sigh. “Listen Garthon, that was not what I wanted and not what I expected, you know that, right?” Garthon gave her a nod. “I know you had no choice”, he assured her and indeed, he held no grudge against her. His words seemed to relief her. “Look, I know it's not much, but there is something I'd like to talk about, later. About what happened and about what's going to happen”, she said. “If you want to, meet me at my chambers once you're done here”
“Will do”, Garthon said and this time, he suppressed the urge to smirk. It would take some time to get used to it, but thankfully, the pain started to fade, replaced by a numb feeling. Instead, Kyra smirked in his stead, as she turned around. “See you later, Breaker”, she said, but before she could leave, Garthon called her once more.
“Kyra, wait”, he said loudly. She turned around, a curious expression on her face. “Anything else?”, she asked. Garthon let out a sigh and slightly pointed at his face. “Does it... I mean... how does it look?”, he asked.
Kyra raised an eyebrow, before she slowly shook her head in disbelief. “You just escaped the dungeon of Harrenhal, the king offered you a chance to stay alive, he quite brutally cut up your cheek and all you're concerned with is how it looks?”, she asked. He gave her a slow nod. “Well... yeah”, he answered. This time, Kyra chuckled. “If you have to know it, you're still looking better than the king”, she stated, before she turned around, leaving him alone. Or almost alone.
“She should be careful with words like these”, a familiar voice said. Garthon turned around and widely opened his eyes. Out of the dark shadows next to the dungeon stepped Harrick Hoare. The kings youngest son had obviously been standing there for a while now, completely blending in with his surroundings. “My father would have done everything to prove her wrong if he would have heard of this statement”
“Prince Harrick!”, Garthon exclaimed and Harrick gave him a nod. “Indeed, that is my name”, he stated dryly and glanced at Garthon's cheek “I know you have a rather important problem, so I want to make this as short as possible” He looked at the king's tower. “I know what my father wants from you. I know that you have been extremely lucky to get away with nothing more but this small wound. And I know how hard it can be to please my father. Even the tiniest of mistakes will seal your fate and that of your brother”, he explained. “Because of that, I'd like to give you some advice before you speak to the lords tonight”
As he heard these words, Garthon slowly narrowed his eyes. “You want to help me?”, he asked. “A week ago, I tried to kill you” Harrick gave him a nod. “And you failed spectacularly, for which I am genuinely thankful. I am moved by gratitude”, he answered. “Mostly though, it is pragmatism. Like my father, I have personal interest in your success. Unlike my father, I believe you might need some help if you want to succeed in representing our interests in front of the lords of the Isles and the Rivers”
“Is this an order?”, Garthon asked and Harrick shook his head. “I believe, as a fourthborn son I am in no position to give orders. I can only give advice”, he explained. “I know, spending an afternoon listening to me will be less pleasant than whatever activity Lady Greyjoy has in mind at her chambers, but I can only advice you to accept my offer. You need all the help you can get. The ultimate decision is yours of course”
[Accept Harrick's offer][Decline Harrick's offer and meet up with Kyra instead]
Garthon
As Garthon lay on the cold ground, surrounded by death and misery, looking up at the man responsible for all of it, he realized t… morehat he was weak, at least compared to his brother. He wasn't as strong as Torvin, who had no problem with dying for his convictions. Garthon was willing to die for his family, but right now there was nothing he could do to help Torvin. Not in his current position, chained to a damn wall and labelled a traitor. Yes, compared to Torvin he was weak, but he certainly wasn't stupid. This was a chance worth taking, for himself and for Torvin as well. Besides, wasn't it Torvin's stubborn refusal to accept defeat that brought them into this position in the first place? On top of that, Garthon had to admit that he was afraid, because he knew what Harren was capable of.
“I accept your offer”, he said in a hushed tone, barely looking up from the ground. He didn't even dare to face Torvin, but could feel his broth… [view original content]
[Decline Harrick's offer and meet up with Kyra instead] There's no way I'm passing up the opportunity to go inside Kyra's chambers! Garthon/Kyra. Besides Garthon's smart, I'm convinced that he'll be able to handle the riverlords.
Garthon
As Garthon lay on the cold ground, surrounded by death and misery, looking up at the man responsible for all of it, he realized t… morehat he was weak, at least compared to his brother. He wasn't as strong as Torvin, who had no problem with dying for his convictions. Garthon was willing to die for his family, but right now there was nothing he could do to help Torvin. Not in his current position, chained to a damn wall and labelled a traitor. Yes, compared to Torvin he was weak, but he certainly wasn't stupid. This was a chance worth taking, for himself and for Torvin as well. Besides, wasn't it Torvin's stubborn refusal to accept defeat that brought them into this position in the first place? On top of that, Garthon had to admit that he was afraid, because he knew what Harren was capable of.
“I accept your offer”, he said in a hushed tone, barely looking up from the ground. He didn't even dare to face Torvin, but could feel his broth… [view original content]
Garthon
As Garthon lay on the cold ground, surrounded by death and misery, looking up at the man responsible for all of it, he realized t… morehat he was weak, at least compared to his brother. He wasn't as strong as Torvin, who had no problem with dying for his convictions. Garthon was willing to die for his family, but right now there was nothing he could do to help Torvin. Not in his current position, chained to a damn wall and labelled a traitor. Yes, compared to Torvin he was weak, but he certainly wasn't stupid. This was a chance worth taking, for himself and for Torvin as well. Besides, wasn't it Torvin's stubborn refusal to accept defeat that brought them into this position in the first place? On top of that, Garthon had to admit that he was afraid, because he knew what Harren was capable of.
“I accept your offer”, he said in a hushed tone, barely looking up from the ground. He didn't even dare to face Torvin, but could feel his broth… [view original content]
Garthon
As Garthon lay on the cold ground, surrounded by death and misery, looking up at the man responsible for all of it, he realized t… morehat he was weak, at least compared to his brother. He wasn't as strong as Torvin, who had no problem with dying for his convictions. Garthon was willing to die for his family, but right now there was nothing he could do to help Torvin. Not in his current position, chained to a damn wall and labelled a traitor. Yes, compared to Torvin he was weak, but he certainly wasn't stupid. This was a chance worth taking, for himself and for Torvin as well. Besides, wasn't it Torvin's stubborn refusal to accept defeat that brought them into this position in the first place? On top of that, Garthon had to admit that he was afraid, because he knew what Harren was capable of.
“I accept your offer”, he said in a hushed tone, barely looking up from the ground. He didn't even dare to face Torvin, but could feel his broth… [view original content]
About this new choice: Accept Harrick's offer : will be useful in the short run since his advice will almost sure make more easy for Garthon to do his new job and follow the will of Hoare family is the safest way,for now,to remain alive Decline Harrick's offer and meet up with Kyra instead: well,except the possible romance,with this choice maybe Garthon can have an ally inside the Greyjoy but let's remember that this way Kyra can became a target for Harren fury if,in the long run, we do many mistakes
Even if I'm almost sure of the outcome of this choice I decide to wait a little before decide
My choice is [Accept Harrick's offer] just because I want to be alternative
Garthon
As Garthon lay on the cold ground, surrounded by death and misery, looking up at the man responsible for all of it, he realized t… morehat he was weak, at least compared to his brother. He wasn't as strong as Torvin, who had no problem with dying for his convictions. Garthon was willing to die for his family, but right now there was nothing he could do to help Torvin. Not in his current position, chained to a damn wall and labelled a traitor. Yes, compared to Torvin he was weak, but he certainly wasn't stupid. This was a chance worth taking, for himself and for Torvin as well. Besides, wasn't it Torvin's stubborn refusal to accept defeat that brought them into this position in the first place? On top of that, Garthon had to admit that he was afraid, because he knew what Harren was capable of.
“I accept your offer”, he said in a hushed tone, barely looking up from the ground. He didn't even dare to face Torvin, but could feel his broth… [view original content]
Garthon
As Garthon lay on the cold ground, surrounded by death and misery, looking up at the man responsible for all of it, he realized t… morehat he was weak, at least compared to his brother. He wasn't as strong as Torvin, who had no problem with dying for his convictions. Garthon was willing to die for his family, but right now there was nothing he could do to help Torvin. Not in his current position, chained to a damn wall and labelled a traitor. Yes, compared to Torvin he was weak, but he certainly wasn't stupid. This was a chance worth taking, for himself and for Torvin as well. Besides, wasn't it Torvin's stubborn refusal to accept defeat that brought them into this position in the first place? On top of that, Garthon had to admit that he was afraid, because he knew what Harren was capable of.
“I accept your offer”, he said in a hushed tone, barely looking up from the ground. He didn't even dare to face Torvin, but could feel his broth… [view original content]
[Decline Harrick's offer and meet up with Kyra instead] Maybe Kyra can help Garthon escape from Harrenhal (and maybe bail Torvin out as well). The only downside is that we lose a chance to gain trust from the House Hoare.
The Voting is closed!
John is going to let I'lian speak to the prisoner
I have expected this outcome and it would have probably been t… morehe one I would have taken as well. So far, I'lian had only a small role, but this choice might be able to change it. The next John part is going to reveal if relying on his help was a good idea or not. One thing I already can reveal is, if you would have chosen Daghan, he would have provided results.
The next part is hopefully going to be out later today. It is going to include the Garthon PoV I planned to include last time. As with the last PoV's from John and Sadie, it looks like this part is going to be longer than I originally thought, so there likely won't be a second PoV. If I have room to include a second PoV, it is most likely going to be a PoV from either Jenna or Lyria. But as I said, a long Garthon PoV is more likely at the moment.
Garthon
As Garthon lay on the cold ground, surrounded by death and misery, looking up at the man responsible for all of it, he realized t… morehat he was weak, at least compared to his brother. He wasn't as strong as Torvin, who had no problem with dying for his convictions. Garthon was willing to die for his family, but right now there was nothing he could do to help Torvin. Not in his current position, chained to a damn wall and labelled a traitor. Yes, compared to Torvin he was weak, but he certainly wasn't stupid. This was a chance worth taking, for himself and for Torvin as well. Besides, wasn't it Torvin's stubborn refusal to accept defeat that brought them into this position in the first place? On top of that, Garthon had to admit that he was afraid, because he knew what Harren was capable of.
