Marak
“Eh, I'll pass”, Marak growled and crossed his arms. He tried to put on a brave face, even though his arm still hurt, where the nee… moredle touched him. By the Drowned God, he hated needles. And he knew, he hated whatever Noelle was going to do there.
“Your call”, she answered, clearly not satisfied with his answer. Then, she turned back to Archmaester Wulvren and gave him a warm smile. “Let us continue, my friend”, she chirped and tightly held his hands. And then... remarkably few things happened. Noelle and Wulvren looked into the fire. Marak yawned.
“Remarkable!”, Wulvren exclaimed, his eyes widely opened. Marak got bored. He yawned louder. “Isn't it?”, Noelle whispered. Now, a smile formed on Wulvren's face, an expression of pure, almost childlike joy. “How is this possible?”, he asked and Noelle reciprocated his smile. “The lord has many gifts for his followers”
Marak started to pick his nose. “Who is she?”, Wulvren asked. N… [view original content]
Marak
“Eh, I'll pass”, Marak growled and crossed his arms. He tried to put on a brave face, even though his arm still hurt, where the nee… moredle touched him. By the Drowned God, he hated needles. And he knew, he hated whatever Noelle was going to do there.
“Your call”, she answered, clearly not satisfied with his answer. Then, she turned back to Archmaester Wulvren and gave him a warm smile. “Let us continue, my friend”, she chirped and tightly held his hands. And then... remarkably few things happened. Noelle and Wulvren looked into the fire. Marak yawned.
“Remarkable!”, Wulvren exclaimed, his eyes widely opened. Marak got bored. He yawned louder. “Isn't it?”, Noelle whispered. Now, a smile formed on Wulvren's face, an expression of pure, almost childlike joy. “How is this possible?”, he asked and Noelle reciprocated his smile. “The lord has many gifts for his followers”
Marak started to pick his nose. “Who is she?”, Wulvren asked. N… [view original content]
[Don’t intervene] This is the classic situation where if too many people try to stop a fight that fight will start aka this time do nothing is the wisest thing to do. XD
PS:About last Marak PoV I must admit Liquid that you caught me off guard! I was almost sure that Ellena was the target to kill instead is Briar! And our current object is to kidnap Ellena! This mission make so many subplots in relation to each other!
Marak
“Eh, I'll pass”, Marak growled and crossed his arms. He tried to put on a brave face, even though his arm still hurt, where the nee… moredle touched him. By the Drowned God, he hated needles. And he knew, he hated whatever Noelle was going to do there.
“Your call”, she answered, clearly not satisfied with his answer. Then, she turned back to Archmaester Wulvren and gave him a warm smile. “Let us continue, my friend”, she chirped and tightly held his hands. And then... remarkably few things happened. Noelle and Wulvren looked into the fire. Marak yawned.
“Remarkable!”, Wulvren exclaimed, his eyes widely opened. Marak got bored. He yawned louder. “Isn't it?”, Noelle whispered. Now, a smile formed on Wulvren's face, an expression of pure, almost childlike joy. “How is this possible?”, he asked and Noelle reciprocated his smile. “The lord has many gifts for his followers”
Marak started to pick his nose. “Who is she?”, Wulvren asked. N… [view original content]
Why good old Marak should be die? I mean,he will probably be in danger when the mission reach his climax (aka if we reach the trade) but until that moment I think that many others characters are more in danger than him XD
[Help Edonia and Montclair] While Drent may only serve to further anger Garen, I'm not a huge fan of doing nothing. NO INNOCENT BYSTANDERS!
I got a really bad feeling that Marak's gonna die.
Marak
“Eh, I'll pass”, Marak growled and crossed his arms. He tried to put on a brave face, even though his arm still hurt, where the nee… moredle touched him. By the Drowned God, he hated needles. And he knew, he hated whatever Noelle was going to do there.
“Your call”, she answered, clearly not satisfied with his answer. Then, she turned back to Archmaester Wulvren and gave him a warm smile. “Let us continue, my friend”, she chirped and tightly held his hands. And then... remarkably few things happened. Noelle and Wulvren looked into the fire. Marak yawned.
“Remarkable!”, Wulvren exclaimed, his eyes widely opened. Marak got bored. He yawned louder. “Isn't it?”, Noelle whispered. Now, a smile formed on Wulvren's face, an expression of pure, almost childlike joy. “How is this possible?”, he asked and Noelle reciprocated his smile. “The lord has many gifts for his followers”
Marak started to pick his nose. “Who is she?”, Wulvren asked. N… [view original content]
Marak
“Eh, I'll pass”, Marak growled and crossed his arms. He tried to put on a brave face, even though his arm still hurt, where the nee… moredle touched him. By the Drowned God, he hated needles. And he knew, he hated whatever Noelle was going to do there.
“Your call”, she answered, clearly not satisfied with his answer. Then, she turned back to Archmaester Wulvren and gave him a warm smile. “Let us continue, my friend”, she chirped and tightly held his hands. And then... remarkably few things happened. Noelle and Wulvren looked into the fire. Marak yawned.
“Remarkable!”, Wulvren exclaimed, his eyes widely opened. Marak got bored. He yawned louder. “Isn't it?”, Noelle whispered. Now, a smile formed on Wulvren's face, an expression of pure, almost childlike joy. “How is this possible?”, he asked and Noelle reciprocated his smile. “The lord has many gifts for his followers”
Marak started to pick his nose. “Who is she?”, Wulvren asked. N… [view original content]
True, Marak is not exactly in much danger at the very moment. Then again, perhaps I am luring you into a false sense of security >:D Keep in mind, Noelle's plan is certainly going to piss off the one guy even Clayton is somewhat afraid of. This was Marak's final part in this chapter though, so any kind of danger he may or may not be in would take place in the next act. That said, you are definitely right when you say that many other characters are in greater danger. Some of them are in fact in very severe and immediate danger at the moment. Poor Septon Corbin comes to mind, but he's not the only one.
Why good old Marak should be die? I mean,he will probably be in danger when the mission reach his climax (aka if we reach the trade) but until that moment I think that many others characters are more in danger than him XD
Marak
“Eh, I'll pass”, Marak growled and crossed his arms. He tried to put on a brave face, even though his arm still hurt, where the nee… moredle touched him. By the Drowned God, he hated needles. And he knew, he hated whatever Noelle was going to do there.
“Your call”, she answered, clearly not satisfied with his answer. Then, she turned back to Archmaester Wulvren and gave him a warm smile. “Let us continue, my friend”, she chirped and tightly held his hands. And then... remarkably few things happened. Noelle and Wulvren looked into the fire. Marak yawned.
“Remarkable!”, Wulvren exclaimed, his eyes widely opened. Marak got bored. He yawned louder. “Isn't it?”, Noelle whispered. Now, a smile formed on Wulvren's face, an expression of pure, almost childlike joy. “How is this possible?”, he asked and Noelle reciprocated his smile. “The lord has many gifts for his followers”
Marak started to pick his nose. “Who is she?”, Wulvren asked. N… [view original content]
Marak
“Eh, I'll pass”, Marak growled and crossed his arms. He tried to put on a brave face, even though his arm still hurt, where the nee… moredle touched him. By the Drowned God, he hated needles. And he knew, he hated whatever Noelle was going to do there.
“Your call”, she answered, clearly not satisfied with his answer. Then, she turned back to Archmaester Wulvren and gave him a warm smile. “Let us continue, my friend”, she chirped and tightly held his hands. And then... remarkably few things happened. Noelle and Wulvren looked into the fire. Marak yawned.
“Remarkable!”, Wulvren exclaimed, his eyes widely opened. Marak got bored. He yawned louder. “Isn't it?”, Noelle whispered. Now, a smile formed on Wulvren's face, an expression of pure, almost childlike joy. “How is this possible?”, he asked and Noelle reciprocated his smile. “The lord has many gifts for his followers”
Marak started to pick his nose. “Who is she?”, Wulvren asked. N… [view original content]
No one in Westeros is going soft, and there is no shortage of intrigue and sly drama that doubtless foreshadows death, destruction and plentiful violence to come.
I'm not too surprised by this outcome. In fact, I would have probably chosen it as well. Garen is livid with anger at the moment and while Drent's presence is going to be a risk, considering that these two are definitely no friends and likely never will be, it might just be worth a try. That said, Edonia has a younger brother who is pretty much a less aggressive version of Garen, so she has plenty of experience dealing with people like him. And Montclair has authority, which Garen may or may not respect. Drent is going to have another part in this chapter, which by the way has most likely only ten parts left. Finishing it still takes me longer than expected, but we're nearing the end of Act 2, my friends. Have you noticed that in the entire chapter, no character from the character list died yet? It might change. It might change quite severely, so be prepared.
The next part is definitely going to be out in a few hours. It will feature two PoV's whom we haven't seen in a while, namely Willfred and John. The last time we saw Willfred was during a diplmatic talk between him, his uncle Roger and General Tallian, together with Harris and Darren, Hobert and Malkolm as well as Harlen Tyrell and his nephew Elias. Willfred trolled Hobert badly and managed to actually make him loose his temper, by switching sides and supporting Harris. This strengthened Harris' position, at least a little bit, while severely crippling Hobert's ambition. Their talks were cut short, when Harris had to leave because of Lucas and Leonard and because Lord Tyrell had to leave because of Argella Durrandon's arrival. While both Tyrells, as well as Roger and Tallian, immediately went to the Great Hall, to meet with the princess, Willfred saw that Hobert and his bodyguard Malkolm left for a different direction. He had the chance to follow them, to maybe find out what Hobert plans for his next step, or to play it safe and instead meet up with the others in the Great Hall. You chose the latter.
Meanwhile, John's last part has been a while ago, though he also appeared in Samantha's latest part. In his last part, he formed an uneasy alliance with the Targaryen knight Daghan Oxus, to help him in exchange for his earlier misbehaviour, when he stole from him. Daghan seems to have forgiven him in his own way. While the knight talked to Janae and the other members of John's company, John was called to the next room, where Behara cared for the woman they had managed to capture alive during the Second Son assault at the end of Chapter 5. While she was awake and able to talk, she refused to tell him anything of value. Because of this, John decided to let one of his men, I'lian, do the talking, since I'lian fames himself for his silver tongue. Afterwards, John and Daghan went to the main room of the tavern, while Janae, Temari and Jaro stayed upstairs to discuss their next steps. It was here where Samantha met them in her last part and where she informed him of Lunett's death. Later on, she met up with Aylard and decided to tell him the full truth about what happened to his daughter. John's part will start directly after Sam met up with Aylard again.
Have you noticed that in the entire chapter, no character from the character list died yet? It might change. It might change quite severely, so be prepared.
The Voting is closed!
Drent is going to help Edonia and Montclair
I'm not too surprised by this outcome. In fact, I would have probabl… morey chosen it as well. Garen is livid with anger at the moment and while Drent's presence is going to be a risk, considering that these two are definitely no friends and likely never will be, it might just be worth a try. That said, Edonia has a younger brother who is pretty much a less aggressive version of Garen, so she has plenty of experience dealing with people like him. And Montclair has authority, which Garen may or may not respect. Drent is going to have another part in this chapter, which by the way has most likely only ten parts left. Finishing it still takes me longer than expected, but we're nearing the end of Act 2, my friends. Have you noticed that in the entire chapter, no character from the character list died yet? It might change. It might change quite severely, so be prepared.
The next … [view original content]
While we are waiting for the next parts, here some more illustrations. This time every character is from team Burned Man. I even got to draw the Burned Man himself, and my own dear Ser Bastard too! Other than those two, there are two lovely ladies Harpy and Keira, and on top of all that one more sellsword: Jarek. Hopefully you like 'em!
Marak
“Eh, I'll pass”, Marak growled and crossed his arms. He tried to put on a brave face, even though his arm still hurt, where the nee… moredle touched him. By the Drowned God, he hated needles. And he knew, he hated whatever Noelle was going to do there.
“Your call”, she answered, clearly not satisfied with his answer. Then, she turned back to Archmaester Wulvren and gave him a warm smile. “Let us continue, my friend”, she chirped and tightly held his hands. And then... remarkably few things happened. Noelle and Wulvren looked into the fire. Marak yawned.
“Remarkable!”, Wulvren exclaimed, his eyes widely opened. Marak got bored. He yawned louder. “Isn't it?”, Noelle whispered. Now, a smile formed on Wulvren's face, an expression of pure, almost childlike joy. “How is this possible?”, he asked and Noelle reciprocated his smile. “The lord has many gifts for his followers”
Marak started to pick his nose. “Who is she?”, Wulvren asked. N… [view original content]
Oh yes, I love them! Thank you very much, it is amazing work as always
I'm especially happy about the way Harpy and the Burned Man turned out. I was looking forward for them in particular and I am amazed at the results. While I also love foxbrg's interpretation of them, your drawings are a lot closer to how I always imagined them. Keira and Jarek are amazing as well. I like how Jarek looks so casual, yet dangerous, the drawing perfectly captured his character. Simlarly, Keira looks so nice and friendly and I like that as well. And then there's Jaron, my favourite from these drawings. I knew your drawing of him was going to be great, but you actually exceeded my expectations. I love the facial expression, it really fits him. His character had quite the development and while it was understandably less noticeable than Lucas, he's definitely no longer the slightly naive knight he has been when he entered Oldtown for the first time and I think it really shows in this image. This set of drawings made me all excited for the next Jaron part. I was already excited, but now I can't wait for it. Soon, very, very soon
While we are waiting for the next parts, here some more illustrations. This time every character is from team Burned Man. I even got to draw… more the Burned Man himself, and my own dear Ser Bastard too! Other than those two, there are two lovely ladies Harpy and Keira, and on top of all that one more sellsword: Jarek. Hopefully you like 'em!
For a short moment, Willfred wasn’t sure if he did the right choice. Hobert was up to something, it was clear to see. Yet on his own, there was little he could do to find it out, right? Even worse, who knew what Hobert might be capable of in his current state of anger. The scrawny lord wasn’t that much of a problem, but Willfred was unarmed and not in the mood to pick a fight with his bodyguard Malkolm.
