Garthon
“You want to hear the truth?”, Garthon asked. The Harper gave him a short nod. “But what if you don't believe the truth?” “Let me… more worry about that”, Jon answered. “Or... perhaps you should be worried about it, a tiny bit at least” He gave Jared a short nod, who raised from his chair, walking towards the tavern's door. “Tell your story, Garthon. Convince me”
Garthon took another look at George, who shook his head again, this time not very subtle. Dacey noticed it and narrowed her eyes and of course Jon noticed it too. “Your friend does not want you to tell the truth”, Dacey remarked and George's face got bright red. “What?”, he stuttered. “I...” He sighed. “You won't believe us!”
“George”, Garthon said softly. “I believe Ser Harper here is a smart man” He gave Jon a charming smile. “You are a smart man, right?” Jon did not answer immediately, instead he slightly raised his right hand, the one that had been under the table, rev… [view original content]
Garthon
“You want to hear the truth?”, Garthon asked. The Harper gave him a short nod. “But what if you don't believe the truth?” “Let me… more worry about that”, Jon answered. “Or... perhaps you should be worried about it, a tiny bit at least” He gave Jared a short nod, who raised from his chair, walking towards the tavern's door. “Tell your story, Garthon. Convince me”
Garthon took another look at George, who shook his head again, this time not very subtle. Dacey noticed it and narrowed her eyes and of course Jon noticed it too. “Your friend does not want you to tell the truth”, Dacey remarked and George's face got bright red. “What?”, he stuttered. “I...” He sighed. “You won't believe us!”
“George”, Garthon said softly. “I believe Ser Harper here is a smart man” He gave Jon a charming smile. “You are a smart man, right?” Jon did not answer immediately, instead he slightly raised his right hand, the one that had been under the table, rev… [view original content]
Why do I get the strange feeling that you have a certain antipathy towards Jenna?
Though I'm curious... what would you do if she would save Leonard's life at some point in the story? Hypothetically speaking, of course.
Interestingly, it would have been Jenna (or Carma if she would have been the one to return to the castle) who would have saved Leonard's life if he would have stayed back in Raylansfair. As I've said in the alternate choices, he would have prevented Lady Halla's death by fighting against Kersea and Wolfius. While Kersea would have been no match for him in single combat, the additional help from Wolfius would have put Leonard at a disadvantage and he would have been severely wounded (he would have made a full recovery, but would have been bed-ridden for this chapter). Jenna, who just arrived at the castle, would have indirectly saved his life, by drawing Wolfius' attention towards her (it would have been very ambigous if that would have been intentional from her) and therefore preventing him from finishing Leonard off. If Leonard would have stayed back at Raylansfair in Chapter 1, he would have also become a major ally for Jenna in general. It's kinda funny that you dislike her that much, seeing how she and Leonard could have been good friends if a different choice would have been picked in chapter 1
I should have seen that answer coming XD
Interestingly, it would have been Jenna (or Carma if she would have been the one to return to th… moree castle) who would have saved Leonard's life if he would have stayed back in Raylansfair. As I've said in the alternate choices, he would have prevented Lady Halla's death by fighting against Kersea and Wolfius. While Kersea would have been no match for him in single combat, the additional help from Wolfius would have put Leonard at a disadvantage and he would have been severely wounded (he would have made a full recovery, but would have been bed-ridden for this chapter). Jenna, who just arrived at the castle, would have indirectly saved his life, by drawing Wolfius' attention towards her (it would have been very ambigous if that would have been intentional from her) and therefore preventing him from finishing Leonard off. If Leonard would have stayed back at Raylansfair in Chapter 1, he would have also … [view original content]
Garthon
“You want to hear the truth?”, Garthon asked. The Harper gave him a short nod. “But what if you don't believe the truth?” “Let me… more worry about that”, Jon answered. “Or... perhaps you should be worried about it, a tiny bit at least” He gave Jared a short nod, who raised from his chair, walking towards the tavern's door. “Tell your story, Garthon. Convince me”
Garthon took another look at George, who shook his head again, this time not very subtle. Dacey noticed it and narrowed her eyes and of course Jon noticed it too. “Your friend does not want you to tell the truth”, Dacey remarked and George's face got bright red. “What?”, he stuttered. “I...” He sighed. “You won't believe us!”