“I accept your offer”, he said in a hushed tone, barely looking up from the ground. He didn't even dare to face Torvin, but could feel his broth… [view original content]
Garthon
As Garthon lay on the cold ground, surrounded by death and misery, looking up at the man responsible for all of it, he realized t… morehat he was weak, at least compared to his brother. He wasn't as strong as Torvin, who had no problem with dying for his convictions. Garthon was willing to die for his family, but right now there was nothing he could do to help Torvin. Not in his current position, chained to a damn wall and labelled a traitor. Yes, compared to Torvin he was weak, but he certainly wasn't stupid. This was a chance worth taking, for himself and for Torvin as well. Besides, wasn't it Torvin's stubborn refusal to accept defeat that brought them into this position in the first place? On top of that, Garthon had to admit that he was afraid, because he knew what Harren was capable of.
“I accept your offer”, he said in a hushed tone, barely looking up from the ground. He didn't even dare to face Torvin, but could feel his broth… [view original content]
Garthon
As Garthon lay on the cold ground, surrounded by death and misery, looking up at the man responsible for all of it, he realized t… morehat he was weak, at least compared to his brother. He wasn't as strong as Torvin, who had no problem with dying for his convictions. Garthon was willing to die for his family, but right now there was nothing he could do to help Torvin. Not in his current position, chained to a damn wall and labelled a traitor. Yes, compared to Torvin he was weak, but he certainly wasn't stupid. This was a chance worth taking, for himself and for Torvin as well. Besides, wasn't it Torvin's stubborn refusal to accept defeat that brought them into this position in the first place? On top of that, Garthon had to admit that he was afraid, because he knew what Harren was capable of.
“I accept your offer”, he said in a hushed tone, barely looking up from the ground. He didn't even dare to face Torvin, but could feel his broth… [view original content]
Garthon
As Garthon lay on the cold ground, surrounded by death and misery, looking up at the man responsible for all of it, he realized t… morehat he was weak, at least compared to his brother. He wasn't as strong as Torvin, who had no problem with dying for his convictions. Garthon was willing to die for his family, but right now there was nothing he could do to help Torvin. Not in his current position, chained to a damn wall and labelled a traitor. Yes, compared to Torvin he was weak, but he certainly wasn't stupid. This was a chance worth taking, for himself and for Torvin as well. Besides, wasn't it Torvin's stubborn refusal to accept defeat that brought them into this position in the first place? On top of that, Garthon had to admit that he was afraid, because he knew what Harren was capable of.
“I accept your offer”, he said in a hushed tone, barely looking up from the ground. He didn't even dare to face Torvin, but could feel his broth… [view original content]
Garthon
As Garthon lay on the cold ground, surrounded by death and misery, looking up at the man responsible for all of it, he realized t… morehat he was weak, at least compared to his brother. He wasn't as strong as Torvin, who had no problem with dying for his convictions. Garthon was willing to die for his family, but right now there was nothing he could do to help Torvin. Not in his current position, chained to a damn wall and labelled a traitor. Yes, compared to Torvin he was weak, but he certainly wasn't stupid. This was a chance worth taking, for himself and for Torvin as well. Besides, wasn't it Torvin's stubborn refusal to accept defeat that brought them into this position in the first place? On top of that, Garthon had to admit that he was afraid, because he knew what Harren was capable of.
“I accept your offer”, he said in a hushed tone, barely looking up from the ground. He didn't even dare to face Torvin, but could feel his broth… [view original content]
How the hell he did survive with a cut on the neck deep till bone while bleeding, walking and talking? Garthon must be a supermutant! Piper, Strong, heck ya we're playing Fallout 4... if he has his throat cut most likely he's a ghost especially if the artery had been cut, actually nevermind about a vertical axis cut may help him to survive but still walking and talking while bleeding.
No advice will help me because I'm the Ghost Garthon. [Decline Harrick's offer and meet up with Kyra instead] at least should get patchup before he doesn't lose all his blood from his vein, just saying.
Garthon
As Garthon lay on the cold ground, surrounded by death and misery, looking up at the man responsible for all of it, he realized t… morehat he was weak, at least compared to his brother. He wasn't as strong as Torvin, who had no problem with dying for his convictions. Garthon was willing to die for his family, but right now there was nothing he could do to help Torvin. Not in his current position, chained to a damn wall and labelled a traitor. Yes, compared to Torvin he was weak, but he certainly wasn't stupid. This was a chance worth taking, for himself and for Torvin as well. Besides, wasn't it Torvin's stubborn refusal to accept defeat that brought them into this position in the first place? On top of that, Garthon had to admit that he was afraid, because he knew what Harren was capable of.
“I accept your offer”, he said in a hushed tone, barely looking up from the ground. He didn't even dare to face Torvin, but could feel his broth… [view original content]
Garthon
As Garthon lay on the cold ground, surrounded by death and misery, looking up at the man responsible for all of it, he realized t… morehat he was weak, at least compared to his brother. He wasn't as strong as Torvin, who had no problem with dying for his convictions. Garthon was willing to die for his family, but right now there was nothing he could do to help Torvin. Not in his current position, chained to a damn wall and labelled a traitor. Yes, compared to Torvin he was weak, but he certainly wasn't stupid. This was a chance worth taking, for himself and for Torvin as well. Besides, wasn't it Torvin's stubborn refusal to accept defeat that brought them into this position in the first place? On top of that, Garthon had to admit that he was afraid, because he knew what Harren was capable of.
“I accept your offer”, he said in a hushed tone, barely looking up from the ground. He didn't even dare to face Torvin, but could feel his broth… [view original content]
I actually have the Harren with scar drawn already I just haven't had time to do couple of the other characters whose descriptions I have atm and I want to post them the same time.
[Accept Harrick's offer] I do like the Garthon/Kyra ship, but I just think we need more Harrick. I'm pretty happy with the other option too though, so it's win-win for me.
Garthon
As Garthon lay on the cold ground, surrounded by death and misery, looking up at the man responsible for all of it, he realized t… morehat he was weak, at least compared to his brother. He wasn't as strong as Torvin, who had no problem with dying for his convictions. Garthon was willing to die for his family, but right now there was nothing he could do to help Torvin. Not in his current position, chained to a damn wall and labelled a traitor. Yes, compared to Torvin he was weak, but he certainly wasn't stupid. This was a chance worth taking, for himself and for Torvin as well. Besides, wasn't it Torvin's stubborn refusal to accept defeat that brought them into this position in the first place? On top of that, Garthon had to admit that he was afraid, because he knew what Harren was capable of.
“I accept your offer”, he said in a hushed tone, barely looking up from the ground. He didn't even dare to face Torvin, but could feel his broth… [view original content]
Well... I'm glad about this outcome, as it was the one I have been expecting and therefore the one that is the best for my plans. It also means more screentime for Kyra, which is definitely not a bad thing. At the same time, Harrick is going to have a role in this chapter regardless, although his screentime will be more limited now. For the first time, I have realized that Garthon's storyline in this chapter is going to be long, like, the second-longest storyline in the entire chapter. There is a lot of stuff which has to happen in Harrenhal before this chapter ends, so Garthon's remaining PoV's are going to be written more frequently now.
The next part is hopefully going to be out today, although I'm really not sure if I manage to finish it. I had a bit of a cold in the last two days, though I'm feeling okay again. However, as a result of this, I haven't even finished the first PoV of this part, which is going to include two PoV's. The PoV I am currently writing is a Jenna PoV and the one I'm planning to write today is most likely going to feature one of the PoV-characters who haven't been seen in this chapter yet, so either Drent, Lyria, Richard or Ilish. Currently, Ilish is the most likely choice. As for Jenna, here's a small recap of her Chapter 6 storyline so far: After Sherryl has found out that someone is using the castle's ravenry to send messages, Jenna was tasked with finding out who did this. She decided to immediately go to the ravenry, but on her way there, she encountered her friend Carma and the fellow servicemaid Saerya Waters. Their talk was cut short by the arrival of Argella and her men. While Saerya sent Carma home to her children, she tasked Jenna with warning Harris. At first, Jenna was willing to do this, but before she entered the keep, she saw how Saerya entered the ravenry, so she changed her plans. Now, she is going after Saerya, to find out what she is doing there. This and more will be revealed in the next part.
And now I'd like to give a shout-out to a new story that has recently started. The story I'm going to present today is called Cryocoffin and it is written by @TheFurryOne. It is an original sci-fi/fantasy story, sort of a genre-mix in a way that hasn't been here in the forums before. It is set in the near future, where virtual-reality gaming is a big thing. Like, true virtual-reality gaming, which puts the consciousness of the user into the game world, with several games to choose from. It's all fun for a while, until something happens and the players end up trapped in the games. It has some similarities to the popular anime Sword Art Online, so if you know that one, you probably have a good idea about the general premise of the story. On top of that, it is well-written and nice to read, truly a story that deserves more readers/voters/character-submitters/awesome people. This is where you hopefully come in. You definitely won't regret checking it out, so if you are interested, you can do so by following this link.
The Voting is closed!
Garthon is going to decline Harrick's offer
Well... I'm glad about this outcome, as it was the one I have been e… morexpecting and therefore the one that is the best for my plans. It also means more screentime for Kyra, which is definitely not a bad thing. At the same time, Harrick is going to have a role in this chapter regardless, although his screentime will be more limited now. For the first time, I have realized that Garthon's storyline in this chapter is going to be long, like, the second-longest storyline in the entire chapter. There is a lot of stuff which has to happen in Harrenhal before this chapter ends, so Garthon's remaining PoV's are going to be written more frequently now.
The next part is hopefully going to be out today, although I'm really not sure if I manage to finish it. I had a bit of a cold in the last two days, though I'm feeling okay again. However, as a result of this, I haven't even finished… [view original content]
My apologies for not releasing this part yesterday. A portion of it needed an extensive rewrite and I'm still not entirely satisfied with it. Still, I hope you enjoy it. I should also really stop taking back my earlier statements, but I'm afraid I have to do it once again. This part will only include one PoV, despite the fact that I previously announced two. Once again, the reason for this is that I realized that this PoV will work better with more room. Think wisely about the choice, it is going to be very important, not only for Jenna, but for many other characters as well, for the better or the worse.
Jenna
Jenna slowly narrowed her eyes as she saw Saerya closing the door to the ravenry behind her. Where did she get the key? And more importantly, what was she doing there? Jenna took a deep breath, as she glanced to the gates. In the distance, she saw dozens of people rushing up the path that lead to the castle. The smallfolk of Raylansfair, seeking protection in the castle. And behind them she saw a raised banner. A black, crowned stag on a field of yellow. Jenna still remembered a time, not long ago, where the crowned stag put fear into the heart of Reach.