Every hint of regret about the missing chance faded as Willfred entered the Great Hall. Lord Harlen Tyrell and his nephew Elias where already there. While Harlen was sitting on the large chair that was reserved for the lord of Raylansfair, Elias was standing next to him, like a glorified guardsman. The hall was full with smallfolk, dozens upon dozens of them, though none of them spoke. A strange silence filled the hall, while the reason Willfred did not regret his decision came from the courtyard through the large door.
The occasions on which Willfred Reyne was actually at a loss of words were few, but the moment he lay eyes on the young woman that just entered the Great Hall was among them. She was close to perfection, and Willfred did not use this term lightly. Lush raven hair fell down below her shoulders in slight curls, framing and perfectly contrasting with her pale face. Two dark blue eyes, like sapphires, cautiously inspected her surroundings. Willfred’s gaze wandered down her face, to her yellow dress and a smirk formed on his face as he had to imagine the body undern...
Roger’s open palm heavily hit his stomach, causing him to grunt. “Close your mouth, boy”, he mumbled. “You act as if you’ve never seen a woman before” Willfred immediately closed his mouth and forced himself to avert his gaze from the young woman. “Not like her, uncle”, he answered. “By the gods, it appears I am betrothed to the wrong princess”
“That is the most undignified thing I ever heard you saying”, Roger growled. “Trust me, you don’t want to get close to Argilac Durrandon’s daughter. Lorna is a wonderful young woman and you should be thankful for her” What he said was true. Lorna, his betrothed, was the best match he could ever hope for and a beautiful woman in her own right. She was a Lannister after all. Still, Willfred couldn’t help but to be fascinated with the Storm Princess.
“It’s good that you have me and Vashord to keep you in... Vashord!”, Roger hissed, as he noticed that the general was similarly enthralled by her beauty. The general coughed in embarrassment and Roger shook his head. “If she wouldn’t look that good, she could be your daughter, so show some restraint”
Tallian mumbled something, while Wilfred smirked. “So, you admit that she looks good, uncle?”, he asked jokingly, as he watched Argella Durrandon and her entourage making their way through the crowd. Aside from the princess herself, there was Nora, the young captain of the guard at her side, as well as a tall Stormlander knight with dark hair behind her.
“Of course she looks good, I’m not fucking blind!”, Roger hissed loudly and his words cut through the silence. For a moment, Argella stopped, glanced at them and a distant smirk formed on her face, while Roger’s face turned a dark shade of red.
The princess’ way through the crowd was abruptly stopped. While most people avoided her at all cost, one man did the exact opposite. He was older, perhaps in his fifties and more of a stocky guy. While most of the people in the room looked more afraid than anything else, this particular man had tears of anger flowing down his face.
For a moment, Argella and the man just looked at each other. The princess said nothing, she just stopped walking, without getting too close to him, as she raised an eyebrow. The man in turn breathed heavily and clenched his fists.
Both, Nora and the Stormlander knight put their hands on the hilts of their weapons, but one quick glance from Argella caused them to hesitate. “You... how can you dare coming here?”, the man growled. Now, a hint of confusion flashed across the princess’ face. “What do you mean to say?”, she asked.
“After all that your father did... why are you here?”, he demanded to know in return. Argella glanced over her shoulder, at her knight, before she subtly shook her head. “I know, our kingdoms have been at each others throat for thousands of years. There has been a lot of bad blood, but I hope to...”
“Your father killed my brother!”, the man spat and the princess took a step back. “Excuse me?”, she asked and the man growled something in return. “Blackhaven”, he finally uttered in a sorrowful tone. “My brother died at Blackhaven”
“My condolences”, Argella answered without missing a beat. She sounded honest. Still, as she tried to walk past him, he continued to firmly block her path. “How can you dare to come here, after what your father did? After he murdered my brother? After he made widows out of half of our kingdom’s women”, he asked bitterly. “You mock our dead with your presence”
Argella sighed and visibly forced herself to take a step towards him. Softly, she put a hand onto his chest. “Mocking the dead has never been my intention”, she explained. “I come here in peace. There will be inevitable changes and I hope to make the future as easy as possible for all of us”
He slapped her hand away and Willfred saw how her expression hardened in an instant. “Don’t talk to me like that”, he growled. “You have no right to be here!” She shook her head. “I have every right in the world to be here”, she clarified. “What happened to your brother is tragic, but I had no hand in his death” She narrowed her eyes. “And you will step out of my way”
The man shook his head. “Make me”, he growled and Tallian put a hand onto his face, slightly shaking his head. Argella glanced over her shoulder. “Let me put it this way. I think I have been kind enough to you and you’re about to overstep my patience”, she said tonelessly. “If you don’t step aside right now, I will allow Ser Emphryus to break your jaw”
While an excited smirk formed on the knight’s face, the man in front of Argella started to shiver. “I...”, he stuttered, before he glanced at the knight. Then, he took a step aside. “This is not over”, he snarled. Argella completely ignored him as she walked past him. Instead, she had focused her stare on Lord Tyrell, who was sitting on his chair in visible discomfort.
“Pr... Princess Argella!”, he exclaimed. “We... we weren't expecting you!” Argella let out a sigh as she walked up to the chair, directly past two guards, who were too baffled by her straightforwardness to stop her. “Try not to sound too disappointed, Harlen”, she greeted him.
Lord Tyrell gave her an insecure nod. “O... of course, Princess. May I say, it is an honour to have you here. You look beautiful” A stunning, warm and almost genuine smile flashed across Argella's face. “Thank you, Harlen. Next time, tell me something I don't know already”, she said sternly, as if she was talking to a child, as she glanced over her shoulder, looking at her soldiers and then at the smallfolk that had gathered in Raylansfair's Great Hall. “I am here to claim Raylansfair in the name of my father” The hall erupted into a multitude of distressed voices, a cacophony of despair.
“Oh shit...”, Tallian mumbled and exchanged an alarmed glare with Roger, while Willfred took the opportunity to carefully eye the princess once more. Now that she was closer, she appeared even more beautiful to him and it was almost painful to look at her with self-restraint.
She waited until the crowd has calmed down, with her knight standing at her side. Finally, she raised her hands, silencing all but the most distraught. “Please, good people”, she said. “I know you are upset. I know you are shocked. But I can promise you, no harm will come upon you. I swear it, by my honour”
Lord Tyrell cleared his throat, which caused her to shift her attention towards him. “Yes, Harlen?”, she asked. Tyrell avoided to directly look at her. “My... Princess Argella, this comes as a surprise. I have... we need to discuss this, because your father is not the only one who has claimed this city”
“I expected that much”, Argella said with a smile. “Where are these pretenders? I desire to talk to them” She glanced at Willfred, who felt as if his heart just skipped a beat. “Uh... these are revered guests from the Kingdom of the Rock”, Tyrell explained and Argella took a step towards them. Willfred gulped.
“To the left, we have General Vashord Tallian. Then, there is Ser Roger Hill, the bastard of Castamere”, Tyrell said and Argella’s smile got momentarily smaller. “Finally, there is Ser Willfred Reyne, heir to Castamere”
As the name got mentioned, Argella’s bright eyes widened with delightful joy. “Reyne? I wasn’t expecting such an important name here”, she remarked and Willfred allowed himself to smile at her. “It’s a pleasure, mylady”, he said and took a gallant bow in front of her. She looked impressed, while Tyrell slightly coughed, which caused her to shift his attention back to him. “Yes, Harlen?”, she asked.
“About... about the important name”, Tyrell said in embarrassment and Argella raised an eyebrow. “Are you going anywhere with this?”, she asked. “No? Good. Then let us come straight to the first point of importance” Her smile faded. “I believe you sit on my chair”
Tyrell opened his mouth, as a baffled look flashed across his face. “I... what?”, he asked flatly. Under Argella’s intense stare, he indeed started to rise from the chair. “It has been a long journey from Storm’s End”, she explained. “Surely you don’t expect me to stand, do you?”
“Of... of course not, my princess”, Tyrell said with a deep bow, as he presented his own chair to her. With a pleased nod, Argella sat down. “Now you can do me another favour”, she ordered. “Go and bring me the pretenders. I desire to talk to them”
Tyrell only hesitated for a moment, before he took a bow in front of her. “Look carefully and you can see his missing backbone”, Roger whispered. “As you wish, my princess”, the lord said. Argella flashed him a white smile, before she glanced at Elias. “And you... I desire refreshments. Bring me a cup of your best vintage. Another one for Ser Emphryus and one for the good Captain Nora”, she ordered.
Elias shook his head. “I am not a servant”, he growled, unimpressed with the princess. “I am a knight. Ser Elias Tyrell” Argella gave him an nod. “Tales of your skill has travelled far”, she complimented him. “And now be a dear and follow my order. Oh, and see if you can find some strawberries”
Elias exchanged a glance with his uncle, who gave him a quick nod. The young knight sighed. “As you wish... my princess”, he mumbled, before he and Harlen went into two different directions out of the room. Argella leant back on her chair and put her hands behind her head. A relieved smile formed on her face. “Good”, she said. “Very, very good” She looked at the smallfolk, which in turn looked at her with curiosity, anger and fear. “It appears this is going to be a lot of work”
No Choices for this part
John
Samantha was back. What should have been a source of major relief for John instead only added to the stress he felt at the moment. Seeing how she was tormenting herself, it broke his heart. Samantha was back. And Lunett Kawl was dead.
“What are you thinking about?”, Daghan asked. John looked up and the knight gave him a curious look. “Sammy. Aylard. Everything”, John answered with a sigh. Daghan glanced at the stairs. “I don’t know enough about what happened, but this Aylard, is he going to be a problem?”, he asked.
This time, John shook his head. “He just lost his daughter”, he explained and an understanding expression flashed across Daghan’s face. “That makes him a huge problem”, he argued. “If something would happen to my Cass...”
John ignored the pain this name caused him. Right now, he had more severe problems. “He is not my problem”, he admitted. “As long as he does not hut any of my men” He saw someone walking down the steps and for a moment, he expected Aylard or Samantha. Instead, it was I’lian, who had a triumphant grin on his face. “Good news everyone!”, he exclaimed. Daghan looked up and John leant forwards in curiosity. “She talked?”, he asked and I’lian gave him a nod. “More than that. She agreed to talk to you”, he answered and pointed his thumbs at himself. “Silver tongue”
However, his smile faded as he realized that something wasn’t right. “What have I missed?”, he asked. “Sammy is back”, John answered tonelessly and I’lian seemed confused. “That is good, isn’t it?”, he asked. John just shook his head. “Something happened”, he answered. He saw the concern on I’lian’s face. “Sammy is alright”, he calmed him down. “But still...” He sighed. “Still we should talk about your results first. You say the girl is willing to talk to me?”
“Indeed”, I’lian confirmed and furrowed his brows. “But... where is Sammy? Haven’t seen the girl in months” His smile returned and he chuckled. “Could need someone who’s a bit easy on the eyes, you know what I mean?”
“She’s with this Aylard guy”, Daghan answered. “His daughter is dead” I’lian’s smile was gone in an instant. “Oh shit... this is not good”, he mumbled. John rose from his chair. “There’s not much we can do for her now”, he said. “For now we should talk to our prisoner before she blacks out again”
“I’m coming with you”, Daghan shortly proclaimed and John gave him a nod. Somehow, the knight had managed to make Janae trust him, at least a little bit. This was enough for John to trust him as well, at least a little bit.
Together, the three men walked up the stairs. As they passed Aylard’s door, John heard Samantha’s voice, mumbling something, while a woman, most likely Gunel, was sobbing loudly. At the other end of the hallway, Sasha was kneeling on the ground. She had one hand on the shoulder of Sawyer Kawl and was softly speaking to him.
They entered the room and John saw the young woman sitting on the bed. She wasn’t handcuffed, a fact that surprised him. The look on her face was still a bit dizzy, but a smirk formed on her face as she saw them entering. She pushed a strand of dark hair out of her face.
“John, Daghan, meet Lenrianda”, I’lian introduced her. “Lenrianda, these are John Gutten and Daghan Oxus” As he mentioned the last name, the woman raised an eyebrow. “So, you’re that jackass that nearly killed me”, she said.
“I’m that jackass that did not hit you hard enough”, Daghan corrected her and she grinned. “Sorry. You hit me so badly, I still can’t see correctly”, she answered. “You can’t be that ugly, can you?” The knight grinned a joyless grin, while I’lian winked at John. “She got quite the mouth, huh?”, he chuckled.
“Charming”, John said flatly. “So, you want to talk?” Lenrianda gave him a nod and immediately put a hand onto head. “Your man convinced me that you’re the good guys”, she explained. “Told me my options. I chose the one with which I get to stay alive”
“Clever girl”, John said. “So, I got some questions about the Second Sons” She smirked. “Figured that much. Unfortunately, I’m not a Second Son”, she answered. He narrowed his eyes and she raised her hand. “Easy, big guy”, she mumbled. “I’m independent. Decided to do a run with the Sons after I met them near Raylansfair. I guess you and your people are familiar with the concept”
John gave her a nod and she continued. “That still does not mean that I’m worthless. I know a lot, about Rodrik’s plans and why he was here, even a little bit of what his boss has planned”, she said. “However, my help comes at a price”
“I don’t think you’re in a position for that”, John growled. She grinned widely. “Wrong, Johnny. I’m in the best position here. What are you going to do, beat me until I confess? We both know, I wouldn’t survive this”, she answered.