“George”, Garthon said softly. “I believe Ser Harper here is a smart man” He gave Jon a charming smile. “You are a smart man, right?” Jon did not answer immediately, instead he slightly raised his right hand, the one that had been under the table, rev… [view original content]
I really hope that Samuel Puffer and Samuel Harrington are never going to meet in this story. Any dialogue between them is going to be confusing as hell, even for me as the writer. By the way, the decision you made will have consequences. Not necessarily negative consequences, but consequences in general.
I checked the results of the poll and to my slight disappointment and neverending surprise I see that five of you see Jenna Harking as the worst character in the story. While I'm probably never going to understand why exactly she's hated that much, perhaps one of you could care to explain? I mean, while you are free to dislike her all the way you want, you really want to tell me that you hate her the most out of all the characters? After all, that means that you hate a completely innocent and timid servant more than a violently insane serial-killer, more than a crude and brutal tyrant and more than said tyrant's psychopathic eldest son, who hunts people like animals. It also means that you hate a character who couldn't harm a fly more than a crimelord who sees nothing bad in raping and mutilating children to send a message to his archrival. Keep that in mind when you continue to hate Jenna. But, oh my sweet summer children, I can tease that by the time this chapter is finished, most of you will have a new least favourite character, a character that truly deserves your hatred this time.
Anyways, the next part is roughly halfway written. Yesterday I made very little progress, as the result of a terrible headache. I'm still not feeling that well today, but I'll try my best to finish the chapter in the next few hours. It's going to be a Lucas part and it features romance, bromance and of course Maron Mullendore, who totally fits into this sentence.
I myself like Jenna but I think most people just feel that it didn't make sense for her to survive Wolfius's attack or maybe they just don't find her that interesting compared to the other characters.
The Voting is closed!
Garthon will accept Jon's help
Ellena won't give Samuel the letter
I really hope that Samuel Puffer and Samue… morel Harrington are never going to meet in this story. Any dialogue between them is going to be confusing as hell, even for me as the writer. By the way, the decision you made will have consequences. Not necessarily negative consequences, but consequences in general.
I checked the results of the poll and to my slight disappointment and neverending surprise I see that five of you see Jenna Harking as the worst character in the story. While I'm probably never going to understand why exactly she's hated that much, perhaps one of you could care to explain? I mean, while you are free to dislike her all the way you want, you really want to tell me that you hate her the most out of all the characters? After all, that means that you hate a completely innocent and timid servant more than a violently insane serial-… [view original content]
Her survival has indeed been the result of a very unlikely combination of choices. Still, it has been entirely vote determinant, so I don't think that alone should be enough to hate her. In fact, most of the deaths are going to be vote determinant, since I don't like to kill characters without giving a choice. While I like all characters (except Butterfly and Harmund, fuck these guys), Jenna isn't my favourite either, but I really think there are characters who deserve being hated far more. The amount of hatred Jenna receives for not dying always baffles me, especially since there were several factors completely out of her control that played a role in her survival: Wolfius' thirst for blood caused him to torture her instead of killing her quickly, Kersea's nervous breakdown caused her to abandon her post instead of providing backup for Wolfius and finally, Richard's arrival was enough to force Wolfius to retreat. The only thing she did to ensure her survival was clawing Wolfius in the eyes, but every other factor was absolutely not her 'fault'.
I myself like Jenna but I think most people just feel that it didn't make sense for her to survive Wolfius's attack or maybe they just don't find her that interesting compared to the other characters.
Lucas awoke to the sound of someone knocking at his door. No, not his door. The sounds were too muffled for that. Weak rays of light fell through the window, illuminating Lunett's room. She was still sleeping, curled up next to him, her left arm laid over his chest. A smile flashed across Lucas' face as he barely dared to breath, fearing to wake her up.
“Flowers!”, a muffled voice shouted and the knocking continued. “We're late, get up!” Again, the sounds of someone loudly knocking at a door were heard. “Flowers! Are you even there?”, the voice shouted again. Yes, that was clearly Leonard and he sounded frustrated.