Someone had to alert Harris, but that someone wouldn't be her. Whatever Saerya was doing in the ravenry, there was only one way to find out.
Like Saerya, she took advantage of the current situation to cross the courtyard unnoticed. Of course, there were people crossing her path, men of the castle guard, but who would pay attention to a servicemaid, especially in the current situation? Still, she looked over her shoulder twice as she reached the door, making sure that no one was watching her. Then, she moved her hand to the doorknob and slowly turned it. To her surprise, she found it unlocked. Behind it, there was only gaping darkness. Jenna gulped and pressed her lips together, as she cautiously entered the room.
The moment she closed the door, darkness surrounded her and her eyes needed a moment to adjust to it. It wasn't only the darkness. The smell was way worth and breathtaking in the truest sense of the word, exactly like she imagined of a building which had the main purpose of housing a dozen ravens. The animals themselves weren't smelling too good on their own, but with Maester Eaton's death and the absence of Dairon, they were cared for only superficially, resulting in cages full with dirt and the rotten, half-eaten remains of mice. Even though they were kept upstairs, in the second floor, the smell found its way to the rest of the building as well.
The shutters in front of the ground-floor windows were closed, resulting in the room to be pitch black, safe for a small ray of light that came from upstairs. Even after her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, it wasn't possible to see the details of the room around her, but she knew that it contained everything the Maester needed to treat his ravens. Somewhere close to her, she heard the sound of something small running around, then, a squeaking sound in the darkness. Jenna clenched her fists as she forced herself to continue the way through the room. While she generally liked animals, she hated rats with a passion. Growing up on a farm, she was familiar with them and familiar with the damage they could do if they weren't taken care of. She also knew how nasty a starving rat could be.
There was something else she heard, sounds coming from the upstairs. The expected cawing of the ravens was louder than usual, more agitated. And there was another sound, as if someone was walking up there. The footsteps were soft, but from below, Jenna was clearly able to hear them.
One of the few things Jenna knew she was good at was walking silently. She didn't even had to try sneaking, she knew it had to be impossible that the person upstairs would hear her. Slowly, she reached the ladder that led upstairs. There was a hatch, but it was left ajar, barely allowing the sunlight from above to illuminate the are around the ladder.
For one moment, Jenna thought about turning around, about leaving the ravenry without anyone noticing. It would be safe for her to leave. She was sure that Saerya wouldn't be thrilled if she would find out about her. The thought of just leaving was tempting, almost too tempting and Jenna caught herself turning her head to the door behind her...
No! Clenching her teeth, Jenna continued to climb the ladder. Turning around now would mean missing valuable information. She couldn't life with herself if she would miss such a chance. Even though she was still hesitating, she continued to climb the ladder, until she was able to put a hand onto the hatch. She took another step and tried to push it open a bit, so that she would be able to look through the gap.
And then, Jenna realized that she made a mistake. The ravenry was an old building, not the oldest in the castle, but the woodwork was dozens of years old. Naturally, the hatch creaked loudly the moment she tried to push it open.
Through the gap, she was able to see Saerya, who was standing in front of a wall, surrounded by the raven's cages. When the hatch creaked, she spun around in surprise. Her right hand was holding a small knife, not even a dagger, but sharp enough to possibly kill someone with it. No... it wasn't a knife, it was a letter opener. Jenna remembered a similar tool from the night Ilhan died and she remembered how easily Harris killed him with it. Saerya glared at the hatch, while Jenna froze in terror. “Who is there?”, she hissed.
Finally, Jenna fully opened the hatch to reveal herself. She knew, there was no sense in hiding anymore. Saerya saw her and visibly relaxed. “Oh”, she said, as if she had expected someone else. “It's you. I wasn't expecting you... or anyone for that matter. What are you doing here?” She tried to sound casual, but she undoubtedly wasn't happy to see her.
“I could...”, Jenna started and cut herself off as she noticed how timid her voice sounded. Of course, it naturally sounded timid, but right now she didn't want to appear weak. “I could ask you the same thing”, she tried again and was pleased when she realized that she sounded more confident than before.
Saerya glanced at her hand and slowly lowered the letter opener. “After I sent you to Harris, I decided to check the ravenry myself”, she said without missing a beat. A sweet, friendly smile formed on her face “Later on, I wanted to share my findings of course. I just figured, after what happened you would surely appreciate it if someone would help you with all these tasks Lord Harris gave you”
Jenna wanted to believe her. She wanted to believe that all of this was just a coincidence, that Saerya really had nothing to hide. She wanted to see her the same way Carma obviously saw her, but she couldn't. Her story didn't quite work out and something was off about her.
“And... how have you managed to enter the ravenry?”, Jenna asked. “It's supposed to be unlocked!” Saerya shrugged and once again glanced down onto her letter opener. “It wasn't locked when I tried to enter it”, she said and while she sounded sincere, Jenna knew what she had seen earlier. “You're lying”, she said and regretted her choice of words almost instantly, when Saerya's smile faded. “I saw you unlocking the door. You have a key”
“I found it in the servants quarters. Someone must have tried to hide it there and I thought I could put it to good use”, Saerya said and even though nothing in her voice gave her away, Jenna knew that it could only be another lie.
“That would be too easy, wouldn't it?”, Jenna asked. “Do you really expect me to believe that?” Saerya let out a sigh and shook her head. “Federico gave it to me”, she revealed and this time, Jenna wasn't sure if she could believe her. She didn't know Federico the guardsman very well, but there was one thing that surprised her about this revelation. “Federico wouldn't do that”, she protested. “Lord Harris gave him the position in front of the ravenry for good reason. He's reliable!”
“I think we can both agree that Lord Harris is not exactly the best at spotting someone's true character”, Saerya argued, a statement Jenna could only agree with. “Besides, it is surprising how much an otherwise proper young man is willing to do to impress a woman he is crushing on. Not that I actively tried to seduce him, I have my dignity after all, but I would be a fool to let an opportunity like that pass”
“You sent the ravens”, Jenna said tonelessly and noticed how Saerya tensed up. Compared to herself, Saerya had remarkable control over her body language, but anyone had remarkable control over their body language when compared to her. As much as Saerya tried to hide it, Jenna could see that she had guessed correctly. She glanced past her, towards the wooden wall and she saw one of the boards loose. Behind it, she was able to spot a small, hollow space. It contained something, but Jenna was unable to see any more details, before Saerya stepped into her field of view.
“Congratulations”, Saerya said, sounding sincere and not at all threatening, even though the friendly look on her face was gone as well. Now, Jenna even spotted a hint of nervousness. If anything, she was good at spotting nervousness.
“Now tell me the truth”, she demanded. “The full truth. To whom are you sending these ravens? Why are you doing it?” Once more, Saerya glanced down onto the letter opener in her hands. Once more, Jenna was about to jump down and rush out of the building. “You want to hear the truth?”, Saerya asked. “Fine. Listen closely, because this is not as simple as you think it is”
“I'm listening”, Jenna assured her, yet at the same time, she was already thinking of an escape plan. She regretted that she hadn't alerted a guardsman. She hadn't even thought of such an option before. Saerya let out a sigh. “Yes, I've sent the ravens”, she revealed. “They contained information about the current state of House Raylan”
Jenna's hands clenched around the rungs. “To whom?”, she pressed through her teeth. Saerya glanced at the window, then back at the hatch. She sounded just as nervous as Jenna, clearly uncomfortable with the situation, but she managed to uphold a smile. “Dragonstone”, she answered. “House Targaryen has special interest in the current situation here” Now that she started to speak, she visibly started to relax. A calculating look appeared on her face, but it wasn't even nearly as cold as the look Jenna had seen on Sherryl's face.
“Who are you really?”, she demanded to know. Saerya's smile faded and an angry streak appeared in her eyes, although Jenna had the impression that the anger wasn't directed at her. “Saerya Waters”, she answered. “That wasn't a lie. My father was the late Lord Velaryon's younger brother. He kicked me out on the streets when I was just a child. That old whoremonger had the audacity to blame me for his own shortcomings”
“You mentioned House Targaryen”, Jenna remarked and a sad smile flashed over Saerya's face, the angry look in her eyes all but gone, replaced by something that almost resembled sadness. “After he kicked me out, I've been less than nothing for years”, she explained. “House Targaryen saved me. They recognized my talents and they gave me a good life in exchange for my undying loyalty”
“So, you're spying for them”, Jenna deduced and Saerya gave her a nod. “I'm sending them information about Lord Harris. About what he did. About Sherryl and her plans. How many men this house has. Who is loyal, who isn't, who plots against whom...”, she explained. “I uncover their dirty little secrets and through me, Aegon Targaryen knows about them as well. And for such a small city, Raylansfair has a surprising amount of secrets”
“Why?”, Jenna asked, her stare fixed on the letter opener, as the memory of Ilhan's death vividly flashed through her mind. For a moment, Saerya seemed to be surprised by these words. “Isn't it obvious?”, she asked. “Raylansfair has the largest historical archive in the continent. The knowledge this city guards is incredible. Can you imagine how much power such knowledge has in the right hands?”
“That wasn't what I meant”, Jenna said in a low tone, as her legs started to get weaker. “I know you're after the archive. Everyone in this entire continent seems to be after that dusty old thing. I want to know why you're telling me all of this”
This time, the cold, calculating look on Saerya's face faded, replaced by something that might be genuine concern. “You mean why I'm not killing you after you just uncovered my dirty little secret”, she deduced. She finally took one last look on the letter opener, before she let go of it. The small piece of metal fell onto the ground, but Jenna still did not feel better. She had found something out, something important. Yet, the possibilities this knowledge implied, they were overwhelming. So far, Targaryen was nothing more than a name for her, a terrifying name for sure, but a name that was at the other end of the continent. Now, the dragonlord's shadow was here and fire and blood came with it.