John knew she had a point. Besides, torturing a prisoner for information wasn’t his style. “Your price?”, he asked. She leant back, resting her head against the wall. “See, I am independent, but not alone”, she said. “I have a friend, a partner so to say. Our camp is in the woods. Nym is not the type of person to leave without me, so I guess she’s still there”
“Nym?”, John remarked and she gave him a nod. “Nymeria Aspys", she explained. The name sounded vaguely familiar, even more so for Daghan, who raised both of his eyebrows. “House Aspys of Snakesbite, sworn to Martell”, he growled. “A dornish noble girl and a sellsword. Odd combination”
Lenrianda shook her head again, slowly this time. “Nym is not much of a noble lady”, she grinned. “Well... technically, but still. She’s out there and I want you to find her and bring her here. In return, I’m going to tell you everything I know” She sighed. “I have no loyalty to that bastard Rodrik. He was a job, nothing more and I have no problem with turning against him, if you help me first. Nym and I have been through a lot and I want to know if she’s alright”
“Understandable”, John growled and gave her a nod. “I’m going to think about...” Before he was able to continue, a loud noise from the hallway cut him off. It sounded like a door that just got slammed open. He narrowed his eyes and exchanged a glance with I’lian. “Stay with here”, he ordered. “Daghan, with me”
Wordlessly, the knight followed his order and the two stepped out of the room. The door to Aylard’s room was open and the former innkeeper was standing in front of it. John had never before seen a face like his. Tears streaming down uncontrollably, the expression disfigured by rage. He looked like a truly broken man. And he was holding his large warhammer with one hand.
“Aylard, please...”, Samantha said softly from behind him. The innkeeper turned around and without hesitating or holding back in the slightest, he heavily slapped her in the face, hard enough to send her to the ground.
“Sammy!”, Sasha yelled from the other end of the hallway. She had drawn her dagger even before she had finished jumping up. Her left hand was still resting on Sawyer’s shoulder and for a moment, she looked from him to the dagger. Then, a horrified expression flashed across her face and she raised both hands. “Little one, you get back inside”, she whispered loudly. He gave her an innocent look, before he followed with a nod. His stare fell on his father. “Father?”, he asked. “What happened? Where’s Lun?”
Aylard did not answer, he turned around and lifted Samantha up from the ground, while John and Daghan approached him. “YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO SAVE HER!”, he yelled at the top of his lungs. “I TRUSTED YOU! I FUCKING TRUSTED YOU!”
He let go of her, both of them were crying. “I’m sorry...”, Samantha mumbled weakly, without looking at him. “I should have done more. I’m sorry...” Aylard ignored her. Sobbing, he approached Daghan and John, who both blocked his path down the stairs.
He stopped in front of Daghan, both men glared at each other. “Get out of my way”, Aylard growled. Daghan gulped, his hands clenched to fists. “I know how it feels”, he said. “Loosing what you love the most” He stepped aside. “If I would even try to stop you, I had to kill you. I won’t”
Now, Aylard stopped in front of John. “Get out of my way, Gutten”, he mumbled weakly. “GET OUT OF MY WAY!” John gulped and shook his head as he looked at the huge warhammer. “What are you going to do, Aylard?”, he asked. The innkeeper breathed heavily, the pained expression on his face getting stronger and stronger. “I will seek out these self-righteous whoresons, these false knights”, he growled. “These careless bastards who abducted her and then failed to protect her. I will talk to them” He glanced at his hammer. “I will talk”, he stated again. “Now get out of my way”
Willfred
For a short moment, Willfred wasn’t sure if he did the right choice. Hobert was up to something, it was clear to see. Yet on his… more own, there was little he could do to find it out, right? Even worse, who knew what Hobert might be capable of in his current state of anger. The scrawny lord wasn’t that much of a problem, but Willfred was unarmed and not in the mood to pick a fight with his bodyguard Malkolm.
Every hint of regret about the missing chance faded as Willfred entered the Great Hall. Lord Harlen Tyrell and his nephew Elias where already there. While Harlen was sitting on the large chair that was reserved for the lord of Raylansfair, Elias was standing next to him, like a glorified guardsman. The hall was full with smallfolk, dozens upon dozens of them, though none of them spoke. A strange silence filled the hall, while the reason Willfred did not regret his decision came from the courtyard through the large door.
The o… [view original content]
This is very hard choice for me tbh, it's like you are asking who do you want to get hurt, or at least to be in a risk of getting hurt. I'll go out of his way just because something may happen untill he gets to Leonard and Lucas, and they will be in castle so they can possibly defend themselves better. Yet agian Daghan is strong guy who can prevent something bad so i may be making a mistake.
Willfred
For a short moment, Willfred wasn’t sure if he did the right choice. Hobert was up to something, it was clear to see. Yet on his… more own, there was little he could do to find it out, right? Even worse, who knew what Hobert might be capable of in his current state of anger. The scrawny lord wasn’t that much of a problem, but Willfred was unarmed and not in the mood to pick a fight with his bodyguard Malkolm.
Every hint of regret about the missing chance faded as Willfred entered the Great Hall. Lord Harlen Tyrell and his nephew Elias where already there. While Harlen was sitting on the large chair that was reserved for the lord of Raylansfair, Elias was standing next to him, like a glorified guardsman. The hall was full with smallfolk, dozens upon dozens of them, though none of them spoke. A strange silence filled the hall, while the reason Willfred did not regret his decision came from the courtyard through the large door.
The o… [view original content]
[Try to calm Aylard down] I suppose that we must at least try to calm him because if exist something that I'm sure is that Aylard is not going to "talk" (plus let him going around inside the city with an hammer during a crisis of rage seems a little irresponsible)
PS:About Willfred PoV..well..Argella basically stole the show!XD
Willfred
For a short moment, Willfred wasn’t sure if he did the right choice. Hobert was up to something, it was clear to see. Yet on his… more own, there was little he could do to find it out, right? Even worse, who knew what Hobert might be capable of in his current state of anger. The scrawny lord wasn’t that much of a problem, but Willfred was unarmed and not in the mood to pick a fight with his bodyguard Malkolm.
Every hint of regret about the missing chance faded as Willfred entered the Great Hall. Lord Harlen Tyrell and his nephew Elias where already there. While Harlen was sitting on the large chair that was reserved for the lord of Raylansfair, Elias was standing next to him, like a glorified guardsman. The hall was full with smallfolk, dozens upon dozens of them, though none of them spoke. A strange silence filled the hall, while the reason Willfred did not regret his decision came from the courtyard through the large door.
The o… [view original content]
Thanks again for the kind words! These were all pleasure to draw, but especially Jaron of course. Also, a not-so-fun fact: I had to basically draw the Burned Man twice. The first version was almost ready (lacked only some coloring), and as I was about to save it my laptop decided to crash and I lost almost all progress. That incident pissed me off so bad I had to take several days off from drawing these
Oh yes, I love them! Thank you very much, it is amazing work as always
I'm especially happy about the way Harpy and the Burned Man turne… mored out. I was looking forward for them in particular and I am amazed at the results. While I also love foxbrg's interpretation of them, your drawings are a lot closer to how I always imagined them. Keira and Jarek are amazing as well. I like how Jarek looks so casual, yet dangerous, the drawing perfectly captured his character. Simlarly, Keira looks so nice and friendly and I like that as well. And then there's Jaron, my favourite from these drawings. I knew your drawing of him was going to be great, but you actually exceeded my expectations. I love the facial expression, it really fits him. His character had quite the development and while it was understandably less noticeable than Lucas, he's definitely no longer the slightly naive knight he has been when he entered Oldtown for the first time and I think… [view original content]
Willfred
For a short moment, Willfred wasn’t sure if he did the right choice. Hobert was up to something, it was clear to see. Yet on his… more own, there was little he could do to find it out, right? Even worse, who knew what Hobert might be capable of in his current state of anger. The scrawny lord wasn’t that much of a problem, but Willfred was unarmed and not in the mood to pick a fight with his bodyguard Malkolm.
Every hint of regret about the missing chance faded as Willfred entered the Great Hall. Lord Harlen Tyrell and his nephew Elias where already there. While Harlen was sitting on the large chair that was reserved for the lord of Raylansfair, Elias was standing next to him, like a glorified guardsman. The hall was full with smallfolk, dozens upon dozens of them, though none of them spoke. A strange silence filled the hall, while the reason Willfred did not regret his decision came from the courtyard through the large door.
The o… [view original content]
I have no idea what to pick. XD My mind is in circles. I'm thinking that if Aylard walks around with a warhammer surely the city guard will stop him, but then I think the city guard is probably preocupied with everything going on. If Aylard makes it to Lucas who knows what'll happen. Lucas isn't in the best state of mind right now and if Aylard provokes him I'm a little worried about what Lucas will do. Throw two seriously unstable, dangerous people at each other and you've got a fucking disaster on your hands.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!!!
I'm thinking that Lucas and John are pretty close so I imagine John doesn't want to just let Aylard unload on him. So in this case I'll choose loyalty over caution. [Try to calm Aylard down]
Seriously one of the hardest choices so far for me.
I had a moment when I though Aylard was gonna smash Sam's brains in with that hammer after he knocked her to the ground.
Willfred
For a short moment, Willfred wasn’t sure if he did the right choice. Hobert was up to something, it was clear to see. Yet on his… more own, there was little he could do to find it out, right? Even worse, who knew what Hobert might be capable of in his current state of anger. The scrawny lord wasn’t that much of a problem, but Willfred was unarmed and not in the mood to pick a fight with his bodyguard Malkolm.
Every hint of regret about the missing chance faded as Willfred entered the Great Hall. Lord Harlen Tyrell and his nephew Elias where already there. While Harlen was sitting on the large chair that was reserved for the lord of Raylansfair, Elias was standing next to him, like a glorified guardsman. The hall was full with smallfolk, dozens upon dozens of them, though none of them spoke. A strange silence filled the hall, while the reason Willfred did not regret his decision came from the courtyard through the large door.
The o… [view original content]
Man, my opinion on Argella changes several times in one part It's a love-hate relationship I suppose. No matter what though, she is a strong character.
[Try to calm Aylard down] Had to think about this for a while, but in the end letting him go after Lenny and Flowers just feels wrong.
Willfred
For a short moment, Willfred wasn’t sure if he did the right choice. Hobert was up to something, it was clear to see. Yet on his… more own, there was little he could do to find it out, right? Even worse, who knew what Hobert might be capable of in his current state of anger. The scrawny lord wasn’t that much of a problem, but Willfred was unarmed and not in the mood to pick a fight with his bodyguard Malkolm.
Every hint of regret about the missing chance faded as Willfred entered the Great Hall. Lord Harlen Tyrell and his nephew Elias where already there. While Harlen was sitting on the large chair that was reserved for the lord of Raylansfair, Elias was standing next to him, like a glorified guardsman. The hall was full with smallfolk, dozens upon dozens of them, though none of them spoke. A strange silence filled the hall, while the reason Willfred did not regret his decision came from the courtyard through the large door.
The o… [view original content]
Willfred
For a short moment, Willfred wasn’t sure if he did the right choice. Hobert was up to something, it was clear to see. Yet on his… more own, there was little he could do to find it out, right? Even worse, who knew what Hobert might be capable of in his current state of anger. The scrawny lord wasn’t that much of a problem, but Willfred was unarmed and not in the mood to pick a fight with his bodyguard Malkolm.
Every hint of regret about the missing chance faded as Willfred entered the Great Hall. Lord Harlen Tyrell and his nephew Elias where already there. While Harlen was sitting on the large chair that was reserved for the lord of Raylansfair, Elias was standing next to him, like a glorified guardsman. The hall was full with smallfolk, dozens upon dozens of them, though none of them spoke. A strange silence filled the hall, while the reason Willfred did not regret his decision came from the courtyard through the large door.
The o… [view original content]
Willfred
For a short moment, Willfred wasn’t sure if he did the right choice. Hobert was up to something, it was clear to see. Yet on his… more own, there was little he could do to find it out, right? Even worse, who knew what Hobert might be capable of in his current state of anger. The scrawny lord wasn’t that much of a problem, but Willfred was unarmed and not in the mood to pick a fight with his bodyguard Malkolm.
Every hint of regret about the missing chance faded as Willfred entered the Great Hall. Lord Harlen Tyrell and his nephew Elias where already there. While Harlen was sitting on the large chair that was reserved for the lord of Raylansfair, Elias was standing next to him, like a glorified guardsman. The hall was full with smallfolk, dozens upon dozens of them, though none of them spoke. A strange silence filled the hall, while the reason Willfred did not regret his decision came from the courtyard through the large door.
The o… [view original content]
Willfred
For a short moment, Willfred wasn’t sure if he did the right choice. Hobert was up to something, it was clear to see. Yet on his… more own, there was little he could do to find it out, right? Even worse, who knew what Hobert might be capable of in his current state of anger. The scrawny lord wasn’t that much of a problem, but Willfred was unarmed and not in the mood to pick a fight with his bodyguard Malkolm.
Every hint of regret about the missing chance faded as Willfred entered the Great Hall. Lord Harlen Tyrell and his nephew Elias where already there. While Harlen was sitting on the large chair that was reserved for the lord of Raylansfair, Elias was standing next to him, like a glorified guardsman. The hall was full with smallfolk, dozens upon dozens of them, though none of them spoke. A strange silence filled the hall, while the reason Willfred did not regret his decision came from the courtyard through the large door.
The o… [view original content]
Willfred
For a short moment, Willfred wasn’t sure if he did the right choice. Hobert was up to something, it was clear to see. Yet on his… more own, there was little he could do to find it out, right? Even worse, who knew what Hobert might be capable of in his current state of anger. The scrawny lord wasn’t that much of a problem, but Willfred was unarmed and not in the mood to pick a fight with his bodyguard Malkolm.
Every hint of regret about the missing chance faded as Willfred entered the Great Hall. Lord Harlen Tyrell and his nephew Elias where already there. While Harlen was sitting on the large chair that was reserved for the lord of Raylansfair, Elias was standing next to him, like a glorified guardsman. The hall was full with smallfolk, dozens upon dozens of them, though none of them spoke. A strange silence filled the hall, while the reason Willfred did not regret his decision came from the courtyard through the large door.