Lunett sighed and slightly moved, strands of her brown hair falling over her face. The sound of footsteps came closer and suddenly, Lucas heard someone loudly knocking at his door. “Lunett!”, Leonard called her. “Are you awake? Do you know where Lucas is?”
This was finally enough to wake Lunett, who raised her head, looking directly at Lucas. A happy smile appeared on her face. “Good morning”, she mumbled, leaning forward to kiss him. “You slept well?”, she asked and Lucas grin got wieder
“Is someone in there with...”, the voice of Leonard asked before Lucas could answer. “Oh, come on!”, the other knight exclaimed. “Flowers, you sly bastard!” Lunett giggled as she heard this and Lucas couldn't supress a short laughter. “Good morning, Lenny!”, he shouted through the door and he could almost hear Leonard frowning.
“Fuck you too, Flowers”, he answered, albeit he sounded joyful as he said it. “The sun is up and so should you. We have a busy day ahead and I plan to be out of this city by evening, so hurry up a little bit!” Lunett slightly raised from Lucas' chest, looking at the door. “Good morning, Leonard”, she answered softly. “Give us a moment, will ya?”
Leonard mumbled something unintelligible, before his voice got louder again. “Sure thing”, he said. “But don't take too long. I bet Mullendore does not like waiting” The sound of his footsteps got more distant as he left. Lunett sank down onto Lucas' chest again, her brown hair now touching his chin. “Just one moment”, she mumbled, snuggling up against him.
“Last night was...”, Lucas started to say, but she put a finger on his mouth. “Shhh”, she mumbled. “Don't talk now” For a short moment, she just laid in his arms and Lucas felt happier than he felt in years. As she tried to rise, he gave her a passionate kiss and she sank back into his arms again. “We should...”, she mumbled, but Lucas interrupted her by kissing her again. “We really should get up”
Lucas cradled her in his arms, gently stroking her hair. “Or we could stay here for a while longer. No Leonard. No Mullendore. No Oldtown. Just you and me”, he whispered and her happy smile made him beam with joy. “I'd love to”, she whispered back, before gently squirming free from his hug. “But we can't. Not yet”
She finally raised from the bed, noticing that Lucas was staring at her naked body. A smirk stretched across her face as she reached for her dress. “Not now, Lucas”, she chuckled. He let out a frustrated moan and noticed that her smile disappeared. “I... I can't stop wondering... what will my father say?”, she asked.
Lucas had thought about that too. Of course, he had barely talked to Lunett's father, but what he saw of him left him with a bad opinion. “He will probably try to murder me”, he mumbled and raised from the bed, putting his arms around Lunett. “Don't joke about that”, she whispered and Lucas noticed that she was slightly shivering. “He might try it indeed. He can be unreasonable when it comes to me”
“Would he object if I offer to...”, Lucas started to say, but choked on the words for a moment. He barely knew her! He met her a week ago, he barely knew her father. But last night he had taken her virginity, in the worst case he even got her pregnant. He barely knew her, yes, but he liked her a lot. And he was a knight, he had to take this seriously. He wouldn't father a bastard!
“What?”, Lunett asked and Lucas realized that she already knew what he wanted to say. “Would he object to what?” “Would he object if I'd offer to marry you?”, Lucas revealed, watching her eyes widen and her cheeks blushing in a beautiful rosy colour. “You... what?”, Lunett stuttered, a smile appearing on her face. “You mean...?” Lucas gave her a nod. “I know this is pretty fast, but...”, he said, but was interrupted as she gave him a passionate kiss. “He wouldn't object”, she said with a smile. “Neither would I”
Lucas held her in his arms for a moment and wished for nothing more than to forget this city, to forget everything aside from her. For the first time since his father had banished him from his families lands, he knew exactly what he wanted.
They were interrupted by the sound of someone knocking at the door again. “Seven Hells, Flowers! Hurry up!”, Leonard called and Lucas rolled with his eyes, while Lunett pulled away from him. “Horrible timing, Leonard”, Lucas shouted and let out a sigh. “You're welcome, Flowers. And now come on!”, the other knight answered.