She slowly forced herself to give Saerya a nod. The other woman shook her head. “If Sherryl would have caught me instead, I would have killed her in a heartbeat”, she revealed. “But you? I know many things about the people in this city. Out of all of them, you might be among the few who are truly innocent, who have nothing to hide. You're a good person, Jenna, and I'm not here to murder a good person, not as long as there is another way”
“And what kind of way would that be?”, Jenna asked. A friendly smile flashed over Saerya's face and more than anything else, Jenna wanted to believe her. “Help me”, she urged her. “Lord Harris trusts you. With your position and my knowledge, we can do a lot of good”
“Why should I do that?”, Jenna asked again. By now, she had started to relax, but she still felt as if she would be in danger. “Because I might be lots of bad things, but when it comes to this city, I'm one of the few people whose agenda won't endanger any of it”, Saerya explained. “I don't want to bring down Lord Harris, I don't even care if he remains the lord, I don't want to kill his knights or murder his people. From what I have seen so far, this makes me highly unusual”
“That still wasn't a reason to support you”, Jenna remarked and Saerya gave her a nod. “Indeed it wasn't”, she agreed. “As I said, my presence here, my plans, the secrets I tell the Dragonlord, they are not endangering this city. In fact, I'm willing to go out of my way to make sure that this city remains relatively stable, because a city in chaos is worthless to him”
She leant against the wall and despite the lingering fear she was in, Jenna was able to see that Saerya positioned herself in front of the small hole in the wall, hiding whatever she was keeping in there. “As I said, I might be lots of things you see as bad, but compared to the others here, I consider myself your best option”, she continued.
“Hobert Lawthor wants to make this city his little pet project, even if that means bleeding its citizens dry. He is motivated by sheer vanity and an inflated ego”, she explained. “I don't know much about Argella Durrandon, but I know that she plans to take this city in her father's name. While Argilac the Arrogant is a beloved ruler in the eyes of many, he is not the kind of man the people of Raylansfair need”
Before she continued, she paused and shook her head. “Then there is this other man that is interested in Raylansfair, if it even is a man, this Butterfly...” She visibly shivered as she said this strange name. “I heard nothing but the faintest of rumours about him, but the little I heard was enough to convince me that he should be your biggest concern, not me”
Again, she gave Jenna a friendly smile. It would have looked almost motherly, but there was a hint of calculating ruthlessness in it, something that certainly tarnished her otherwise approachable looks. “You see, my actions do not harm Raylansfair in any way. What's the problem if Lord Aegon learns about a few of your secrets? It doesn't affect your life, nor the lives of those you love. Finally, my refusal to kill you on spot should prove one thing to you”, she explained. “I am not like Harris or Sherryl. I am not a murderer”
While this statement sounded genuine, the contents of it made Jenna listen up. “Sherryl is a murderer?”, she asked. Saerya gave her a nod. “And worse”, she confirmed. “There you have a woman that will stop at nothing to get what she wants. She's playing more than two sides in this conflict and I'm not even sure whom she is truly working for. Without a doubt, she is a problem for this entire city, for you, for me”
“So what are you suggesting?”, Jenna asked. This time, Saerya crouched down to look Jenna in the eyes. “Work with me”, she offered. “On our own, we have no chance against this snake. But together, we can prevent whatever Sherryl is planning”
Jenna was about to open her mouth again, but Saerya cut her off. “Before you ask, no, I do not know what she is planning. I have a general idea, nothing more than assumptions, but nothing to proof my suspicions”, she explained. “You on the other hand might be in a position where you can find out whom she is truly working for, with my help of course”
A part of Jenna was inclined to accept her offer. Ever since Septon Corbin got arrested, her list of potential allies was literally nonexistent. Carma was a friend, but Jenna couldn't live with herself if she would drag her into this. She knew how fickle Harris could be and she had no illusions about Sherryl's opinion on her. And she knew that Sherryl was dangerous, someone that had to be stopped. But was Saerya truly different?
“And if I help you, what do you want in return?”, she asked. Saerya's smile turned into a sly smirk. “In return for my help, you help me in stopping Sherryl. You will also not report me, my activities and loyalties to Harris or any future lord of Raylansfair”, she explained. “If you do, then I'm going to loose my head, you're going to loose your ally and Raylansfair is going to loose a chance to get rid of that scheming serpent Sherryl” Her smirk got wider and despite her still present nervousness, it showed a confidence that Jenna could only be envious of. “And that would be a shame, wouldn't it?”
Like before, a part of Jenna was inclined to accept her offer. Another part of hers was still sceptical. Was Saerya truly offering her a chance to get rid of Sherryl? Was working with a Targaryen spy really worth it? She glanced down the ladder. The ground was only two feet below her. She could jump and would be out of the building before Saerya could even react. At least she could try. Though at the same time, Jenna wasn't sure if escaping was the right thing to do. Maybe working with Saerya was the better option, maybe not. As Jenna looked up into the spies face, so beautiful and friendly, she was torn.
I've actually noticed one serious mistake - there was no "Waters" surname back in those day. It's a surname of all bastards born in Kinglands and there were no Kinglands before Targaryens conquered Westeros. Plus, as I remember, the surname Waters was firstly given by Elaena Targaryen to her bastards Jon and Jeyne, in sake of their father, Alyn Velaryon.
My apologies for not releasing this part yesterday. A portion of it needed an extensive rewrite and I'm still not entirely satisfied with it… more. Still, I hope you enjoy it. I should also really stop taking back my earlier statements, but I'm afraid I have to do it once again. This part will only include one PoV, despite the fact that I previously announced two. Once again, the reason for this is that I realized that this PoV will work better with more room. Think wisely about the choice, it is going to be very important, not only for Jenna, but for many other characters as well, for the better or the worse.
Jenna
Jenna slowly narrowed her eyes as she saw Saerya closing the door to the ravenry behind her. Where did she get the key? And more importantly, what was she doing there? Jenna took a deep breath, as she glanced to the gates. In the distance, she saw dozens of people rushing up the path that lead to the castle. The smallfolk of Ray… [view original content]
[Agree to work with Saerya] I don't know why, but I believe Daghan and Saerya, and house Targaryen overall. I feel like they are better than other options.
After all, if you don't want to be burnt by the dragons, cooperate with them.
My apologies for not releasing this part yesterday. A portion of it needed an extensive rewrite and I'm still not entirely satisfied with it… more. Still, I hope you enjoy it. I should also really stop taking back my earlier statements, but I'm afraid I have to do it once again. This part will only include one PoV, despite the fact that I previously announced two. Once again, the reason for this is that I realized that this PoV will work better with more room. Think wisely about the choice, it is going to be very important, not only for Jenna, but for many other characters as well, for the better or the worse.
Jenna
Jenna slowly narrowed her eyes as she saw Saerya closing the door to the ravenry behind her. Where did she get the key? And more importantly, what was she doing there? Jenna took a deep breath, as she glanced to the gates. In the distance, she saw dozens of people rushing up the path that lead to the castle. The smallfolk of Ray… [view original content]
[Agree to work with Saerya] I like Jenna involved in schemes. I love the idea of Jenna and Saerya going up against Sherryl. And above all else, I really like Saerya. Another thing to think about is that Jenna could learn from Saerya. Saerya is a cunning woman and a gifted liar, coming up with new lies without any tells and she was improvising. Jenna is still a novice when it comes to lying and scheming, but with Saerya's help she could become a master.
I have some minor constructive criticism. There seems to be a lot more grammar mistakes than usual.
I really enjoyed this. Definitely one of my favourite chapters and confrontations in the whole story.
Only the second time we've seen her but I already love Saerya's character.
My apologies for not releasing this part yesterday. A portion of it needed an extensive rewrite and I'm still not entirely satisfied with it… more. Still, I hope you enjoy it. I should also really stop taking back my earlier statements, but I'm afraid I have to do it once again. This part will only include one PoV, despite the fact that I previously announced two. Once again, the reason for this is that I realized that this PoV will work better with more room. Think wisely about the choice, it is going to be very important, not only for Jenna, but for many other characters as well, for the better or the worse.
Jenna
Jenna slowly narrowed her eyes as she saw Saerya closing the door to the ravenry behind her. Where did she get the key? And more importantly, what was she doing there? Jenna took a deep breath, as she glanced to the gates. In the distance, she saw dozens of people rushing up the path that lead to the castle. The smallfolk of Ray… [view original content]
My apologies for not releasing this part yesterday. A portion of it needed an extensive rewrite and I'm still not entirely satisfied with it… more. Still, I hope you enjoy it. I should also really stop taking back my earlier statements, but I'm afraid I have to do it once again. This part will only include one PoV, despite the fact that I previously announced two. Once again, the reason for this is that I realized that this PoV will work better with more room. Think wisely about the choice, it is going to be very important, not only for Jenna, but for many other characters as well, for the better or the worse.
Jenna
Jenna slowly narrowed her eyes as she saw Saerya closing the door to the ravenry behind her. Where did she get the key? And more importantly, what was she doing there? Jenna took a deep breath, as she glanced to the gates. In the distance, she saw dozens of people rushing up the path that lead to the castle. The smallfolk of Ray… [view original content]
My apologies for not releasing this part yesterday. A portion of it needed an extensive rewrite and I'm still not entirely satisfied with it… more. Still, I hope you enjoy it. I should also really stop taking back my earlier statements, but I'm afraid I have to do it once again. This part will only include one PoV, despite the fact that I previously announced two. Once again, the reason for this is that I realized that this PoV will work better with more room. Think wisely about the choice, it is going to be very important, not only for Jenna, but for many other characters as well, for the better or the worse.
Jenna
Jenna slowly narrowed her eyes as she saw Saerya closing the door to the ravenry behind her. Where did she get the key? And more importantly, what was she doing there? Jenna took a deep breath, as she glanced to the gates. In the distance, she saw dozens of people rushing up the path that lead to the castle. The smallfolk of Ray… [view original content]
[Agree to work with Saerya] Of course we can't be sure about Saerya yet, but I'd side with her over Sherryl any day. And these two, Jenna&Saerya, could really form a nice team. Well, whatever option gets chosen here I'm definitely intrigued in Jenna's storyline.
My apologies for not releasing this part yesterday. A portion of it needed an extensive rewrite and I'm still not entirely satisfied with it… more. Still, I hope you enjoy it. I should also really stop taking back my earlier statements, but I'm afraid I have to do it once again. This part will only include one PoV, despite the fact that I previously announced two. Once again, the reason for this is that I realized that this PoV will work better with more room. Think wisely about the choice, it is going to be very important, not only for Jenna, but for many other characters as well, for the better or the worse.
Jenna
Jenna slowly narrowed her eyes as she saw Saerya closing the door to the ravenry behind her. Where did she get the key? And more importantly, what was she doing there? Jenna took a deep breath, as she glanced to the gates. In the distance, she saw dozens of people rushing up the path that lead to the castle. The smallfolk of Ray… [view original content]
[Agree to work with Saerya] Looks like this side is better to be on.... they have dragons. :-D And knowledge Jenna can get from those secrets can be helpful in the future.