The o… [view original content]
Key word being 'try' here. Aylard is out of his mind with grief and rage and this situation has been made only worse by Samantha's earlier honesty. I see this was a very hard choice for some of you, which is understandable. It would have been a hard choice for me as well and there will be important consequences coming out of this. However, the consequences might be a bit less straightforward than you may assume and the full picture of what your vote has changed will probably only be clear once I write down the alternative choices. However, one consequence I can safely reveal without spoiling anything is that John is going to have another part in this chapter.
And this part is going to be the next one. This next part is going to be a bit different than the others, because it is going to be the first part to include three PoV's. If the other option would have won, John's storyline in Chapter 6 would have been over here, but now he is going to have a bit of stuff to do in the next part. At the same time, his PoV won't be very long, which perfectly allowed me to combine it with another PoV that won't be very long, namely Jenna's. Otherwise, I might have decided to drag her PoV out for longer than it had to be, but I think it still has an adequate length. Together, both of them form one half of the next part. The third PoV and second hald of the next part is going to be reserved for Kersea. The last time we saw Jenna, she followed the shadowy servicemaid Saerya into the ravenry. There, she confronted her and Saerya revealed that she is in fact not a simple servicemaid, but a spy in service to Aegon Targaryen. She also revealed that her intentions for this city are not harmful and instead she even works against Sherryl. Because of this, she offered Jenna to team up. Even though she had her doubts, Jenna accepted this offer. Meanwhile, Kersea and Clayton travelled to the castle, where they located their next target, Septon Corbin. After being caught by Jenna at the end of Chapter 5, the Septon was revealed to work for Butterfly. With his knowledge, he was now a liability. Therefore, Clayton was tasked with killing him. In order to send a message to Butterfly's other agents in this city, he was also tasked to torture him to death. To punish her for her earlier failure, Clayton ordered Kersea to torture him, but she instead opted to kill the Septon quickly.
John shook his head. “I’m afraid I can’t let you pass, Aylard”, he said calmly. “I won’t let you do this” The innkeeper narrowed his eyes, gripping his hammer firmly. Daghan threw an alarmed glare in John’s direction, while Sasha slowly approached from the other end of the hallway. “You don’t know what I’m going to do”, Aylard answered. He looked almost pleadingly. “Get out of my way”
“Aylard, I know Lucas for years now and I know for sure that he would never harm Lunett”, John said and noticed a pained expression of pure grief flashing over Aylard’s face. “But he did”, he answered. “Maybe he hasn’t killed her personally, but he took her to this hellish city in the first place!”
The door to Daghan’s right got opened and Janae glanced out. Her gaze fell on Samantha, who sluggishly rose from the ground, then on Aylard. “Son of a bitch”, she mumbled. “What are you going to do, with Lucas and Leonard?”, John asked and Aylard narrowed his eyes. “Depends on their answers”, he growled. John sighed and shook his head again. “I can’t let you do this. Lucas and I, we’ve been through too much together”, he explained. “Stand down, please”
“I can’t”, Aylard mumbled and shook his head, a broken and defeated man who just wasn’t able to back down. He glanced at his hammer. Behind him, Janae let out a muffled curse. In the very same moment, Aylard tackled John. Under other circumstances, John would have remained standing. But Aylard had a lot of weight and all of it hit John’s ribs, still damaged from his fight against Bear. He stumbled backwards and both men fell down the stairs.
Head over heels, they landed on the wooden floor of the taproom. While John was still stunned by the sudden pain, Aylard threw two quick punches against the side of his head. Shocked screams around him, while muffled, were the only thing John heard. He spotted people, guests of the tavern, too scared to intervene. Then, Aylard punched him in the face, almost hard enough to make him loose his consciousness.
His sight was blurry as he glanced at the stairs, where Janae stood. She had her bow in one hand, the other one around an arrow, thirty inches of hardened wood with a tip of pointed steel. Aylard did not see her, as he was kneeling on top of John, one hand still around his hammer, the other one ready to punch again. Even though John tried to shake his head, she took aim.
It was Daghan who saved Aylard’s life. He reached out and managed to grab the upper tip of Janae’s bow, causing her to loose her aim. The arrow flew downstairs and would have killed Aylard without the intervention. Instead of the innkeeper’s neck, it only hit the ground next to him.
In mild shock, Aylard looked up, just as Janae wrestled her bow out of Daghan’s hand. In her anger, she fiercely slammed the weapon into the knights’ face. Aylard used this moment to rise from the ground, his face showing that he realized the danger he was in. He glanced at John, his face a mask of sorrow, as he turned to the door.
John barely noticed it. He saw that Janae rushed downstairs and took another arrow out of her quiver. “No”, he mumbled. She glanced down at him, her eyes full of worry, then back at the door. Then she lowered her weapon.
“Goddamn it John”, she hissed. “Stay awake. Don’t you dare doing that to me!” John smiled at her, or at least he thought that he smiled. She softly held him and to his surprise, he noticed tears in her eyes. Out of all the things around him, it was the only thing he fully noticed, as he slowly faded into unconsciousness.
No Choices for this part
Jenna
There was something about Saerya that gave Jenna an uncomfortable feeling. On the one hand, there was her beauty, her kind and honest smile, her bright, keen eyes. She appeared to be someone whom Jenna usually would and should trust. Yet at the same time, the easiness with which she lied, it was off-putting. Whatever she was planning, Jenna could never be sure about her true intentions. Fire and Blood.
Then there was Sherryl. Whatever she was planning, Jenna knew it couldn’t be good, not for Raylansfair or for anyone else besides Sherryl herself. She was manipulating Harris, she was trying to manipulate Jenna and this was enough to make her seem like the bigger evil here. At the very least, Saerya had been honest with her. She had been honest, right? Fire and Blood. Jenna had no choice.
“I will work with you”, she said and Saerya’s smile got even brighter. “Good”, the woman answered. “Oh, this is wonderful. I have hoped for your help” She shrugged. “Besides, I would have hated to kill you”
Her words hit Jenna by surprise. “Killing me?”, she whispered, with widely opened eyes. Saerya shook her head. “That won’t be necessary now”, she answered. “But since this is the beginning of our partnership, I should be honest with you” She knelt down, so that she was able to look Jenna in the eyes. “I decided to reveal my identity to you specifically because I like you and feel that we can both benefit from a partnership”, she explained. “At the same time, it should be clear that my mission always comes first”
Stunned by her honesty, Jenna was only able to give Saerya a meek nod. “Have you... already done it?”, she asked. Her feet started to move without her even wanting it and she started to fully climb the ladder. “I mean... killing someone for your mission” Oh gods, what was she talking about? Jenna wasn’t sure if she was fascinated, or close to a panic. She settled for a mixture of both.
Saerya shook her head. “No, and I hope it stays that way”, she sighed. “My contact in the city, the man that accompanied me from Dragonstone, he told me that killing is easy if done for the right cause. I have no reason to doubt his words”
Jenna gulped, as she remembered the evening Ilhan died. Saerya narrowed her eyes. “Everything alright? You don’t need to be afraid of me”, she assured her and Jenna shook her head. “It didn’t look easy when Harris... You know that Harris murdered Ilhan, right?”, she asked and Saerya gave her a nod. “Talked to the good Septon Corbin two days ago. He has been very helpful”, she answered. “What you did with him was impressive work by the way, well done! It was the first time I ever saw you as a potential ally”
Saerya’s words did wonders in calming her down and Jenna allowed herself a proud smile, while she slightly blushed. “Oh, that was nothing”, she mumbled, while she faced the ground. Then, she looked up and directly into Saerya’s crystal blue eyes. “What’s going to be our next step?”, she asked firmly.
“Now we are going to bring this bitch Sherryl down for good”, Saerya explained with a pleased smile. “She’s not going to see it coming. I made sure that she sees me as just another servicemaid and you... well, you’re in a position even better, because she underestimates you”
“Does she?”, Jenna asked. To her surprise, Saerya put a hand onto her shoulder. “Oh yes she does”, she assured her. “You survived all that’s been thrown at you, you even managed to win Harris’ trust and you managed to bring down Septon Corbin. If anything, you’re underestimating yourself”
This time, Jenna’s smile was entirely genuine. “That’s what I mean”, Saerya grinned. “You see, Sherryl is working for someone else” Jenna gave her a nod. “I guessed that much”, she answered. “Do you know for whom?”
Saerya shook her head. “I’m good at my game, but Sherryl is not bad at hers either”, she explained. “She is manipulating Harris in the name of someone else. I have also reason to believe that she is the one that sent ravens to Storm’s End and Mander’s Mouth, informing Hobert and Durrandon of their sudden inheritance”
“Both?”, Jenna exclaimed. “That makes no sense. Why would she play all of them against each other?” Saerya shrugged. “Jenna, if you would be in Sherryl’s position, what would you do?”, she asked.
Jenna only needed a moment to answer. It was clear what she would do in Sherryl’s position. “I would play it safe. I would ally myself with the strongest faction”, she answered. “That would be the Storm King”
“Indeed”, Saerya confirmed. “So far, Sherryl’s strategy does not quite match with this. If she truly plans on allying with the Storm King, why has she informed Hobert?” She shook her head. “It is especially baffling, since her childhood friend Tariel reportedly has a position at Durrandon’s court”
“So, if she’s not working for Durrandon, whom is she working for?”, Jenna asked. Saerya sighed. “The strongest faction, I presume”, she answered. “So far I believed that Durrandon would be the strongest faction in this game, but Sherryl’s duplicity tipped me off that there must be more” Her friendly smile returned and she softly grabbed Jenna’s hands, holding them in her own. “And you are going to find out the truth, sweet”
“Me?”, Jenna asked. She wasn’t baffled, not even surprised. Her fear of the Targaryen spy was all but gone replaced by deep and unusual confidence that she could actually make a difference this time. “You”, Saerya confirmed. “As unexpected as the little fawn’s early arrival here is, I believe she is going to keep Sherryl busy for some time. A perfect opportunity to search her room, don’t you agree?”
“Agreed”, Jenna answered firmly. “But how do I get into there? I think I need a key” Saerya smirked and let go of her hands. “We’re a team now, aren’t we?”, she chuckled. “You leave it to me. I have always been good at acquiring things” A joyful spark appeared in her eyes. “With a bit of luck, you and me are going to have Sherryl’s plans and Sherryl herself destroyed by tomorrow”
No Choices for this part
Kersea
Kersea sighed as she glanced down at the desperate Septon. She had given up so much of herself already. Would it really make a difference if she’d torture this man to death? He’d die either way. Would it turn her into something she wasn’t yet? Was it worth risking Clayton’s wrath? She decided that it didn’t matter. Sometimes, the lesser evil was worth choosing.
Swiftly, she embedded the dagger into Corbin’s chest, exactly where his heart was located. The man’s eyes widened and as she pulled the weapon out of his body, he fell to the ground, dead before he reached it.
“Are you fucking kidding me?”, Clayton exclaimed. He spun around to face her, a murderous streak in his glare and he raised his hand. Instead of cringing back, she only slightly moved her head, presenting her cheek, while defiantly glaring at him. “Hit me if it pleases you”, she hissed.
Clayton was breathing in barely suppressed rage. Then, he lowered his hand again. “No”, he growled. “No, you were right to do it” His voice showed to her that he didn’t mean these words. “I let my anger over your earlier behaviour get in the way of our mission”
While he said this, he knelt down, next to the corpse, as he drew a long knife from his belt. With cold-blooded and methodical movements, he started to cut through Corbin’s face, deeply disfiguring it in a matter of seconds. Disgusted, Kersea averted her eyes and instead faced the door. Still, the squishing sound of Clayton’s blade, cutting through flesh like a butcher’s knife, was downright nauseating.
“Done”, he exclaimed after a short while. She did not turn around and instead walked to the door as he appeared next to her. “No one will be able to tell wether or not he received these wounds before his death”, he said softly. “He’s still going to be our warning example of what happens to those that disappoint Butterfly” While he said this, he stared at her.
“Again with this?”, she said and despite the fact that she was scared, she tried to sound bored. Clayton chuckled softly. “Oh my dear, you’re not taking it seriously”, he whispered. “But you have no idea what’s going to happen now. No idea at all. Trust me, you provoked me for the last time”
“I wouldn’t count on it”, she answered as they walked out into the courtyard. Clayton did not answer, which was a bad sign. She knew she had pushed him again. She knew it when he refused to hit her. She knew, this time it would be worse than before. And even though she wasn’t afraid for herself, the fear for Briar’s safety caused her to regret her decision.
Clayton was unusually silent all the way back to their hideout, which only further fuelled her fear. She knew it was too late to go back now. Something changed in the way he saw her. Not for the first time, Kersea felt regret over the fact that she refused his advances back when she first met him. Being his lover, it would be better than whatever it was between them right now. His one-sided love. Their shared hatred.
Because of his silence, because of his distance and obvious disappointment, it came as a surprise when he grabbed her by the arm just after they entered the street where their hideout was located. The look on his face was one of cold professionalism and she understood that something has happened. Alysanne...
“Something is not right”, he mumbled. “This way” He turned around and pushed her into another alleyway, while she gave him a confused look. “What do you mean?”, she asked. He shook his head. “Haven’t you watched our window?”, he asked in return. “Someone was standing there and it was not Alysanne”
“City guard?”, she asked. Again, he shook his head. “Unlikely”, he answered. “They wouldn’t have been that good. And it wasn’t Wolfius either, for he’s still in fucking custody. No, I don’t know who it is, but I have the bad feeling that I won’t like it”
In silence, they sneaked down the alleyway, to the back entrance of the house where their hideout was located. Clayton glanced through the keyhole, before he gave Kersea a nod. He opened the door and she swiftly entered the hallway behind. Now, their personal differences did not matter. They had a mutual threat and had to neutralize it first.
The hallway was empty, although Kersea spotted heavy footsteps in the dust. Three men who had made no effort of hiding their presence. This was either good, or very, very bad. Probably, it was the latter.