Lucas needed only a few moments to put his clothes back on, while Lunett needed slightly longer to brush her hair. As they finally opened the door, they were greeted with the sight of a visibly annoyed Leonard. “Fucking finally”, he said, albeit Lucas saw a pleased look in his eyes. “Now come on, we got a lot to do”
Leonard started to walk down the hallway, while Lucas and Lunett exchanged a short look. The girl was still smiling, albeit her face now had a bright red colour. “We need to talk about that later”, she said.
Lucas put an arm around her as they walked down the hallway. “We will, he promised her. “After we got out of here. Then we return to your father and I will tell him everything” He gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I will tell him that I intend to marry his beautiful daughter” This caused her to snicker and Lucas was sure that Leonard slightly sighed as he heard this.
Dairon was already waiting for them in the taproom, sitting on a table all for himself. He looked well-rested, calmer and more collected than the day before. In contrast, Lucas noticed that Leonard looked slightly nervous and moved a bit more stiffly than usual.
“Alright, now that the rest of us finally decided to show up, we can plan our day”, Leonard said. “Lucas, we will go to the Hightower in a minute. Maron Mullendore is waiting for us and I want to get that done as soon as possible” Lucas gave him an understanding nod. He wasn't too eager to meet this man again, but both of them knew that Mullendore probably was their best bet when it came to help in this city.
“Dairon and Lunett, you will stay here while we're gone. Don't leave the building unless you are in danger”, Leonard continued. Dairon gave him a startled glare. “Do you think is could be dangerous for us?”, he asked. Lunett gave him a grin. “Do not worry”, she said. “As long as I'm here, you'll be safe”
Leonard ignored her remark as he continued. “I don't know if you're in danger”, he admitted. “It's possible. Getting Mullendore to help us in leaving this city is one of our most important tasks today. As long as we get his help, you'll be safe” He looked at Lucas and didn't need to continue. As long as they got Mullendore's help...
“If something goes wrong, I want you to flee”, Lucas advised them. “Run to the Citadel. Archmaester Quent might be willing to help you” This statement caused Leonard to glare at him. “Quent?”, he growled. “That snake won't help them without any ulterior motive”
Lucas gave him a nod. “True”, he admitted. “But if we fail to win Mullendore's help, Quent might be the only one who could keep them safe” Leonard did not answer, but his facial expression made it clear that he disliked this idea. “Whatever”, he mumbled after a few moments. “Shall we get going?”
Lucas looked at Lunett, who gave him a sweet smile. “Don't ask me”, she said. “I have no problem with you staying here forever” Lucas let out a sigh and gave her a short kiss. “As much as I'd like to”, he answered. “I'll be back soon”
He and Leonard raised from their chairs and Lucas gave Dairon a stern look. “We do all of this because of you”, he told him. “So I want you to listen to Lunett while we're gone. If something happens, you bring her to the Citadel, do you understand me?”
Leonard put a hand on his shoulder. “Come on, Flowers”, he said softly. “The earlier we deal with Mullendore, the earlier we're back here” He gave Lunett and Dairon a short nod. “Follow my advice. If you're in danger, don't pretend to be heroes. Stay safe”
With these words, he turned around and walked out of the building. Lucas gave Lunett a last look and walked after him. He couldn't deny it, he was worried for her safety. Never before had he been worried for someone like that. And he wouldn't stop being worried until they would finally leave this city behind.
He noticed Leonard's big grin only after a while. “Something the matter, Len?”, he asked. Leonard slightly patted him on the back. “Oh Flowers, you lucky bastard”, he grinned. “Are you sure that you picked a good time to roll in the hay with the innkeeper's daughter?”
This caused Lucas to frown and he gave Leonard a surprised look. “Wait... are you upset? You encouraged me to talk to her!”, he protested. Leonard's grin turned into a smirk. “You got an interesting definition of 'talking' to someone, Flowers. I'm not upset about you, I am proud”
His smirk vanished and for a moment he looked deadly serious at Lucas, as they were walking down the streets of Oldtown. “What are you going to do with her?”, he asked. Lucas pressed his lips together. “I offered to marry her”, he answered, causing Leonard to laugh out loud. “Marrying?”, he asked in surprise. “Congratulations, I guess” “Yeah...”, Lucas answered slowly. “I guess. It's not that I have that much of a choice here. I took her virginity and in the worst case I got her pregnant. What kind of knight would I be if I would just leave her now?”