Comments
[Let I'lian speak to her] I'm not fond of Daghan and I don't trust him. I think I'lian is a charmer plus he's a friend and ally. I'd like our group to be good people that don't torture, even if she doesn't give anything up.
[Let I'lian speak to her] I'lian until now do almost nothing during the story..time to change that situation
About the PoV I'm almost sure that Saerya is the spy while I almost had a jumpscare at:"My daughter Cass is a handmaiden to...”
[Let I'lian speak to her] Well, he says he is good, so I guess we should give him a chance.
And about the contact, I think it's pretty clear that it's Saerya. Sherryl is Durrandon spy after all. It's nice that the we are starting to get Targaryens to the game, especially since I have one of my "waiting to be introduced" characters in Dragonstone
[Let I'lian speak to her] I think he is the right answer xD
Great Part Liquid. I fucking love the gutten parts and how u picture my character so perfect _
[Let Daghan speak to her] He may or may not be aggresive but I'm curious to see how he can help. I can't wait to see House Targaryan's role in the fate of Raylansfair and what they said about Harris being a future threat.
I just ask myself. Was Cass really his daughter? I mean are they speaking about the same person o.o
[Try to speak to her yourself] for the best or the worse... so speak-less.
No, Daghan's daughter just happens to have the same name. They are absolutely not the same person. Funny thing is, I haven't even realized the similarity until I have read through Daghan's backstory again while writing this part, so it was entirely accidental that John meets the one submitted character in the entire story who has a daughter named Cass
The Voting is closed!
John is going to let I'lian speak to the prisoner
I have expected this outcome and it would have probably been the one I would have taken as well. So far, I'lian had only a small role, but this choice might be able to change it. The next John part is going to reveal if relying on his help was a good idea or not. One thing I already can reveal is, if you would have chosen Daghan, he would have provided results.
The next part is hopefully going to be out later today. It is going to include the Garthon PoV I planned to include last time. As with the last PoV's from John and Sadie, it looks like this part is going to be longer than I originally thought, so there likely won't be a second PoV. If I have room to include a second PoV, it is most likely going to be a PoV from either Jenna or Lyria. But as I said, a long Garthon PoV is more likely at the moment.
Garthon
As Garthon lay on the cold ground, surrounded by death and misery, looking up at the man responsible for all of it, he realized that he was weak, at least compared to his brother. He wasn't as strong as Torvin, who had no problem with dying for his convictions. Garthon was willing to die for his family, but right now there was nothing he could do to help Torvin. Not in his current position, chained to a damn wall and labelled a traitor. Yes, compared to Torvin he was weak, but he certainly wasn't stupid. This was a chance worth taking, for himself and for Torvin as well. Besides, wasn't it Torvin's stubborn refusal to accept defeat that brought them into this position in the first place? On top of that, Garthon had to admit that he was afraid, because he knew what Harren was capable of.
“I accept your offer”, he said in a hushed tone, barely looking up from the ground. He didn't even dare to face Torvin, but could feel his brothers' surprised glare. Harren's cruel grin got wider at these words. “As expected”, he answered. “Captain, get Holt. Tell him to release the prisoner”
Kyra gave him a nod and glanced at Garthon. Unlike Torvin, whose expression was impossible to read, and unlike Harren, who showed only amusement at this situation, the relieved smile on her face was genuine and refreshing. His gaze fell upon the small cut on her cheek, from where Harren had hit her, and in this moment, he hated the man more than ever.
“Holt won't be amused”, Kyra remarked casually, but cringed back as Harren suddenly and violently grabbed her shoulder. “I gave you an order”, he growled in a low tone, to which she only managed to nod, her eyes widely opened in sudden fear, her smile gone. Without saying another word, she left the room.
“So... I suppose this must be awkward for you, Torvin”, the king said with a wide, terrifying grin. “You were so reliant on your brothers' support, so convinced that he would have your back even now, even while you made one foolish mistake after the other” He looked at Garthon and his grin got smaller. “Only for Garthon to remember that he can think for himself”, he continued. “Your brother made the right decision, Torvin. Before this ends, you'll see it”
Shambling footsteps announced the return of Holt Torv, together with Kyra. As expected, the expression on the torturers face was a delightful sight and if it weren't for the expression on Torvin's face, Garthon would have smirked. His brother was still impossible to read and Garthon wasn't sure if Torvin was happy about his decision or if he was disappointed. The fact that he was completely silent pointed at the latter.
“Your grace... are you sure that you want to release this traitor?”, Holt asked with almost suicidal doubt in his voice. Harren narrowed his eyes and gave him a nod. “And if you don't want to take his place in the cell, you better follow this order immediately”, he answered.
“Of course, your grace”, Holt immediately said and limped towards Garthon. “You got lucky”, he growled in a low tone, as he reached to his belt, to grab one of the keys that were hanging there. “No man should be that lucky... but don't you worry, your brother is going to pay the price”
“You do anything to my brother and I'll have your head, cripple”, Garthon hissed back, as Holt leaned down to unlock his chains. “You can try, traitor”, Holt answered with a disgusting smirk. His bright blue eyes gleamed with excitement as he looked at Torvin. “You will try”
“Are you done?”, the king asked impatiently and Holt quickly rose up again, leaving it to Garthon to actually remove the open chains. “Yes, your grace”, he said and took a bow in front of Harren. “Is there anything else you want me to do?” Harren shook his head. “You can go and fuck yourself”, he remarked. For a moment, Holt seemed unsure what to answer, before he gave him a fearful nod. “As you wish, your grace”, he answered, before he left the room in a hurry, visibly glad to get away from the tyrant.
“Get up”, Harren snarled, just as Garthon was done removing the chains on his feet. For a moment, he held his aching wrists, before he slowly and clumsily followed the order. Not being able to stand for a whole week caused him to stagger backwards and he would have fallen to the ground if it weren't for Kyra, who stepped past the king to grab his shoulder. “Take it easy, I got you”, she assured him, before she leaned in to whisper into his ear. “Well done. You made the right decision”, she mumbled and separated from him.
Garthon gave her a nod, although he was anything but convinced that he really did the right decision. He glanced at Torvin, who wasn't even looking at him, and then at Harren Hoare. “Can I get a moment with my brother?”, he asked. Harren raised an eyebrow, before he shook his head. “You seriously just asked that?”, he said and his cruel grin returned. “Don't you worry, you'll see him again very soon. For now, you will leave, with me and Captain Greyjoy. A couple of Fishlords have gathered in the courtyard and I'm sure they are eager to hear what you have to say”
“Torvin...”, Garthon mumbled, trying to gain his brothers attention. From a personal standpoint, he wasn't regretting this decision. In the long run, it was probably the best for Torvin as well and Garthon knew, he would never stop trying to get his brother out of there. Now, he was in a position where he might be able to achieve this. But no matter how wise this decision was, he couldn't help but to feel as if he had betrayed his brother, the man who was willing to sacrifice everything for him.
“Torvin”, he said again, a bit louder this time. Torvin looked up, looking Garthon straight in the eyes. Still, he was impossible to read. “You made a good decision”, he mumbled tonelessly, no emotion giving away how he truly felt about this. “Torvin, I'm sorry...”, Garthon tried to add, but Harren Hoare's hand grabbed his shoulder, cutting him off in the process. “What a touching farewell”, the king mocked, as he pushed Garthon out of the room. Kyra followed immediately. Finally, Harren gave Torvin a last, triumphant look. “Maybe now you realize how much you lost, Breaker”, he growled. “The next time I'll come to visit you, you're going to beg me to give you another chance”
“Don't make promises you can't keep”, Torvin spat. The king turned away from him, a menacing grin on his scarred face. “Close the door”, he snarled, before he grabbed Garthon by the shoulder. “You and I, we're going to have a talk now” Behind them, Kyra slowly closed the thick door, leaving Torvin alone in the dark.
“About what?”, Garthon asked, even though he knew the answer. “About what you're going to say to the riverlords”, Harren answered calmly and gave him a signal to follow. Together, they walked through the dimly lit hallway, Kyra closely behind them. “As you can imagine, the situation is parlous”, Harren explained. “On paper, I rule over the most powerful kingdom in Westeros. The strength of the Ironborn, paired with the numbers of the Rivermen. My grandfather knew what he wanted when he paid the Iron Price for these lands”
Harren slowed down, forcing Garthon and Kyra to do the same. “What he failed to see was that he was getting a kingdom of Wildfire. Half of my lords are pathetic fishfuckers, only united in their hatred for me. The other half is iron, only waiting for me to show weakness”, he growled and for a moment, the dreaded tyrant looked almost tired. “And a tiny spark can be enough to blow everything up” He glared at Garthon, his fists clenched as he visibly restrained himself from doing worse. “You and your brother have been this spark”
“So you want me to calm the Riverlords down”, Garthon deduced and Harren gave him a nod. “At least those who are still in Harrenhal and willing to listen. It would have been a stronger message to have your brother declare for me, but I take what I can get”
“And if I refuse to help you?”, Garthon asked. It was a rhetorical question, both men knew it. “You wouldn't stand here if you would genuinely think about not following my order once again”, Harren remarked correctly. “Besides, always keep in mind that presenting your mutilated corpse would send the strongest of messages”
For a while, they walked in silence after this statement. Even now, as it was clear that King Harren depended on his help, Garthon felt intimidated by him. Even now, he had power over him. In this particular case, it was Torvin. As long as his brother wasn't safe, he wouldn't do anything that could enrage the king even further. Garthon had no problems with swallowing his pride. In fact, he felt relieved that he had gotten away with a relatively merciful sentence.
Harren glared at him as if he had read his thoughts. “We're almost there”, he answered and his hand moved to the fresh scar on his cheek. A dangerous look appeared in his eyes. “Though... there is one more thing we have to settle. What you did has been high treason and more. You don't think I'm letting you away that easily, do you?”
Garthon froze in terror as he looked into Harren's eyes, as black and cold as a starless winter night. “Captain, hand me the sharpest knife you're carrying with you”, he ordered. “Then restrain the prisoner. That one's going to get messy”
For a moment, Garthon had the foolish thought of running. Harren was more than twice his age, so he could probably escape him. Kyra might be a problem. As much as she meant to him, her loyalty to the king was out of question. Still, the look in her dark blue eyes was genuinely shocked. “Your... your grace, you said you're willing to pardon them if they bend the knee”, she stuttered.