With Clayon shortly behind her, she moved up the stairs and they took position to both sides of the door that led to their hideout. Silently, they drew their weapons and Clayton put a hand onto the doorknob. He gave her a nod and opened the door, the very same moment she jumped through it. Instead of attacking an enemy, she stopped in surprise as two swords were immediately pointed at her. Clayton behind her only managed to let out a muffled, but severe curse.
There were four people in the room. One of them, standing on the right, was a young, dark-skinned man from the Summer Isles, holding a longsword and pointing it directly at Kersea’s throat. The one to his left was a fair-skinned and fair-haired man in his forties. He was holding a short sword and a throwing knife, pointing both at Clayton.
Between them, on the bed, sat a man of about thirty years. He was handsome, with blonde hair that reached down to his shoulders and a cocky smile on his face. He was wearing a long coat, but left it open, so that it exposed his chest. Kersea spotted a huge scar that spanned across it. He had one arm wrapped around Alysanne, who was sitting next to him in obvious discomfort. The fact that his hand was touching her bandaged wounds obviously caused her pain.
“Hello, Clayton”, the man said with a warm, jovial voice. Kersea glanced at Clayton and saw him with his one eye narrowed in hatred. “Rayden”, he growled. “What are you doing here?” The man, Rayden, removed his hand from Alysanne’s shoulder and she breathed out in relief.
“Butterfly sent us. After the debacle with Wolfius and Corbin, he thought that you could need some help”, Rayden grinned. “He is disappointed, Clayton. He demands results and decided to send back-up”
“We don’t need your help”, Clayton growled and Rayden chuckled. “This is not up to you, One-Eye”, he answered and put a hand into his coat. Kersea tensed up, until she saw that he was only pulling out a piece of paper. “New orders”, he said as he rose from the bed. Slowly, he walked through the room, straight towards Clayton. “Put the weapons down, lads”, he ordered. “We’re all friends here, aren’t we?” And with these words, he handed Clayton the paper.
Without saying a word, Clayton started to read. “Wildfire!”, he exclaimed. “This is going to be a huge piece of work” Rayden gave him a nod. “And because of this, you need us. I’ve heard it is an awfully large amount of as I saw, the beautiful Alysanne is not exactly useful anymore”
“Go fuck yourself, Rayden”, Alysanne hissed. “I could still kill you with my little finger.” Rayden let out an almost effeminate laugh. “Aren’t you the jokester, my love”, he said, before he turned to Clayton. “Anyways, I just wanted to meet you. Wanted to see how your eye is. We have our own hideout, away from you and your girls” His voice turned chillingly cold as he said this, but his smile remained dissonantly warm.
“I suppose you are tired now. You're way past your prime after all”, he grinned. “We’re going to leave now, but we expect to find you here tomorrow. There’s a lot of work to do” Clayton gave him a brief nod. “Of course”, he answered. “We’ll do whatever Butterfly orders”
“I’m sure you will”, Rayden said as he and his men moved out of the room. “Toodeloo, One-Eye and good night” And with that, he was gone, leaving a highly confused Kersea behind. She wasted no time to rush towards Alysanne, who was slightly shivering. Her friend looked up and a weak smile formed on her face. “Hey puppy”, she said.
“Alysanne!”, she exclaimed. “Has he hurt you?” Alysanne grinned. “I’ve been through way worse. I had to concentrate not to rip out his throat with my bare teeth. You never met him, did you?” Kersea shook her head. “Well, puppy, have you ever asked yourself why Clayton only has one eye?”
Kersea gave Clayton an alarmed glare, as he closed the door. “There’s a reason both I and he hate his guts”, Alysanne explained. “The fact that he’s here is only bound to cause trouble” Clayton gave her a tired nod. “And because of this, we have to kill him”, he mumbled.
His straightforwardness obviously baffled not only Kersea, but Alysanne as well, who smiled in confusion. “Killing him?”, she asked and Clayton gave her a nod. “He’s a problem. I know Rayden. Rash, foolish, cocky and overconfident. He endangers the mission”, he answered and moved a hand to the scarred flesh on his face. “Besides, I still have a score to settle”
He looked at Kersea. “I don’t have to ask you, Alysanne. I know you’re always up to kill someone. But Kersea...”, he mumbled. “My dearest Kersea, what we have here is an unique opportunity for you. Do you want to get back into my good graces?”
“I couldn’t care less about your good graces”, Kersea answered truthfully. Clayton shook his head. “Kersea, this one is way beyond our personal differences. This mission is at stake, because I know that Rayden would fuck everything up again. We’re going to use him for a while, but when the time comes, I need your help to take him down. We’re going to make it look like an accident of course”
“Why should I help you?”, Kersea asked and Clayton sighed. “Because your little sisters life will be over the moment our mission fails. And with Rayden, it will fail. Even if you want it to fail, trust me that you won’t be happy with this”, he explained. “Rayden’s approach to a mission is brutal. There will be casualties, many dead civilians, people who otherwise could have lived. What we have here is an opportunity for you. Help me and maybe I will ignore your earlier fuck-ups. Help me and you save a lot of lives. Help me and you hurt Butterfly by taking out one of his most trusted killers” He smiled. “All you have to do is to help me kill Rayden!”
John
John shook his head. “I’m afraid I can’t let you pass, Aylard”, he said calmly. “I won’t let you do this” The innkeeper narrowed his… more eyes, gripping his hammer firmly. Daghan threw an alarmed glare in John’s direction, while Sasha slowly approached from the other end of the hallway. “You don’t know what I’m going to do”, Aylard answered. He looked almost pleadingly. “Get out of my way”
“Aylard, I know Lucas for years now and I know for sure that he would never harm Lunett”, John said and noticed a pained expression of pure grief flashing over Aylard’s face. “But he did”, he answered. “Maybe he hasn’t killed her personally, but he took her to this hellish city in the first place!”
The door to Daghan’s right got opened and Janae glanced out. Her gaze fell on Samantha, who sluggishly rose from the ground, then on Aylard. “Son of a bitch”, she mumbled. “What are you going to do, with Lucas and Leonard?”, John asked and Aylard narrowe… [view original content]
John
John shook his head. “I’m afraid I can’t let you pass, Aylard”, he said calmly. “I won’t let you do this” The innkeeper narrowed his… more eyes, gripping his hammer firmly. Daghan threw an alarmed glare in John’s direction, while Sasha slowly approached from the other end of the hallway. “You don’t know what I’m going to do”, Aylard answered. He looked almost pleadingly. “Get out of my way”
“Aylard, I know Lucas for years now and I know for sure that he would never harm Lunett”, John said and noticed a pained expression of pure grief flashing over Aylard’s face. “But he did”, he answered. “Maybe he hasn’t killed her personally, but he took her to this hellish city in the first place!”
The door to Daghan’s right got opened and Janae glanced out. Her gaze fell on Samantha, who sluggishly rose from the ground, then on Aylard. “Son of a bitch”, she mumbled. “What are you going to do, with Lucas and Leonard?”, John asked and Aylard narrowe… [view original content]
John
John shook his head. “I’m afraid I can’t let you pass, Aylard”, he said calmly. “I won’t let you do this” The innkeeper narrowed his… more eyes, gripping his hammer firmly. Daghan threw an alarmed glare in John’s direction, while Sasha slowly approached from the other end of the hallway. “You don’t know what I’m going to do”, Aylard answered. He looked almost pleadingly. “Get out of my way”
“Aylard, I know Lucas for years now and I know for sure that he would never harm Lunett”, John said and noticed a pained expression of pure grief flashing over Aylard’s face. “But he did”, he answered. “Maybe he hasn’t killed her personally, but he took her to this hellish city in the first place!”
The door to Daghan’s right got opened and Janae glanced out. Her gaze fell on Samantha, who sluggishly rose from the ground, then on Aylard. “Son of a bitch”, she mumbled. “What are you going to do, with Lucas and Leonard?”, John asked and Aylard narrowe… [view original content]
John
John shook his head. “I’m afraid I can’t let you pass, Aylard”, he said calmly. “I won’t let you do this” The innkeeper narrowed his… more eyes, gripping his hammer firmly. Daghan threw an alarmed glare in John’s direction, while Sasha slowly approached from the other end of the hallway. “You don’t know what I’m going to do”, Aylard answered. He looked almost pleadingly. “Get out of my way”
“Aylard, I know Lucas for years now and I know for sure that he would never harm Lunett”, John said and noticed a pained expression of pure grief flashing over Aylard’s face. “But he did”, he answered. “Maybe he hasn’t killed her personally, but he took her to this hellish city in the first place!”
The door to Daghan’s right got opened and Janae glanced out. Her gaze fell on Samantha, who sluggishly rose from the ground, then on Aylard. “Son of a bitch”, she mumbled. “What are you going to do, with Lucas and Leonard?”, John asked and Aylard narrowe… [view original content]
John
John shook his head. “I’m afraid I can’t let you pass, Aylard”, he said calmly. “I won’t let you do this” The innkeeper narrowed his… more eyes, gripping his hammer firmly. Daghan threw an alarmed glare in John’s direction, while Sasha slowly approached from the other end of the hallway. “You don’t know what I’m going to do”, Aylard answered. He looked almost pleadingly. “Get out of my way”
“Aylard, I know Lucas for years now and I know for sure that he would never harm Lunett”, John said and noticed a pained expression of pure grief flashing over Aylard’s face. “But he did”, he answered. “Maybe he hasn’t killed her personally, but he took her to this hellish city in the first place!”
The door to Daghan’s right got opened and Janae glanced out. Her gaze fell on Samantha, who sluggishly rose from the ground, then on Aylard. “Son of a bitch”, she mumbled. “What are you going to do, with Lucas and Leonard?”, John asked and Aylard narrowe… [view original content]
[Agree to kill Rayden] Rayden will likely be a threat if he gives even Clayton pause. As long as we do nothing monstrous I can imagine Kersea retaining her humanity while doing what needs to be done. At the end of the day, despite their issues, Kersea and Clayton are on the same side. I'm a little worried about what Butterfly will do if he finds out though.
Rayden seems interesting, I have my doubts that our assassination attempt will be successful though. Like Clayton he seems smart and dangerous, but unlike Clayton he seems to be level headed.
John
John shook his head. “I’m afraid I can’t let you pass, Aylard”, he said calmly. “I won’t let you do this” The innkeeper narrowed his… more eyes, gripping his hammer firmly. Daghan threw an alarmed glare in John’s direction, while Sasha slowly approached from the other end of the hallway. “You don’t know what I’m going to do”, Aylard answered. He looked almost pleadingly. “Get out of my way”
“Aylard, I know Lucas for years now and I know for sure that he would never harm Lunett”, John said and noticed a pained expression of pure grief flashing over Aylard’s face. “But he did”, he answered. “Maybe he hasn’t killed her personally, but he took her to this hellish city in the first place!”
The door to Daghan’s right got opened and Janae glanced out. Her gaze fell on Samantha, who sluggishly rose from the ground, then on Aylard. “Son of a bitch”, she mumbled. “What are you going to do, with Lucas and Leonard?”, John asked and Aylard narrowe… [view original content]
Comments
[Help Edonia and Montclair]
Hiho, welcome back :-) Happy catching up.
[Help Edonia and Montclair]
[Don’t intervene] This is the classic situation where if too many people try to stop a fight that fight will start aka this time do nothing is the wisest thing to do. XD
PS:About last Marak PoV I must admit Liquid that you caught me off guard! I was almost sure that Ellena was the target to kill instead is Briar! And our current object is to kidnap Ellena! This mission make so many subplots in relation to each other!
Why good old Marak should be die? I mean,he will probably be in danger when the mission reach his climax (aka if we reach the trade) but until that moment I think that many others characters are more in danger than him XD
[Help Edonia and Montclair]
[Don’t intervene]
[Don't intervene]
Glad to see you back, Xemnes! You're back just in time, because the next part will feature John and Daghan
True, Marak is not exactly in much danger at the very moment. Then again, perhaps I am luring you into a false sense of security >:D Keep in mind, Noelle's plan is certainly going to piss off the one guy even Clayton is somewhat afraid of. This was Marak's final part in this chapter though, so any kind of danger he may or may not be in would take place in the next act. That said, you are definitely right when you say that many other characters are in greater danger. Some of them are in fact in very severe and immediate danger at the moment. Poor Septon Corbin comes to mind, but he's not the only one.
(Help Edonia and Montclair)
[Don't intervene]
No one in Westeros is going soft, and there is no shortage of intrigue and sly drama that doubtless foreshadows death, destruction and plentiful violence to come.
The Voting is closed!
Drent is going to help Edonia and Montclair
I'm not too surprised by this outcome. In fact, I would have probably chosen it as well. Garen is livid with anger at the moment and while Drent's presence is going to be a risk, considering that these two are definitely no friends and likely never will be, it might just be worth a try. That said, Edonia has a younger brother who is pretty much a less aggressive version of Garen, so she has plenty of experience dealing with people like him. And Montclair has authority, which Garen may or may not respect. Drent is going to have another part in this chapter, which by the way has most likely only ten parts left. Finishing it still takes me longer than expected, but we're nearing the end of Act 2, my friends. Have you noticed that in the entire chapter, no character from the character list died yet? It might change. It might change quite severely, so be prepared.
The next part is definitely going to be out in a few hours. It will feature two PoV's whom we haven't seen in a while, namely Willfred and John. The last time we saw Willfred was during a diplmatic talk between him, his uncle Roger and General Tallian, together with Harris and Darren, Hobert and Malkolm as well as Harlen Tyrell and his nephew Elias. Willfred trolled Hobert badly and managed to actually make him loose his temper, by switching sides and supporting Harris. This strengthened Harris' position, at least a little bit, while severely crippling Hobert's ambition. Their talks were cut short, when Harris had to leave because of Lucas and Leonard and because Lord Tyrell had to leave because of Argella Durrandon's arrival. While both Tyrells, as well as Roger and Tallian, immediately went to the Great Hall, to meet with the princess, Willfred saw that Hobert and his bodyguard Malkolm left for a different direction. He had the chance to follow them, to maybe find out what Hobert plans for his next step, or to play it safe and instead meet up with the others in the Great Hall. You chose the latter.