Leonard gave him a nod. “You're a good knight, Lucas”, he answered. “And I respect your decision. Aside from that, she's a decent looking girl. You could do worse” A pained expression flashed over his face and he stopped for a moment, holding his back.
“What's up?”, Lucas asked as Leonard put both of his hands on his back, slowly kneading it. “Well, not everyone of us had a good night”, he answered. “Of course I gave Dairon the bed and took the floor for myself. Wasn't exactly comfortable. On top of that, you won't believe me how loud that boy snorts” He continued to walk down the street, slightly shaking his head.
Lucas grinned as he heard this. “No way”, he exclaimed. “We're talking about the same Dairon who barely speaks a word when he's with us, right?” Leonard gave him a nod. “Like a goddamn dragon”, he explained. Both of them chuckled and for a moment, Lucas nearly forgot his worries. But as soon as he looked to the sky, seeing the huge tower in front of him, his fear came back and his smile vanished.
The Hightower was visible from ever part of this city, but it looked more intimidating the closer it came. It was a wise move that the city guards headquarters were located inside of this tower. Lucas wasn't a criminal, but he could imagine the effect it had on anyone who was brought there for interrogation.
“Remember what we talked about, Flowers”, Leonard reminded him as they approached the hulking building. “He mustn't know about Dairon” Lucas gave him a hasty nod. “I understand”, he mumbled. “But what if there's no other choice?”
Leonard gave him a curious look. “What do you mean?”, he asked. “What if the only way to convince him to help us is by giving him what he wants?”, Lucas answered. “He's a man of the law. Surely he won't do anything to harm Dairon, right?”
This caused Leonard to shake his head again. “Don't be such a fool, Flowers. Not all of us are as honourable as you. If we give him Dairon, what use do we have for him? Remember that this man is not our friend, he is still sworn to Hightower! I can only assure you, don't do anything stupid”
They arrived at the Hightower a few minutes later. It was the tallest building in the known world and right now, Lucas had the expression that it was the best guarded as well. Still, getting into the tower wasn't hard work. The large wooden doors, bigger than Raylansfair's main gate, were always opened, allowing the knights to enter, albeit under the watchful eyes of dozens of guards. Lucas had no doubt that one of them would inform Mullendore of their presence. Neither Lucas or Leonard had brought their weapons or armour and Lucas was glad about it. They couldn't do anything against the amount of force Lord Hightower displayed here.
While the tower itself was impressive mainly because of it's height, the circular entrance hall was stunning in a completely different way. It was larger than the courtyard back in Raylansfair, the bottom consisting completely out of blackened marble. Seven golden pillars supported the ceiling far above them. At least two hundred soldiers, clad in grey armour, stood at guard, blocking several stairways and doors that lead to different parts of the tower. Countless courtiers walked around, walking from room to room, the combined sounds of their footsteps enough to drown every conversation.
It wasn't long until Lucas noticed a man walking straight towards them. From the grey armour he was wearing, Lucas identified him as part of the city guard. He was older than him, probably in his late thirties, with short, black hair and a stubble beard. He approached them with swift steps, taking a short, but polite bow in front of them. “Leonard Constantine and Lucas Flowers?”, he asked. Leonard gave him a nod. “We are”, he answered. “We're here to talk to Ser Maron Mullendore”
The man gave them a handwave, ordering them to follow them, before turning around and walking towards one of the doors that lead out of hall. “My name is Ryder Harrington, captain of the guard. Ser Maron is already informed of your arrival. He will meet you in his office”
With these words, he continued his way through the tower, leading them to a large wooden door. Behind it, Lucas and Leonard entered a second, far smaller hall, filled with guardsmen, who were apparently off duty at the moment, sitting around several tables, eating or playing cards. Several of them gave their guide respectful nods, some even greeted Lucas and Leonard with short nods.