“I promised to pardon the high treason. The attempted kingslaying, even the fact that they made my son even more pathetic than he already was”, Harren growled and stepped in front of Garthon. This destroyed any hope Garthon actually had of escaping him. In the narrow hallway, getting past a man as bulky as Harren Hoare was almost impossible. “I never promised to pardon this”, he said and moved a hand to the fresh scar on his face. “Your knife, captain”
“Your grace, is this really necessary?”, Kyra asked once more and Harren narrowed his eyes, as a deep, animalistic growl forced its way out of his throat. “Do as I said or take his place”, he snarled. A subtle hint of regret flashed over Kyra's face, as she gave him a nod. She reached down to her high boot and pulled out a thin, but visibly sharp knife, which she handed to the king.
“I'm sorry, Garthon. I don't have a choice”, she said and without further warning, she grabbed his arms and pulled him closer, tightly holding him in a way that made it impossible for him to escape. Under any other circumstances, Garthon might have enjoyed being close to her, but right now, the only thing in his mind was sheer terror as he glanced at Harren and at the knife in his hands.
“That's where you are wrong, captain. You always have a choice”, Harren clarified. “But you quite correctly realized that taking his position wouldn't be worth it. Despite, I would have hated ruining such a pretty face” He glared back at Garthon, his face showing a grotesque expression of sadistic joy.
Garthon gulped, his stare focussed on the knife. He started to breath faster and if it wouldn't have been for Kyra practically forcing him into a standing position, his weak legs would have yielded by now. He wasn't a coward, but he was reasonably sure that any man would have been afraid of what would probably follow. Still, he wouldn't scream. He would deny Harren at least this victory.
“Open your mouth. It'll make it easier”, the king ordered and Garthon clenched his teeth, slowly shaking his head. It was a pathetic display of defiance and he knew it wouldn't change a thing. Harren sighed in return. “Very well. Keep it closed if you want to, though it might make it more painful”
With these words, he moved the knife towards Garthon's right cheek. The moment the cold, hellishly sharp steel reached his flesh, he couldn't hold back a pained groan. As soon as the king started to cut, Garthon had to open his mouth, to scream in sheer agony. It was just a simple and quick cut, but it went all the way across his cheek and down to the bone, so the pain remained even after Harren removed the knife again.
“I believe that should settle the score”, the king chuckled as he threw the knife on the ground without a second thought. In that moment, Garthon would have loved nothing more than to drop down as well, to fall unconscious from the horrible pain. The only thing he was able to do was to press a hand onto the deep cut, while warm blood was flowing down the lower part of his face.
Not without a sick form of pride, Harren looked at his work. “Doesn't look too bad, as far as gruesome cheek scars go”, he chuckled. “Trust me, women love a man with scars. Just make sure it doesn't get infected if you want to live”
“Are you... are you done?”, Garthon managed to say, while his entire face burned with pain. Harren gave him a simple nod, before he continued to walk down the hallway. Kyra finally separated from Garthon and as he turned around, he saw shock and guilt on her face. “Garthon, I'm sorry”, she said and sounded genuine. “I didn't knew what he was planning, I...”
She was going to continue, but Garthon cut her off. “It's...”, he started to say, but he was unsure how he should continue. It's fine? It wasn't fine, but it would have been unfair to blame her. Garthon could never do this. Instead, he glared down the hallway, at Harren Hoare. “Let's just... get this over with”, he pressed out.
Following the king, Garthon and Kyra soon reached the narrow staircase that led to the outside. Neither of them was saying a word. In Garthon's case, he had to focus on not fainting. The cut was deep, spanning across his entire cheek, and the continuing bleeding concerned him. By now, his right hand was stained with blood, which continued to flow down his cheek, chin and neck. He was just dragging himself up the stairs, closely following the king, trying his best not to think too much about the gruesome wound.
It was surprising to him that it was barely noon as they stepped outside. A whole week that was spent mostly in the dark left his eyes sensitive to the sunlight and he had to shield them with his hand. Between his fingers, he was barely able to see the menacing figure of Harren Hoare. The king had turned around and faced him and Garthon noticed that the courtyard was empty aside from them. “There are a number of fishlords present in Harrenhal, as well as numerous lords of the isles. The rivercunts Piper, Strong and Whent with their fishfucking entourage, as well as Lord Orkwood, Cleaver Clint Volmark, the Blacktyde siblings and others. I'm going to call for them this evening and I expect you to be there as well”, Harren growled. “Get your cheek patched up, but not too much. Everyone shall see how merciful I truly am”
With these words, he walked away, not even bothering with giving Garthon any further instructions. Kyra remained for a moment. By now, his eyes had adjusted to the lightning and he was able to remove the hand again, fully looking at the captain of the guard. She was focussing on the deep cut on his cheek and shook his head. “That bastard...”, she mumbled almost inaudibly.
Garthon glanced at his right hand. The palm was stained with blood and more was flowing out of his cheek. He was able to taste it in his mouth and a disgusted expression flashed over his face as he moved his tongue. “You really have to go to the Maester”, Kyra said with concern in her voice. Garthon forced himself to smile at her. It turned out to be a mistake, as a new wave of pain nearly forced him to his knees. “It's alright!”, he lied and Kyra shook her head. “Being a stubborn fool does not suit you”, she stated
Garthon gave her a disgruntled nod. “Fine...”, he mumbled. “The Maester it is then...” He turned to the southern tower, which was were the thralls were kept. Harren's contempt for the Order of Maesters was well-known, up to the point where the Maester of Harrenhal was supposed to live in a tiny room next to the other thralls of House Hoare, a slave in anything but name.
“After you're done with the Maester...”, Kyra said and let out a sigh. “Listen Garthon, that was not what I wanted and not what I expected, you know that, right?” Garthon gave her a nod. “I know you had no choice”, he assured her and indeed, he held no grudge against her. His words seemed to relief her. “Look, I know it's not much, but there is something I'd like to talk about, later. About what happened and about what's going to happen”, she said. “If you want to, meet me at my chambers once you're done here”
“Will do”, Garthon said and this time, he suppressed the urge to smirk. It would take some time to get used to it, but thankfully, the pain started to fade, replaced by a numb feeling. Instead, Kyra smirked in his stead, as she turned around. “See you later, Breaker”, she said, but before she could leave, Garthon called her once more.
“Kyra, wait”, he said loudly. She turned around, a curious expression on her face. “Anything else?”, she asked. Garthon let out a sigh and slightly pointed at his face. “Does it... I mean... how does it look?”, he asked.
Kyra raised an eyebrow, before she slowly shook her head in disbelief. “You just escaped the dungeon of Harrenhal, the king offered you a chance to stay alive, he quite brutally cut up your cheek and all you're concerned with is how it looks?”, she asked. He gave her a slow nod. “Well... yeah”, he answered. This time, Kyra chuckled. “If you have to know it, you're still looking better than the king”, she stated, before she turned around, leaving him alone. Or almost alone.
“She should be careful with words like these”, a familiar voice said. Garthon turned around and widely opened his eyes. Out of the dark shadows next to the dungeon stepped Harrick Hoare. The kings youngest son had obviously been standing there for a while now, completely blending in with his surroundings. “My father would have done everything to prove her wrong if he would have heard of this statement”
“Prince Harrick!”, Garthon exclaimed and Harrick gave him a nod. “Indeed, that is my name”, he stated dryly and glanced at Garthon's cheek “I know you have a rather important problem, so I want to make this as short as possible” He looked at the king's tower. “I know what my father wants from you. I know that you have been extremely lucky to get away with nothing more but this small wound. And I know how hard it can be to please my father. Even the tiniest of mistakes will seal your fate and that of your brother”, he explained. “Because of that, I'd like to give you some advice before you speak to the lords tonight”
As he heard these words, Garthon slowly narrowed his eyes. “You want to help me?”, he asked. “A week ago, I tried to kill you” Harrick gave him a nod. “And you failed spectacularly, for which I am genuinely thankful. I am moved by gratitude”, he answered. “Mostly though, it is pragmatism. Like my father, I have personal interest in your success. Unlike my father, I believe you might need some help if you want to succeed in representing our interests in front of the lords of the Isles and the Rivers”
“Is this an order?”, Garthon asked and Harrick shook his head. “I believe, as a fourthborn son I am in no position to give orders. I can only give advice”, he explained. “I know, spending an afternoon listening to me will be less pleasant than whatever activity Lady Greyjoy has in mind at her chambers, but I can only advice you to accept my offer. You need all the help you can get. The ultimate decision is yours of course”
[Accept Harrick's offer] [Decline Harrick's offer and meet up with Kyra instead]
[Decline Harrick's offer and meet up with Kyra instead] I think Garthon needs some affection after all that.
[Decline Harrick's offer and meet up with Kyra instead] There's no way I'm passing up the opportunity to go inside Kyra's chambers! Garthon/Kyra. Besides Garthon's smart, I'm convinced that he'll be able to handle the riverlords.
I'd love if someone made update drawings of characters showing their new wounds. Mainly Lucas, Jenna and now Garthon.
[Decline Harrick's offer and meet up with Kyra instead]
[Decline Harrick's offer and meet up with Kyra instead]
I always love the Ironbros PoV's !
About this new choice:
Accept Harrick's offer : will be useful in the short run since his advice will almost sure make more easy for Garthon to do his new job and follow the will of Hoare family is the safest way,for now,to remain alive
Decline Harrick's offer and meet up with Kyra instead: well,except the possible romance,with this choice maybe Garthon can have an ally inside the Greyjoy but let's remember that this way Kyra can became a target for Harren fury if,in the long run, we do many mistakes
Even if I'm almost sure of the outcome of this choice I decide to wait a little before decide
My choice is [Accept Harrick's offer] just because I want to be alternative
And don't forget Harren! He has the coolest scar of all the fic!XD
[Decline Harrick's offer and meet up with Kyra instead]
[Decline Harrick's offer and meet up with Kyra instead] Maybe Kyra can help Garthon escape from Harrenhal (and maybe bail Torvin out as well). The only downside is that we lose a chance to gain trust from the House Hoare.
Damn...should have take Daghan.