Meanwhile, John's last part has been a while ago, though he also appeared in Samantha's latest part. In his last part, he formed an uneasy alliance with the Targaryen knight Daghan Oxus, to help him in exchange for his earlier misbehaviour, when he stole from him. Daghan seems to have forgiven him in his own way. While the knight talked to Janae and the other members of John's company, John was called to the next room, where Behara cared for the woman they had managed to capture alive during the Second Son assault at the end of Chapter 5. While she was awake and able to talk, she refused to tell him anything of value. Because of this, John decided to let one of his men, I'lian, do the talking, since I'lian fames himself for his silver tongue. Afterwards, John and Daghan went to the main room of the tavern, while Janae, Temari and Jaro stayed upstairs to discuss their next steps. It was here where Samantha met them in her last part and where she informed him of Lunett's death. Later on, she met up with Aylard and decided to tell him the full truth about what happened to his daughter. John's part will start directly after Sam met up with Aylard again.
While we are waiting for the next parts, here some more illustrations. This time every character is from team Burned Man. I even got to draw the Burned Man himself, and my own dear Ser Bastard too! Other than those two, there are two lovely ladies Harpy and Keira, and on top of all that one more sellsword: Jarek. Hopefully you like 'em!
[Help Edonia and Montclair]
Great part!
Oh yes, I love them! Thank you very much, it is amazing work as always
I'm especially happy about the way Harpy and the Burned Man turned out. I was looking forward for them in particular and I am amazed at the results. While I also love foxbrg's interpretation of them, your drawings are a lot closer to how I always imagined them. Keira and Jarek are amazing as well. I like how Jarek looks so casual, yet dangerous, the drawing perfectly captured his character. Simlarly, Keira looks so nice and friendly and I like that as well. And then there's Jaron, my favourite from these drawings. I knew your drawing of him was going to be great, but you actually exceeded my expectations. I love the facial expression, it really fits him. His character had quite the development and while it was understandably less noticeable than Lucas, he's definitely no longer the slightly naive knight he has been when he entered Oldtown for the first time and I think it really shows in this image. This set of drawings made me all excited for the next Jaron part. I was already excited, but now I can't wait for it. Soon, very, very soon
Willfred
For a short moment, Willfred wasn’t sure if he did the right choice. Hobert was up to something, it was clear to see. Yet on his own, there was little he could do to find it out, right? Even worse, who knew what Hobert might be capable of in his current state of anger. The scrawny lord wasn’t that much of a problem, but Willfred was unarmed and not in the mood to pick a fight with his bodyguard Malkolm.
Every hint of regret about the missing chance faded as Willfred entered the Great Hall. Lord Harlen Tyrell and his nephew Elias where already there. While Harlen was sitting on the large chair that was reserved for the lord of Raylansfair, Elias was standing next to him, like a glorified guardsman. The hall was full with smallfolk, dozens upon dozens of them, though none of them spoke. A strange silence filled the hall, while the reason Willfred did not regret his decision came from the courtyard through the large door.
The occasions on which Willfred Reyne was actually at a loss of words were few, but the moment he lay eyes on the young woman that just entered the Great Hall was among them. She was close to perfection, and Willfred did not use this term lightly. Lush raven hair fell down below her shoulders in slight curls, framing and perfectly contrasting with her pale face. Two dark blue eyes, like sapphires, cautiously inspected her surroundings. Willfred’s gaze wandered down her face, to her yellow dress and a smirk formed on his face as he had to imagine the body undern...
Roger’s open palm heavily hit his stomach, causing him to grunt. “Close your mouth, boy”, he mumbled. “You act as if you’ve never seen a woman before” Willfred immediately closed his mouth and forced himself to avert his gaze from the young woman. “Not like her, uncle”, he answered. “By the gods, it appears I am betrothed to the wrong princess”
“That is the most undignified thing I ever heard you saying”, Roger growled. “Trust me, you don’t want to get close to Argilac Durrandon’s daughter. Lorna is a wonderful young woman and you should be thankful for her” What he said was true. Lorna, his betrothed, was the best match he could ever hope for and a beautiful woman in her own right. She was a Lannister after all. Still, Willfred couldn’t help but to be fascinated with the Storm Princess.
“It’s good that you have me and Vashord to keep you in... Vashord!”, Roger hissed, as he noticed that the general was similarly enthralled by her beauty. The general coughed in embarrassment and Roger shook his head. “If she wouldn’t look that good, she could be your daughter, so show some restraint”
Tallian mumbled something, while Wilfred smirked. “So, you admit that she looks good, uncle?”, he asked jokingly, as he watched Argella Durrandon and her entourage making their way through the crowd. Aside from the princess herself, there was Nora, the young captain of the guard at her side, as well as a tall Stormlander knight with dark hair behind her.
“Of course she looks good, I’m not fucking blind!”, Roger hissed loudly and his words cut through the silence. For a moment, Argella stopped, glanced at them and a distant smirk formed on her face, while Roger’s face turned a dark shade of red.
The princess’ way through the crowd was abruptly stopped. While most people avoided her at all cost, one man did the exact opposite. He was older, perhaps in his fifties and more of a stocky guy. While most of the people in the room looked more afraid than anything else, this particular man had tears of anger flowing down his face.
For a moment, Argella and the man just looked at each other. The princess said nothing, she just stopped walking, without getting too close to him, as she raised an eyebrow. The man in turn breathed heavily and clenched his fists.
Both, Nora and the Stormlander knight put their hands on the hilts of their weapons, but one quick glance from Argella caused them to hesitate. “You... how can you dare coming here?”, the man growled. Now, a hint of confusion flashed across the princess’ face. “What do you mean to say?”, she asked.
“After all that your father did... why are you here?”, he demanded to know in return. Argella glanced over her shoulder, at her knight, before she subtly shook her head. “I know, our kingdoms have been at each others throat for thousands of years. There has been a lot of bad blood, but I hope to...”
“Your father killed my brother!”, the man spat and the princess took a step back. “Excuse me?”, she asked and the man growled something in return. “Blackhaven”, he finally uttered in a sorrowful tone. “My brother died at Blackhaven”
“My condolences”, Argella answered without missing a beat. She sounded honest. Still, as she tried to walk past him, he continued to firmly block her path. “How can you dare to come here, after what your father did? After he murdered my brother? After he made widows out of half of our kingdom’s women”, he asked bitterly. “You mock our dead with your presence”
Argella sighed and visibly forced herself to take a step towards him. Softly, she put a hand onto his chest. “Mocking the dead has never been my intention”, she explained. “I come here in peace. There will be inevitable changes and I hope to make the future as easy as possible for all of us”
He slapped her hand away and Willfred saw how her expression hardened in an instant. “Don’t talk to me like that”, he growled. “You have no right to be here!” She shook her head. “I have every right in the world to be here”, she clarified. “What happened to your brother is tragic, but I had no hand in his death” She narrowed her eyes. “And you will step out of my way”
The man shook his head. “Make me”, he growled and Tallian put a hand onto his face, slightly shaking his head. Argella glanced over her shoulder. “Let me put it this way. I think I have been kind enough to you and you’re about to overstep my patience”, she said tonelessly. “If you don’t step aside right now, I will allow Ser Emphryus to break your jaw”
While an excited smirk formed on the knight’s face, the man in front of Argella started to shiver. “I...”, he stuttered, before he glanced at the knight. Then, he took a step aside. “This is not over”, he snarled. Argella completely ignored him as she walked past him. Instead, she had focused her stare on Lord Tyrell, who was sitting on his chair in visible discomfort.
“Pr... Princess Argella!”, he exclaimed. “We... we weren't expecting you!” Argella let out a sigh as she walked up to the chair, directly past two guards, who were too baffled by her straightforwardness to stop her. “Try not to sound too disappointed, Harlen”, she greeted him.
Lord Tyrell gave her an insecure nod. “O... of course, Princess. May I say, it is an honour to have you here. You look beautiful” A stunning, warm and almost genuine smile flashed across Argella's face. “Thank you, Harlen. Next time, tell me something I don't know already”, she said sternly, as if she was talking to a child, as she glanced over her shoulder, looking at her soldiers and then at the smallfolk that had gathered in Raylansfair's Great Hall. “I am here to claim Raylansfair in the name of my father” The hall erupted into a multitude of distressed voices, a cacophony of despair.
“Oh shit...”, Tallian mumbled and exchanged an alarmed glare with Roger, while Willfred took the opportunity to carefully eye the princess once more. Now that she was closer, she appeared even more beautiful to him and it was almost painful to look at her with self-restraint.
She waited until the crowd has calmed down, with her knight standing at her side. Finally, she raised her hands, silencing all but the most distraught. “Please, good people”, she said. “I know you are upset. I know you are shocked. But I can promise you, no harm will come upon you. I swear it, by my honour”
Lord Tyrell cleared his throat, which caused her to shift her attention towards him. “Yes, Harlen?”, she asked. Tyrell avoided to directly look at her. “My... Princess Argella, this comes as a surprise. I have... we need to discuss this, because your father is not the only one who has claimed this city”
“I expected that much”, Argella said with a smile. “Where are these pretenders? I desire to talk to them” She glanced at Willfred, who felt as if his heart just skipped a beat. “Uh... these are revered guests from the Kingdom of the Rock”, Tyrell explained and Argella took a step towards them. Willfred gulped.
“To the left, we have General Vashord Tallian. Then, there is Ser Roger Hill, the bastard of Castamere”, Tyrell said and Argella’s smile got momentarily smaller. “Finally, there is Ser Willfred Reyne, heir to Castamere”
As the name got mentioned, Argella’s bright eyes widened with delightful joy. “Reyne? I wasn’t expecting such an important name here”, she remarked and Willfred allowed himself to smile at her. “It’s a pleasure, mylady”, he said and took a gallant bow in front of her. She looked impressed, while Tyrell slightly coughed, which caused her to shift his attention back to him. “Yes, Harlen?”, she asked.
“About... about the important name”, Tyrell said in embarrassment and Argella raised an eyebrow. “Are you going anywhere with this?”, she asked. “No? Good. Then let us come straight to the first point of importance” Her smile faded. “I believe you sit on my chair”
Tyrell opened his mouth, as a baffled look flashed across his face. “I... what?”, he asked flatly. Under Argella’s intense stare, he indeed started to rise from the chair. “It has been a long journey from Storm’s End”, she explained. “Surely you don’t expect me to stand, do you?”
“Of... of course not, my princess”, Tyrell said with a deep bow, as he presented his own chair to her. With a pleased nod, Argella sat down. “Now you can do me another favour”, she ordered. “Go and bring me the pretenders. I desire to talk to them”
Tyrell only hesitated for a moment, before he took a bow in front of her. “Look carefully and you can see his missing backbone”, Roger whispered. “As you wish, my princess”, the lord said. Argella flashed him a white smile, before she glanced at Elias. “And you... I desire refreshments. Bring me a cup of your best vintage. Another one for Ser Emphryus and one for the good Captain Nora”, she ordered.
Elias shook his head. “I am not a servant”, he growled, unimpressed with the princess. “I am a knight. Ser Elias Tyrell” Argella gave him an nod. “Tales of your skill has travelled far”, she complimented him. “And now be a dear and follow my order. Oh, and see if you can find some strawberries”
Elias exchanged a glance with his uncle, who gave him a quick nod. The young knight sighed. “As you wish... my princess”, he mumbled, before he and Harlen went into two different directions out of the room. Argella leant back on her chair and put her hands behind her head. A relieved smile formed on her face. “Good”, she said. “Very, very good” She looked at the smallfolk, which in turn looked at her with curiosity, anger and fear. “It appears this is going to be a lot of work”
No Choices for this part
John
Samantha was back. What should have been a source of major relief for John instead only added to the stress he felt at the moment. Seeing how she was tormenting herself, it broke his heart. Samantha was back. And Lunett Kawl was dead.
“What are you thinking about?”, Daghan asked. John looked up and the knight gave him a curious look. “Sammy. Aylard. Everything”, John answered with a sigh. Daghan glanced at the stairs. “I don’t know enough about what happened, but this Aylard, is he going to be a problem?”, he asked.
This time, John shook his head. “He just lost his daughter”, he explained and an understanding expression flashed across Daghan’s face. “That makes him a huge problem”, he argued. “If something would happen to my Cass...”
John ignored the pain this name caused him. Right now, he had more severe problems. “He is not my problem”, he admitted. “As long as he does not hut any of my men” He saw someone walking down the steps and for a moment, he expected Aylard or Samantha. Instead, it was I’lian, who had a triumphant grin on his face. “Good news everyone!”, he exclaimed. Daghan looked up and John leant forwards in curiosity. “She talked?”, he asked and I’lian gave him a nod. “More than that. She agreed to talk to you”, he answered and pointed his thumbs at himself. “Silver tongue”
However, his smile faded as he realized that something wasn’t right. “What have I missed?”, he asked. “Sammy is back”, John answered tonelessly and I’lian seemed confused. “That is good, isn’t it?”, he asked. John just shook his head. “Something happened”, he answered. He saw the concern on I’lian’s face. “Sammy is alright”, he calmed him down. “But still...” He sighed. “Still we should talk about your results first. You say the girl is willing to talk to me?”
“Indeed”, I’lian confirmed and furrowed his brows. “But... where is Sammy? Haven’t seen the girl in months” His smile returned and he chuckled. “Could need someone who’s a bit easy on the eyes, you know what I mean?”
“She’s with this Aylard guy”, Daghan answered. “His daughter is dead” I’lian’s smile was gone in an instant. “Oh shit... this is not good”, he mumbled. John rose from his chair. “There’s not much we can do for her now”, he said. “For now we should talk to our prisoner before she blacks out again”
“I’m coming with you”, Daghan shortly proclaimed and John gave him a nod. Somehow, the knight had managed to make Janae trust him, at least a little bit. This was enough for John to trust him as well, at least a little bit.
Together, the three men walked up the stairs. As they passed Aylard’s door, John heard Samantha’s voice, mumbling something, while a woman, most likely Gunel, was sobbing loudly. At the other end of the hallway, Sasha was kneeling on the ground. She had one hand on the shoulder of Sawyer Kawl and was softly speaking to him.
They entered the room and John saw the young woman sitting on the bed. She wasn’t handcuffed, a fact that surprised him. The look on her face was still a bit dizzy, but a smirk formed on her face as she saw them entering. She pushed a strand of dark hair out of her face.
“John, Daghan, meet Lenrianda”, I’lian introduced her. “Lenrianda, these are John Gutten and Daghan Oxus” As he mentioned the last name, the woman raised an eyebrow. “So, you’re that jackass that nearly killed me”, she said.
“I’m that jackass that did not hit you hard enough”, Daghan corrected her and she grinned. “Sorry. You hit me so badly, I still can’t see correctly”, she answered. “You can’t be that ugly, can you?” The knight grinned a joyless grin, while I’lian winked at John. “She got quite the mouth, huh?”, he chuckled.
“Charming”, John said flatly. “So, you want to talk?” Lenrianda gave him a nod and immediately put a hand onto head. “Your man convinced me that you’re the good guys”, she explained. “Told me my options. I chose the one with which I get to stay alive”
“Clever girl”, John said. “So, I got some questions about the Second Sons” She smirked. “Figured that much. Unfortunately, I’m not a Second Son”, she answered. He narrowed his eyes and she raised her hand. “Easy, big guy”, she mumbled. “I’m independent. Decided to do a run with the Sons after I met them near Raylansfair. I guess you and your people are familiar with the concept”
John gave her a nod and she continued. “That still does not mean that I’m worthless. I know a lot, about Rodrik’s plans and why he was here, even a little bit of what his boss has planned”, she said. “However, my help comes at a price”
“I don’t think you’re in a position for that”, John growled. She grinned widely. “Wrong, Johnny. I’m in the best position here. What are you going to do, beat me until I confess? We both know, I wouldn’t survive this”, she answered.
John knew she had a point. Besides, torturing a prisoner for information wasn’t his style. “Your price?”, he asked. She leant back, resting her head against the wall. “See, I am independent, but not alone”, she said. “I have a friend, a partner so to say. Our camp is in the woods. Nym is not the type of person to leave without me, so I guess she’s still there”
“Nym?”, John remarked and she gave him a nod. “Nymeria Aspys", she explained. The name sounded vaguely familiar, even more so for Daghan, who raised both of his eyebrows. “House Aspys of Snakesbite, sworn to Martell”, he growled. “A dornish noble girl and a sellsword. Odd combination”
Lenrianda shook her head again, slowly this time. “Nym is not much of a noble lady”, she grinned. “Well... technically, but still. She’s out there and I want you to find her and bring her here. In return, I’m going to tell you everything I know” She sighed. “I have no loyalty to that bastard Rodrik. He was a job, nothing more and I have no problem with turning against him, if you help me first. Nym and I have been through a lot and I want to know if she’s alright”
“Understandable”, John growled and gave her a nod. “I’m going to think about...” Before he was able to continue, a loud noise from the hallway cut him off. It sounded like a door that just got slammed open. He narrowed his eyes and exchanged a glance with I’lian. “Stay with here”, he ordered. “Daghan, with me”
Wordlessly, the knight followed his order and the two stepped out of the room. The door to Aylard’s room was open and the former innkeeper was standing in front of it. John had never before seen a face like his. Tears streaming down uncontrollably, the expression disfigured by rage. He looked like a truly broken man. And he was holding his large warhammer with one hand.
“Aylard, please...”, Samantha said softly from behind him. The innkeeper turned around and without hesitating or holding back in the slightest, he heavily slapped her in the face, hard enough to send her to the ground.
“Sammy!”, Sasha yelled from the other end of the hallway. She had drawn her dagger even before she had finished jumping up. Her left hand was still resting on Sawyer’s shoulder and for a moment, she looked from him to the dagger. Then, a horrified expression flashed across her face and she raised both hands. “Little one, you get back inside”, she whispered loudly. He gave her an innocent look, before he followed with a nod. His stare fell on his father. “Father?”, he asked. “What happened? Where’s Lun?”
Aylard did not answer, he turned around and lifted Samantha up from the ground, while John and Daghan approached him. “YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO SAVE HER!”, he yelled at the top of his lungs. “I TRUSTED YOU! I FUCKING TRUSTED YOU!”
He let go of her, both of them were crying. “I’m sorry...”, Samantha mumbled weakly, without looking at him. “I should have done more. I’m sorry...” Aylard ignored her. Sobbing, he approached Daghan and John, who both blocked his path down the stairs.
He stopped in front of Daghan, both men glared at each other. “Get out of my way”, Aylard growled. Daghan gulped, his hands clenched to fists. “I know how it feels”, he said. “Loosing what you love the most” He stepped aside. “If I would even try to stop you, I had to kill you. I won’t”
Now, Aylard stopped in front of John. “Get out of my way, Gutten”, he mumbled weakly. “GET OUT OF MY WAY!” John gulped and shook his head as he looked at the huge warhammer. “What are you going to do, Aylard?”, he asked. The innkeeper breathed heavily, the pained expression on his face getting stronger and stronger. “I will seek out these self-righteous whoresons, these false knights”, he growled. “These careless bastards who abducted her and then failed to protect her. I will talk to them” He glanced at his hammer. “I will talk”, he stated again. “Now get out of my way”
[Try to calm Aylard down] [Get out of his way]
[Try to calm Aylard down] Either way someone is going to get hurt.
[Get out of his way]
This is very hard choice for me tbh, it's like you are asking who do you want to get hurt, or at least to be in a risk of getting hurt. I'll go out of his way just because something may happen untill he gets to Leonard and Lucas, and they will be in castle so they can possibly defend themselves better. Yet agian Daghan is strong guy who can prevent something bad so i may be making a mistake.
[Try to calm Aylard down] I suppose that we must at least try to calm him because if exist something that I'm sure is that Aylard is not going to "talk" (plus let him going around inside the city with an hammer during a crisis of rage seems a little irresponsible)
PS:About Willfred PoV..well..Argella basically stole the show!XD
Thanks again for the kind words! These were all pleasure to draw, but especially Jaron of course. Also, a not-so-fun fact: I had to basically draw the Burned Man twice. The first version was almost ready (lacked only some coloring), and as I was about to save it my laptop decided to crash and I lost almost all progress. That incident pissed me off so bad I had to take several days off from drawing these
[Try to calm Aylard down]
I have no idea what to pick. XD My mind is in circles. I'm thinking that if Aylard walks around with a warhammer surely the city guard will stop him, but then I think the city guard is probably preocupied with everything going on. If Aylard makes it to Lucas who knows what'll happen. Lucas isn't in the best state of mind right now and if Aylard provokes him I'm a little worried about what Lucas will do. Throw two seriously unstable, dangerous people at each other and you've got a fucking disaster on your hands.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!!!
I'm thinking that Lucas and John are pretty close so I imagine John doesn't want to just let Aylard unload on him. So in this case I'll choose loyalty over caution. [Try to calm Aylard down]
Seriously one of the hardest choices so far for me.
I had a moment when I though Aylard was gonna smash Sam's brains in with that hammer after he knocked her to the ground.
[Try to calm Aylard down]
Man, my opinion on Argella changes several times in one part
It's a love-hate relationship I suppose. No matter what though, she is a strong character.
[Try to calm Aylard down] Had to think about this for a while, but in the end letting him go after Lenny and Flowers just feels wrong.
(Try to calm Alyard down)
Wait, he's going to go find Lucas and Leonard? NO NO NO
[Try to calm Aylard down] Don't you dare.
[Try to calm Aylard down]
[Try to calm Aylard down]
The Voting is closed!
John is going to try to calm Aylard down
Key word being 'try' here. Aylard is out of his mind with grief and rage and this situation has been made only worse by Samantha's earlier honesty. I see this was a very hard choice for some of you, which is understandable. It would have been a hard choice for me as well and there will be important consequences coming out of this. However, the consequences might be a bit less straightforward than you may assume and the full picture of what your vote has changed will probably only be clear once I write down the alternative choices. However, one consequence I can safely reveal without spoiling anything is that John is going to have another part in this chapter.
And this part is going to be the next one. This next part is going to be a bit different than the others, because it is going to be the first part to include three PoV's. If the other option would have won, John's storyline in Chapter 6 would have been over here, but now he is going to have a bit of stuff to do in the next part. At the same time, his PoV won't be very long, which perfectly allowed me to combine it with another PoV that won't be very long, namely Jenna's. Otherwise, I might have decided to drag her PoV out for longer than it had to be, but I think it still has an adequate length. Together, both of them form one half of the next part. The third PoV and second hald of the next part is going to be reserved for Kersea. The last time we saw Jenna, she followed the shadowy servicemaid Saerya into the ravenry. There, she confronted her and Saerya revealed that she is in fact not a simple servicemaid, but a spy in service to Aegon Targaryen. She also revealed that her intentions for this city are not harmful and instead she even works against Sherryl. Because of this, she offered Jenna to team up. Even though she had her doubts, Jenna accepted this offer. Meanwhile, Kersea and Clayton travelled to the castle, where they located their next target, Septon Corbin. After being caught by Jenna at the end of Chapter 5, the Septon was revealed to work for Butterfly. With his knowledge, he was now a liability. Therefore, Clayton was tasked with killing him. In order to send a message to Butterfly's other agents in this city, he was also tasked to torture him to death. To punish her for her earlier failure, Clayton ordered Kersea to torture him, but she instead opted to kill the Septon quickly.
John
John shook his head. “I’m afraid I can’t let you pass, Aylard”, he said calmly. “I won’t let you do this” The innkeeper narrowed his eyes, gripping his hammer firmly. Daghan threw an alarmed glare in John’s direction, while Sasha slowly approached from the other end of the hallway. “You don’t know what I’m going to do”, Aylard answered. He looked almost pleadingly. “Get out of my way”
“Aylard, I know Lucas for years now and I know for sure that he would never harm Lunett”, John said and noticed a pained expression of pure grief flashing over Aylard’s face. “But he did”, he answered. “Maybe he hasn’t killed her personally, but he took her to this hellish city in the first place!”
The door to Daghan’s right got opened and Janae glanced out. Her gaze fell on Samantha, who sluggishly rose from the ground, then on Aylard. “Son of a bitch”, she mumbled. “What are you going to do, with Lucas and Leonard?”, John asked and Aylard narrowed his eyes. “Depends on their answers”, he growled. John sighed and shook his head again. “I can’t let you do this. Lucas and I, we’ve been through too much together”, he explained. “Stand down, please”
“I can’t”, Aylard mumbled and shook his head, a broken and defeated man who just wasn’t able to back down. He glanced at his hammer. Behind him, Janae let out a muffled curse. In the very same moment, Aylard tackled John. Under other circumstances, John would have remained standing. But Aylard had a lot of weight and all of it hit John’s ribs, still damaged from his fight against Bear. He stumbled backwards and both men fell down the stairs.
Head over heels, they landed on the wooden floor of the taproom. While John was still stunned by the sudden pain, Aylard threw two quick punches against the side of his head. Shocked screams around him, while muffled, were the only thing John heard. He spotted people, guests of the tavern, too scared to intervene. Then, Aylard punched him in the face, almost hard enough to make him loose his consciousness.
His sight was blurry as he glanced at the stairs, where Janae stood. She had her bow in one hand, the other one around an arrow, thirty inches of hardened wood with a tip of pointed steel. Aylard did not see her, as he was kneeling on top of John, one hand still around his hammer, the other one ready to punch again. Even though John tried to shake his head, she took aim.
It was Daghan who saved Aylard’s life. He reached out and managed to grab the upper tip of Janae’s bow, causing her to loose her aim. The arrow flew downstairs and would have killed Aylard without the intervention. Instead of the innkeeper’s neck, it only hit the ground next to him.
In mild shock, Aylard looked up, just as Janae wrestled her bow out of Daghan’s hand. In her anger, she fiercely slammed the weapon into the knights’ face. Aylard used this moment to rise from the ground, his face showing that he realized the danger he was in. He glanced at John, his face a mask of sorrow, as he turned to the door.
John barely noticed it. He saw that Janae rushed downstairs and took another arrow out of her quiver. “No”, he mumbled. She glanced down at him, her eyes full of worry, then back at the door. Then she lowered her weapon.
“Goddamn it John”, she hissed. “Stay awake. Don’t you dare doing that to me!” John smiled at her, or at least he thought that he smiled. She softly held him and to his surprise, he noticed tears in her eyes. Out of all the things around him, it was the only thing he fully noticed, as he slowly faded into unconsciousness.
No Choices for this part
Jenna
There was something about Saerya that gave Jenna an uncomfortable feeling. On the one hand, there was her beauty, her kind and honest smile, her bright, keen eyes. She appeared to be someone whom Jenna usually would and should trust. Yet at the same time, the easiness with which she lied, it was off-putting. Whatever she was planning, Jenna could never be sure about her true intentions. Fire and Blood.
Then there was Sherryl. Whatever she was planning, Jenna knew it couldn’t be good, not for Raylansfair or for anyone else besides Sherryl herself. She was manipulating Harris, she was trying to manipulate Jenna and this was enough to make her seem like the bigger evil here. At the very least, Saerya had been honest with her. She had been honest, right? Fire and Blood. Jenna had no choice.