[Decline Harrick's offer and meet up with Kyra instead]
(Accept Harricks offer)
I think my Jenna pic was including her fresh scar from Wolfius
[Accept Harrick's offer]
[Decline Harrick's offer and meet up with Kyra instead] Garthon needs some lovin'
(Decline Harricks offer and meet up with Kyra instead)
How the hell he did survive with a cut on the neck deep till bone while bleeding, walking and talking? Garthon must be a supermutant! Piper, Strong, heck ya we're playing Fallout 4... if he has his throat cut most likely he's a ghost especially if the artery had been cut, actually nevermind about a vertical axis cut may help him to survive but still walking and talking while bleeding.
No advice will help me because I'm the Ghost Garthon.
[Decline Harrick's offer and meet up with Kyra instead] at least should get patchup before he doesn't lose all his blood from his vein, just saying.
[Accept Harrick's offer]
I actually have the Harren with scar drawn already
I just haven't had time to do couple of the other characters whose descriptions I have atm and I want to post them the same time.
[Accept Harrick's offer] I do like the Garthon/Kyra ship, but I just think we need more Harrick. I'm pretty happy with the other option too though, so it's win-win for me.
The Voting is closed!
Garthon is going to decline Harrick's offer
Well... I'm glad about this outcome, as it was the one I have been expecting and therefore the one that is the best for my plans. It also means more screentime for Kyra, which is definitely not a bad thing. At the same time, Harrick is going to have a role in this chapter regardless, although his screentime will be more limited now. For the first time, I have realized that Garthon's storyline in this chapter is going to be long, like, the second-longest storyline in the entire chapter. There is a lot of stuff which has to happen in Harrenhal before this chapter ends, so Garthon's remaining PoV's are going to be written more frequently now.
The next part is hopefully going to be out today, although I'm really not sure if I manage to finish it. I had a bit of a cold in the last two days, though I'm feeling okay again. However, as a result of this, I haven't even finished the first PoV of this part, which is going to include two PoV's. The PoV I am currently writing is a Jenna PoV and the one I'm planning to write today is most likely going to feature one of the PoV-characters who haven't been seen in this chapter yet, so either Drent, Lyria, Richard or Ilish. Currently, Ilish is the most likely choice. As for Jenna, here's a small recap of her Chapter 6 storyline so far: After Sherryl has found out that someone is using the castle's ravenry to send messages, Jenna was tasked with finding out who did this. She decided to immediately go to the ravenry, but on her way there, she encountered her friend Carma and the fellow servicemaid Saerya Waters. Their talk was cut short by the arrival of Argella and her men. While Saerya sent Carma home to her children, she tasked Jenna with warning Harris. At first, Jenna was willing to do this, but before she entered the keep, she saw how Saerya entered the ravenry, so she changed her plans. Now, she is going after Saerya, to find out what she is doing there. This and more will be revealed in the next part.
And now I'd like to give a shout-out to a new story that has recently started. The story I'm going to present today is called Cryocoffin and it is written by @TheFurryOne. It is an original sci-fi/fantasy story, sort of a genre-mix in a way that hasn't been here in the forums before. It is set in the near future, where virtual-reality gaming is a big thing. Like, true virtual-reality gaming, which puts the consciousness of the user into the game world, with several games to choose from. It's all fun for a while, until something happens and the players end up trapped in the games. It has some similarities to the popular anime Sword Art Online, so if you know that one, you probably have a good idea about the general premise of the story. On top of that, it is well-written and nice to read, truly a story that deserves more readers/voters/character-submitters/awesome people. This is where you hopefully come in. You definitely won't regret checking it out, so if you are interested, you can do so by following this link.
My apologies for not releasing this part yesterday. A portion of it needed an extensive rewrite and I'm still not entirely satisfied with it. Still, I hope you enjoy it. I should also really stop taking back my earlier statements, but I'm afraid I have to do it once again. This part will only include one PoV, despite the fact that I previously announced two. Once again, the reason for this is that I realized that this PoV will work better with more room. Think wisely about the choice, it is going to be very important, not only for Jenna, but for many other characters as well, for the better or the worse.
Jenna
Jenna slowly narrowed her eyes as she saw Saerya closing the door to the ravenry behind her. Where did she get the key? And more importantly, what was she doing there? Jenna took a deep breath, as she glanced to the gates. In the distance, she saw dozens of people rushing up the path that lead to the castle. The smallfolk of Raylansfair, seeking protection in the castle. And behind them she saw a raised banner. A black, crowned stag on a field of yellow. Jenna still remembered a time, not long ago, where the crowned stag put fear into the heart of Reach.
Someone had to alert Harris, but that someone wouldn't be her. Whatever Saerya was doing in the ravenry, there was only one way to find out.
Like Saerya, she took advantage of the current situation to cross the courtyard unnoticed. Of course, there were people crossing her path, men of the castle guard, but who would pay attention to a servicemaid, especially in the current situation? Still, she looked over her shoulder twice as she reached the door, making sure that no one was watching her. Then, she moved her hand to the doorknob and slowly turned it. To her surprise, she found it unlocked. Behind it, there was only gaping darkness. Jenna gulped and pressed her lips together, as she cautiously entered the room.
The moment she closed the door, darkness surrounded her and her eyes needed a moment to adjust to it. It wasn't only the darkness. The smell was way worth and breathtaking in the truest sense of the word, exactly like she imagined of a building which had the main purpose of housing a dozen ravens. The animals themselves weren't smelling too good on their own, but with Maester Eaton's death and the absence of Dairon, they were cared for only superficially, resulting in cages full with dirt and the rotten, half-eaten remains of mice. Even though they were kept upstairs, in the second floor, the smell found its way to the rest of the building as well.
The shutters in front of the ground-floor windows were closed, resulting in the room to be pitch black, safe for a small ray of light that came from upstairs. Even after her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, it wasn't possible to see the details of the room around her, but she knew that it contained everything the Maester needed to treat his ravens. Somewhere close to her, she heard the sound of something small running around, then, a squeaking sound in the darkness. Jenna clenched her fists as she forced herself to continue the way through the room. While she generally liked animals, she hated rats with a passion. Growing up on a farm, she was familiar with them and familiar with the damage they could do if they weren't taken care of. She also knew how nasty a starving rat could be.
There was something else she heard, sounds coming from the upstairs. The expected cawing of the ravens was louder than usual, more agitated. And there was another sound, as if someone was walking up there. The footsteps were soft, but from below, Jenna was clearly able to hear them.
One of the few things Jenna knew she was good at was walking silently. She didn't even had to try sneaking, she knew it had to be impossible that the person upstairs would hear her. Slowly, she reached the ladder that led upstairs. There was a hatch, but it was left ajar, barely allowing the sunlight from above to illuminate the are around the ladder.
For one moment, Jenna thought about turning around, about leaving the ravenry without anyone noticing. It would be safe for her to leave. She was sure that Saerya wouldn't be thrilled if she would find out about her. The thought of just leaving was tempting, almost too tempting and Jenna caught herself turning her head to the door behind her...
No! Clenching her teeth, Jenna continued to climb the ladder. Turning around now would mean missing valuable information. She couldn't life with herself if she would miss such a chance. Even though she was still hesitating, she continued to climb the ladder, until she was able to put a hand onto the hatch. She took another step and tried to push it open a bit, so that she would be able to look through the gap.
And then, Jenna realized that she made a mistake. The ravenry was an old building, not the oldest in the castle, but the woodwork was dozens of years old. Naturally, the hatch creaked loudly the moment she tried to push it open.
Through the gap, she was able to see Saerya, who was standing in front of a wall, surrounded by the raven's cages. When the hatch creaked, she spun around in surprise. Her right hand was holding a small knife, not even a dagger, but sharp enough to possibly kill someone with it. No... it wasn't a knife, it was a letter opener. Jenna remembered a similar tool from the night Ilhan died and she remembered how easily Harris killed him with it. Saerya glared at the hatch, while Jenna froze in terror. “Who is there?”, she hissed.
Finally, Jenna fully opened the hatch to reveal herself. She knew, there was no sense in hiding anymore. Saerya saw her and visibly relaxed. “Oh”, she said, as if she had expected someone else. “It's you. I wasn't expecting you... or anyone for that matter. What are you doing here?” She tried to sound casual, but she undoubtedly wasn't happy to see her.
“I could...”, Jenna started and cut herself off as she noticed how timid her voice sounded. Of course, it naturally sounded timid, but right now she didn't want to appear weak. “I could ask you the same thing”, she tried again and was pleased when she realized that she sounded more confident than before.
Saerya glanced at her hand and slowly lowered the letter opener. “After I sent you to Harris, I decided to check the ravenry myself”, she said without missing a beat. A sweet, friendly smile formed on her face “Later on, I wanted to share my findings of course. I just figured, after what happened you would surely appreciate it if someone would help you with all these tasks Lord Harris gave you”
Jenna wanted to believe her. She wanted to believe that all of this was just a coincidence, that Saerya really had nothing to hide. She wanted to see her the same way Carma obviously saw her, but she couldn't. Her story didn't quite work out and something was off about her.
“And... how have you managed to enter the ravenry?”, Jenna asked. “It's supposed to be unlocked!” Saerya shrugged and once again glanced down onto her letter opener. “It wasn't locked when I tried to enter it”, she said and while she sounded sincere, Jenna knew what she had seen earlier. “You're lying”, she said and regretted her choice of words almost instantly, when Saerya's smile faded. “I saw you unlocking the door. You have a key”
“I found it in the servants quarters. Someone must have tried to hide it there and I thought I could put it to good use”, Saerya said and even though nothing in her voice gave her away, Jenna knew that it could only be another lie.
“That would be too easy, wouldn't it?”, Jenna asked. “Do you really expect me to believe that?” Saerya let out a sigh and shook her head. “Federico gave it to me”, she revealed and this time, Jenna wasn't sure if she could believe her. She didn't know Federico the guardsman very well, but there was one thing that surprised her about this revelation. “Federico wouldn't do that”, she protested. “Lord Harris gave him the position in front of the ravenry for good reason. He's reliable!”
“I think we can both agree that Lord Harris is not exactly the best at spotting someone's true character”, Saerya argued, a statement Jenna could only agree with. “Besides, it is surprising how much an otherwise proper young man is willing to do to impress a woman he is crushing on. Not that I actively tried to seduce him, I have my dignity after all, but I would be a fool to let an opportunity like that pass”
“You sent the ravens”, Jenna said tonelessly and noticed how Saerya tensed up. Compared to herself, Saerya had remarkable control over her body language, but anyone had remarkable control over their body language when compared to her. As much as Saerya tried to hide it, Jenna could see that she had guessed correctly. She glanced past her, towards the wooden wall and she saw one of the boards loose. Behind it, she was able to spot a small, hollow space. It contained something, but Jenna was unable to see any more details, before Saerya stepped into her field of view.
“Congratulations”, Saerya said, sounding sincere and not at all threatening, even though the friendly look on her face was gone as well. Now, Jenna even spotted a hint of nervousness. If anything, she was good at spotting nervousness.
“Now tell me the truth”, she demanded. “The full truth. To whom are you sending these ravens? Why are you doing it?” Once more, Saerya glanced down onto the letter opener in her hands. Once more, Jenna was about to jump down and rush out of the building. “You want to hear the truth?”, Saerya asked. “Fine. Listen closely, because this is not as simple as you think it is”
“I'm listening”, Jenna assured her, yet at the same time, she was already thinking of an escape plan. She regretted that she hadn't alerted a guardsman. She hadn't even thought of such an option before. Saerya let out a sigh. “Yes, I've sent the ravens”, she revealed. “They contained information about the current state of House Raylan”
Jenna's hands clenched around the rungs. “To whom?”, she pressed through her teeth. Saerya glanced at the window, then back at the hatch. She sounded just as nervous as Jenna, clearly uncomfortable with the situation, but she managed to uphold a smile. “Dragonstone”, she answered. “House Targaryen has special interest in the current situation here” Now that she started to speak, she visibly started to relax. A calculating look appeared on her face, but it wasn't even nearly as cold as the look Jenna had seen on Sherryl's face.
“Who are you really?”, she demanded to know. Saerya's smile faded and an angry streak appeared in her eyes, although Jenna had the impression that the anger wasn't directed at her. “Saerya Waters”, she answered. “That wasn't a lie. My father was the late Lord Velaryon's younger brother. He kicked me out on the streets when I was just a child. That old whoremonger had the audacity to blame me for his own shortcomings”
“You mentioned House Targaryen”, Jenna remarked and a sad smile flashed over Saerya's face, the angry look in her eyes all but gone, replaced by something that almost resembled sadness. “After he kicked me out, I've been less than nothing for years”, she explained. “House Targaryen saved me. They recognized my talents and they gave me a good life in exchange for my undying loyalty”
“So, you're spying for them”, Jenna deduced and Saerya gave her a nod. “I'm sending them information about Lord Harris. About what he did. About Sherryl and her plans. How many men this house has. Who is loyal, who isn't, who plots against whom...”, she explained. “I uncover their dirty little secrets and through me, Aegon Targaryen knows about them as well. And for such a small city, Raylansfair has a surprising amount of secrets”
“Why?”, Jenna asked, her stare fixed on the letter opener, as the memory of Ilhan's death vividly flashed through her mind. For a moment, Saerya seemed to be surprised by these words. “Isn't it obvious?”, she asked. “Raylansfair has the largest historical archive in the continent. The knowledge this city guards is incredible. Can you imagine how much power such knowledge has in the right hands?”
“That wasn't what I meant”, Jenna said in a low tone, as her legs started to get weaker. “I know you're after the archive. Everyone in this entire continent seems to be after that dusty old thing. I want to know why you're telling me all of this”
This time, the cold, calculating look on Saerya's face faded, replaced by something that might be genuine concern. “You mean why I'm not killing you after you just uncovered my dirty little secret”, she deduced. She finally took one last look on the letter opener, before she let go of it. The small piece of metal fell onto the ground, but Jenna still did not feel better. She had found something out, something important. Yet, the possibilities this knowledge implied, they were overwhelming. So far, Targaryen was nothing more than a name for her, a terrifying name for sure, but a name that was at the other end of the continent. Now, the dragonlord's shadow was here and fire and blood came with it.
She slowly forced herself to give Saerya a nod. The other woman shook her head. “If Sherryl would have caught me instead, I would have killed her in a heartbeat”, she revealed. “But you? I know many things about the people in this city. Out of all of them, you might be among the few who are truly innocent, who have nothing to hide. You're a good person, Jenna, and I'm not here to murder a good person, not as long as there is another way”
“And what kind of way would that be?”, Jenna asked. A friendly smile flashed over Saerya's face and more than anything else, Jenna wanted to believe her. “Help me”, she urged her. “Lord Harris trusts you. With your position and my knowledge, we can do a lot of good”
“Why should I do that?”, Jenna asked again. By now, she had started to relax, but she still felt as if she would be in danger. “Because I might be lots of bad things, but when it comes to this city, I'm one of the few people whose agenda won't endanger any of it”, Saerya explained. “I don't want to bring down Lord Harris, I don't even care if he remains the lord, I don't want to kill his knights or murder his people. From what I have seen so far, this makes me highly unusual”
“That still wasn't a reason to support you”, Jenna remarked and Saerya gave her a nod. “Indeed it wasn't”, she agreed. “As I said, my presence here, my plans, the secrets I tell the Dragonlord, they are not endangering this city. In fact, I'm willing to go out of my way to make sure that this city remains relatively stable, because a city in chaos is worthless to him”
She leant against the wall and despite the lingering fear she was in, Jenna was able to see that Saerya positioned herself in front of the small hole in the wall, hiding whatever she was keeping in there. “As I said, I might be lots of things you see as bad, but compared to the others here, I consider myself your best option”, she continued.
“Hobert Lawthor wants to make this city his little pet project, even if that means bleeding its citizens dry. He is motivated by sheer vanity and an inflated ego”, she explained. “I don't know much about Argella Durrandon, but I know that she plans to take this city in her father's name. While Argilac the Arrogant is a beloved ruler in the eyes of many, he is not the kind of man the people of Raylansfair need”
Before she continued, she paused and shook her head. “Then there is this other man that is interested in Raylansfair, if it even is a man, this Butterfly...” She visibly shivered as she said this strange name. “I heard nothing but the faintest of rumours about him, but the little I heard was enough to convince me that he should be your biggest concern, not me”
Again, she gave Jenna a friendly smile. It would have looked almost motherly, but there was a hint of calculating ruthlessness in it, something that certainly tarnished her otherwise approachable looks. “You see, my actions do not harm Raylansfair in any way. What's the problem if Lord Aegon learns about a few of your secrets? It doesn't affect your life, nor the lives of those you love. Finally, my refusal to kill you on spot should prove one thing to you”, she explained. “I am not like Harris or Sherryl. I am not a murderer”
While this statement sounded genuine, the contents of it made Jenna listen up. “Sherryl is a murderer?”, she asked. Saerya gave her a nod. “And worse”, she confirmed. “There you have a woman that will stop at nothing to get what she wants. She's playing more than two sides in this conflict and I'm not even sure whom she is truly working for. Without a doubt, she is a problem for this entire city, for you, for me”
“So what are you suggesting?”, Jenna asked. This time, Saerya crouched down to look Jenna in the eyes. “Work with me”, she offered. “On our own, we have no chance against this snake. But together, we can prevent whatever Sherryl is planning”
Jenna was about to open her mouth again, but Saerya cut her off. “Before you ask, no, I do not know what she is planning. I have a general idea, nothing more than assumptions, but nothing to proof my suspicions”, she explained. “You on the other hand might be in a position where you can find out whom she is truly working for, with my help of course”
A part of Jenna was inclined to accept her offer. Ever since Septon Corbin got arrested, her list of potential allies was literally nonexistent. Carma was a friend, but Jenna couldn't live with herself if she would drag her into this. She knew how fickle Harris could be and she had no illusions about Sherryl's opinion on her. And she knew that Sherryl was dangerous, someone that had to be stopped. But was Saerya truly different?
“And if I help you, what do you want in return?”, she asked. Saerya's smile turned into a sly smirk. “In return for my help, you help me in stopping Sherryl. You will also not report me, my activities and loyalties to Harris or any future lord of Raylansfair”, she explained. “If you do, then I'm going to loose my head, you're going to loose your ally and Raylansfair is going to loose a chance to get rid of that scheming serpent Sherryl” Her smirk got wider and despite her still present nervousness, it showed a confidence that Jenna could only be envious of. “And that would be a shame, wouldn't it?”
Like before, a part of Jenna was inclined to accept her offer. Another part of hers was still sceptical. Was Saerya truly offering her a chance to get rid of Sherryl? Was working with a Targaryen spy really worth it? She glanced down the ladder. The ground was only two feet below her. She could jump and would be out of the building before Saerya could even react. At least she could try. Though at the same time, Jenna wasn't sure if escaping was the right thing to do. Maybe working with Saerya was the better option, maybe not. As Jenna looked up into the spies face, so beautiful and friendly, she was torn.
[Agree to work with Saerya] [Try to escape]
[Try to escape] I just don't trust her.
I've actually noticed one serious mistake - there was no "Waters" surname back in those day. It's a surname of all bastards born in Kinglands and there were no Kinglands before Targaryens conquered Westeros. Plus, as I remember, the surname Waters was firstly given by Elaena Targaryen to her bastards Jon and Jeyne, in sake of their father, Alyn Velaryon.
[Agree to work with Saerya] I don't know why, but I believe Daghan and Saerya, and house Targaryen overall. I feel like they are better than other options.
After all, if you don't want to be burnt by the dragons, cooperate with them.
[Agree to work with Saerya] I like Jenna involved in schemes. I love the idea of Jenna and Saerya going up against Sherryl. And above all else, I really like Saerya. Another thing to think about is that Jenna could learn from Saerya. Saerya is a cunning woman and a gifted liar, coming up with new lies without any tells and she was improvising. Jenna is still a novice when it comes to lying and scheming, but with Saerya's help she could become a master.
I have some minor constructive criticism. There seems to be a lot more grammar mistakes than usual.
I really enjoyed this. Definitely one of my favourite chapters and confrontations in the whole story.
Only the second time we've seen her but I already love Saerya's character.
[Try to escape] Somehow Sherrly would find out and accuse Jenna as a traitor and get her killed, so it would be better to watch our own hide.
[Try to escape]
I know this isn't the right choice but I like to make trolly choices with Jenna.
[Agree to work with Saerya] Of course we can't be sure about Saerya yet, but I'd side with her over Sherryl any day. And these two, Jenna&Saerya, could really form a nice team. Well, whatever option gets chosen here I'm definitely intrigued in Jenna's storyline.
[Agree to work with Saerya] Looks like this side is better to be on.... they have dragons. :-D And knowledge Jenna can get from those secrets can be helpful in the future.