“I will work with you”, she said and Saerya’s smile got even brighter. “Good”, the woman answered. “Oh, this is wonderful. I have hoped for your help” She shrugged. “Besides, I would have hated to kill you”
Her words hit Jenna by surprise. “Killing me?”, she whispered, with widely opened eyes. Saerya shook her head. “That won’t be necessary now”, she answered. “But since this is the beginning of our partnership, I should be honest with you” She knelt down, so that she was able to look Jenna in the eyes. “I decided to reveal my identity to you specifically because I like you and feel that we can both benefit from a partnership”, she explained. “At the same time, it should be clear that my mission always comes first”
Stunned by her honesty, Jenna was only able to give Saerya a meek nod. “Have you... already done it?”, she asked. Her feet started to move without her even wanting it and she started to fully climb the ladder. “I mean... killing someone for your mission” Oh gods, what was she talking about? Jenna wasn’t sure if she was fascinated, or close to a panic. She settled for a mixture of both.
Saerya shook her head. “No, and I hope it stays that way”, she sighed. “My contact in the city, the man that accompanied me from Dragonstone, he told me that killing is easy if done for the right cause. I have no reason to doubt his words”
Jenna gulped, as she remembered the evening Ilhan died. Saerya narrowed her eyes. “Everything alright? You don’t need to be afraid of me”, she assured her and Jenna shook her head. “It didn’t look easy when Harris... You know that Harris murdered Ilhan, right?”, she asked and Saerya gave her a nod. “Talked to the good Septon Corbin two days ago. He has been very helpful”, she answered. “What you did with him was impressive work by the way, well done! It was the first time I ever saw you as a potential ally”
Saerya’s words did wonders in calming her down and Jenna allowed herself a proud smile, while she slightly blushed. “Oh, that was nothing”, she mumbled, while she faced the ground. Then, she looked up and directly into Saerya’s crystal blue eyes. “What’s going to be our next step?”, she asked firmly.
“Now we are going to bring this bitch Sherryl down for good”, Saerya explained with a pleased smile. “She’s not going to see it coming. I made sure that she sees me as just another servicemaid and you... well, you’re in a position even better, because she underestimates you”
“Does she?”, Jenna asked. To her surprise, Saerya put a hand onto her shoulder. “Oh yes she does”, she assured her. “You survived all that’s been thrown at you, you even managed to win Harris’ trust and you managed to bring down Septon Corbin. If anything, you’re underestimating yourself”
This time, Jenna’s smile was entirely genuine. “That’s what I mean”, Saerya grinned. “You see, Sherryl is working for someone else” Jenna gave her a nod. “I guessed that much”, she answered. “Do you know for whom?”
Saerya shook her head. “I’m good at my game, but Sherryl is not bad at hers either”, she explained. “She is manipulating Harris in the name of someone else. I have also reason to believe that she is the one that sent ravens to Storm’s End and Mander’s Mouth, informing Hobert and Durrandon of their sudden inheritance”
“Both?”, Jenna exclaimed. “That makes no sense. Why would she play all of them against each other?” Saerya shrugged. “Jenna, if you would be in Sherryl’s position, what would you do?”, she asked.
Jenna only needed a moment to answer. It was clear what she would do in Sherryl’s position. “I would play it safe. I would ally myself with the strongest faction”, she answered. “That would be the Storm King”
“Indeed”, Saerya confirmed. “So far, Sherryl’s strategy does not quite match with this. If she truly plans on allying with the Storm King, why has she informed Hobert?” She shook her head. “It is especially baffling, since her childhood friend Tariel reportedly has a position at Durrandon’s court”
“So, if she’s not working for Durrandon, whom is she working for?”, Jenna asked. Saerya sighed. “The strongest faction, I presume”, she answered. “So far I believed that Durrandon would be the strongest faction in this game, but Sherryl’s duplicity tipped me off that there must be more” Her friendly smile returned and she softly grabbed Jenna’s hands, holding them in her own. “And you are going to find out the truth, sweet”
“Me?”, Jenna asked. She wasn’t baffled, not even surprised. Her fear of the Targaryen spy was all but gone replaced by deep and unusual confidence that she could actually make a difference this time. “You”, Saerya confirmed. “As unexpected as the little fawn’s early arrival here is, I believe she is going to keep Sherryl busy for some time. A perfect opportunity to search her room, don’t you agree?”
“Agreed”, Jenna answered firmly. “But how do I get into there? I think I need a key” Saerya smirked and let go of her hands. “We’re a team now, aren’t we?”, she chuckled. “You leave it to me. I have always been good at acquiring things” A joyful spark appeared in her eyes. “With a bit of luck, you and me are going to have Sherryl’s plans and Sherryl herself destroyed by tomorrow”
No Choices for this part
Kersea
Kersea sighed as she glanced down at the desperate Septon. She had given up so much of herself already. Would it really make a difference if she’d torture this man to death? He’d die either way. Would it turn her into something she wasn’t yet? Was it worth risking Clayton’s wrath? She decided that it didn’t matter. Sometimes, the lesser evil was worth choosing.
Swiftly, she embedded the dagger into Corbin’s chest, exactly where his heart was located. The man’s eyes widened and as she pulled the weapon out of his body, he fell to the ground, dead before he reached it.
“Are you fucking kidding me?”, Clayton exclaimed. He spun around to face her, a murderous streak in his glare and he raised his hand. Instead of cringing back, she only slightly moved her head, presenting her cheek, while defiantly glaring at him. “Hit me if it pleases you”, she hissed.
Clayton was breathing in barely suppressed rage. Then, he lowered his hand again. “No”, he growled. “No, you were right to do it” His voice showed to her that he didn’t mean these words. “I let my anger over your earlier behaviour get in the way of our mission”
While he said this, he knelt down, next to the corpse, as he drew a long knife from his belt. With cold-blooded and methodical movements, he started to cut through Corbin’s face, deeply disfiguring it in a matter of seconds. Disgusted, Kersea averted her eyes and instead faced the door. Still, the squishing sound of Clayton’s blade, cutting through flesh like a butcher’s knife, was downright nauseating.
“Done”, he exclaimed after a short while. She did not turn around and instead walked to the door as he appeared next to her. “No one will be able to tell wether or not he received these wounds before his death”, he said softly. “He’s still going to be our warning example of what happens to those that disappoint Butterfly” While he said this, he stared at her.
“Again with this?”, she said and despite the fact that she was scared, she tried to sound bored. Clayton chuckled softly. “Oh my dear, you’re not taking it seriously”, he whispered. “But you have no idea what’s going to happen now. No idea at all. Trust me, you provoked me for the last time”
“I wouldn’t count on it”, she answered as they walked out into the courtyard. Clayton did not answer, which was a bad sign. She knew she had pushed him again. She knew it when he refused to hit her. She knew, this time it would be worse than before. And even though she wasn’t afraid for herself, the fear for Briar’s safety caused her to regret her decision.
Clayton was unusually silent all the way back to their hideout, which only further fuelled her fear. She knew it was too late to go back now. Something changed in the way he saw her. Not for the first time, Kersea felt regret over the fact that she refused his advances back when she first met him. Being his lover, it would be better than whatever it was between them right now. His one-sided love. Their shared hatred.
Because of his silence, because of his distance and obvious disappointment, it came as a surprise when he grabbed her by the arm just after they entered the street where their hideout was located. The look on his face was one of cold professionalism and she understood that something has happened. Alysanne...
“Something is not right”, he mumbled. “This way” He turned around and pushed her into another alleyway, while she gave him a confused look. “What do you mean?”, she asked. He shook his head. “Haven’t you watched our window?”, he asked in return. “Someone was standing there and it was not Alysanne”
“City guard?”, she asked. Again, he shook his head. “Unlikely”, he answered. “They wouldn’t have been that good. And it wasn’t Wolfius either, for he’s still in fucking custody. No, I don’t know who it is, but I have the bad feeling that I won’t like it”
In silence, they sneaked down the alleyway, to the back entrance of the house where their hideout was located. Clayton glanced through the keyhole, before he gave Kersea a nod. He opened the door and she swiftly entered the hallway behind. Now, their personal differences did not matter. They had a mutual threat and had to neutralize it first.
The hallway was empty, although Kersea spotted heavy footsteps in the dust. Three men who had made no effort of hiding their presence. This was either good, or very, very bad. Probably, it was the latter.
With Clayon shortly behind her, she moved up the stairs and they took position to both sides of the door that led to their hideout. Silently, they drew their weapons and Clayton put a hand onto the doorknob. He gave her a nod and opened the door, the very same moment she jumped through it. Instead of attacking an enemy, she stopped in surprise as two swords were immediately pointed at her. Clayton behind her only managed to let out a muffled, but severe curse.
There were four people in the room. One of them, standing on the right, was a young, dark-skinned man from the Summer Isles, holding a longsword and pointing it directly at Kersea’s throat. The one to his left was a fair-skinned and fair-haired man in his forties. He was holding a short sword and a throwing knife, pointing both at Clayton.
Between them, on the bed, sat a man of about thirty years. He was handsome, with blonde hair that reached down to his shoulders and a cocky smile on his face. He was wearing a long coat, but left it open, so that it exposed his chest. Kersea spotted a huge scar that spanned across it. He had one arm wrapped around Alysanne, who was sitting next to him in obvious discomfort. The fact that his hand was touching her bandaged wounds obviously caused her pain.
“Hello, Clayton”, the man said with a warm, jovial voice. Kersea glanced at Clayton and saw him with his one eye narrowed in hatred. “Rayden”, he growled. “What are you doing here?” The man, Rayden, removed his hand from Alysanne’s shoulder and she breathed out in relief.
“Butterfly sent us. After the debacle with Wolfius and Corbin, he thought that you could need some help”, Rayden grinned. “He is disappointed, Clayton. He demands results and decided to send back-up”
“We don’t need your help”, Clayton growled and Rayden chuckled. “This is not up to you, One-Eye”, he answered and put a hand into his coat. Kersea tensed up, until she saw that he was only pulling out a piece of paper. “New orders”, he said as he rose from the bed. Slowly, he walked through the room, straight towards Clayton. “Put the weapons down, lads”, he ordered. “We’re all friends here, aren’t we?” And with these words, he handed Clayton the paper.
Without saying a word, Clayton started to read. “Wildfire!”, he exclaimed. “This is going to be a huge piece of work” Rayden gave him a nod. “And because of this, you need us. I’ve heard it is an awfully large amount of as I saw, the beautiful Alysanne is not exactly useful anymore”
“Go fuck yourself, Rayden”, Alysanne hissed. “I could still kill you with my little finger.” Rayden let out an almost effeminate laugh. “Aren’t you the jokester, my love”, he said, before he turned to Clayton. “Anyways, I just wanted to meet you. Wanted to see how your eye is. We have our own hideout, away from you and your girls” His voice turned chillingly cold as he said this, but his smile remained dissonantly warm.
“I suppose you are tired now. You're way past your prime after all”, he grinned. “We’re going to leave now, but we expect to find you here tomorrow. There’s a lot of work to do” Clayton gave him a brief nod. “Of course”, he answered. “We’ll do whatever Butterfly orders”
“I’m sure you will”, Rayden said as he and his men moved out of the room. “Toodeloo, One-Eye and good night” And with that, he was gone, leaving a highly confused Kersea behind. She wasted no time to rush towards Alysanne, who was slightly shivering. Her friend looked up and a weak smile formed on her face. “Hey puppy”, she said.
“Alysanne!”, she exclaimed. “Has he hurt you?” Alysanne grinned. “I’ve been through way worse. I had to concentrate not to rip out his throat with my bare teeth. You never met him, did you?” Kersea shook her head. “Well, puppy, have you ever asked yourself why Clayton only has one eye?”
Kersea gave Clayton an alarmed glare, as he closed the door. “There’s a reason both I and he hate his guts”, Alysanne explained. “The fact that he’s here is only bound to cause trouble” Clayton gave her a tired nod. “And because of this, we have to kill him”, he mumbled.
His straightforwardness obviously baffled not only Kersea, but Alysanne as well, who smiled in confusion. “Killing him?”, she asked and Clayton gave her a nod. “He’s a problem. I know Rayden. Rash, foolish, cocky and overconfident. He endangers the mission”, he answered and moved a hand to the scarred flesh on his face. “Besides, I still have a score to settle”
He looked at Kersea. “I don’t have to ask you, Alysanne. I know you’re always up to kill someone. But Kersea...”, he mumbled. “My dearest Kersea, what we have here is an unique opportunity for you. Do you want to get back into my good graces?”
“I couldn’t care less about your good graces”, Kersea answered truthfully. Clayton shook his head. “Kersea, this one is way beyond our personal differences. This mission is at stake, because I know that Rayden would fuck everything up again. We’re going to use him for a while, but when the time comes, I need your help to take him down. We’re going to make it look like an accident of course”
“Why should I help you?”, Kersea asked and Clayton sighed. “Because your little sisters life will be over the moment our mission fails. And with Rayden, it will fail. Even if you want it to fail, trust me that you won’t be happy with this”, he explained. “Rayden’s approach to a mission is brutal. There will be casualties, many dead civilians, people who otherwise could have lived. What we have here is an opportunity for you. Help me and maybe I will ignore your earlier fuck-ups. Help me and you save a lot of lives. Help me and you hurt Butterfly by taking out one of his most trusted killers” He smiled. “All you have to do is to help me kill Rayden!”
[Agree to kill Rayden] [Stay out of it]
[Stay out of it] This Rayden is my kind of guy.
[Agree to kill Rayden]
It will please Clayton if we agree and weaken Butterfly if we succeed, so why not.
[Agree to kill Rayden] RIP Septon Corbin.
[Agree to kill Rayden] for Briar's sake.
[Agree to kill Rayden]
Great parts, all three of them!
[Agree to kill Rayden]
[Agree to kill Rayden] Rayden will likely be a threat if he gives even Clayton pause. As long as we do nothing monstrous I can imagine Kersea retaining her humanity while doing what needs to be done. At the end of the day, despite their issues, Kersea and Clayton are on the same side. I'm a little worried about what Butterfly will do if he finds out though.
Rayden seems interesting, I have my doubts that our assassination attempt will be successful though. Like Clayton he seems smart and dangerous, but unlike Clayton he seems to be level headed.