Ryder lead them directly towards a short, open door, revealing a small,tidy chamber behind it. Maron Mullendore sat on a large chair, his arms resting on the dark, wooden table. In front of him, huge stacks of paperwork. He looked paler than he did yesterday, his red hair looking especially messy now. He gave them a short nod as they entered. “Ser Lucas, Ser Leonard. It's an honour to meet you again”, he said with his raspy voice, pointing at two chairs in front of his desk. “Please, have a seat”
He gave the guardsman a small nod. “Ryder, thank you for bringing them here. Could you get the letter?” He looked back at Lucas. “That's why you are here, right?” Lucas gave him a nod. “Indeed, Ser Maron. Thank you for meeting us”
Mullendore's mouth formed a tired grin as Ryder left the room, closing the door behind him. “I've made some room. Are you okay?”, he asked. “Is there any reason not to be okay?”, Leonard asked and Lucas noticed the hostile tone in his voice. Mullendore gave him a nod. “Indeed it is”, he answered shortly. “Butterfly is interested in you. That's usually a death sentence”
“You've informed us about that”, Lucas told him. “But so far he hasn't made a move on us” Mullendore's tired grin got a bit wider, but he still showed no joy. “None you know about”, he growled. “Do not underestimate this man. Butterfly is more dangerous than you think”
He let out a sigh, raising from his chair. Lucas noticed once again that Mullendore was taller than most people. If he would have been half his age and half his weight, he would look like a warrior. But now he just looked like a jaded guardsman. Lucas could understand him well. Mullendore appeared to be an honourable man, surrounded by liars.
Mullendore started to walk towards a small cupboard in the edge of his office and Lucas noticed that he walked with a small limp. The knight noticed his stare and a smirk appeared on his face. “A spear, thrown by a fucking Stormlands soldier”, he explained. “Ten years ago, Battle of Blackhaven. Not my first scar, not my last and certainly not my worst. But on bad days I can still feel it” He opened the cupboard's drawer, pulling out a bottle filled with a golden liquid.
“And today is a very bad day”, he grumbled. “You want some Arbor Gold?” Lucas and Leonard exchanged a small look, before answering simultaneously. “Yes”, Lucas answered, while Leonard shook his head. “No”, the other knight said, causing Mullendore to raise an eyebrow.
“It's okay not to trust me”, he chuckled. “Distrust comes naturally in this city. But distrusting a good Arbor Gold? You're behaving fishy, boy” Leonard gave him a frown. “I'm not thirsty”, he answered. Mullendore shrugged. “Your loss” With these words, he pulled out two small cups, filling them with wine, before grabbing both of them and limping back to his table. He place one of the cups in front of Lucas, giving both knights a stern look.
“Have you ever been to war?”, he asked. “Do you know the sound of clashing steel, the noise of arrows flying through the air, the screams of dying people, all combined to a bitter cacophony? Do you know the moment when a man's life is worth less than his own shit?”
Lucas shook his head. “Luckily, I've never been to war. I fought in small skirmishes in Essos, but I never experienced a larger battle”, he answered. “Neither have I”, Leonard joined in. “Small skirmishes have been all for me, same as Flowers”
Mullendore's stern face got a somewhat pleased look. “I pray to the Stranger that none of you will ever experience a real war. Because that's what I have to deal with every fucking hour on every fucking day for the past thirty years. Blackhaven wasn't my worst battle. Oldtown is”
He raised the cup and Lucas did the same with his own. “To war! And to the lucky bastards who never experienced it!”, Mullendore proclaimed, emptying his cup in a single gulp. “You want to leave this city, am I right?”
“As soon as possible”, Leonard answered. Mullendore gave him a distanced nod. “Clever boy”, he mumbled. “When I was tasked with bringing peace to this city, twenty years ago, I could have never imagined what kind of work that is. Today, I have two enemies, the Burned Man and Butterfly. The Burned Man is the more dangerous out of these, because Butterfly only targets other criminals, like a vigilante. Still, I found out the hard way that he is not interested in an alliance with me. And neither are you, if I interpret your behaviour correctly”
Lucas and Leonard changed a surprised look. “Ser Maron?”, Lucas asked. Mullendore let out a sigh. “You know, I trust you more than most of my men out there. You are knights from the countryside. You have honour. Still, I know you don't trust me and I know you want to leave this city as soon as possible. And I can't even blame you for it”
He leant forwards in his chair, looking over Leonard's shoulder. As Lucas turned around, he saw Ryder standing in the door, holding a small sheet of paper. “Still, one question remains before I share the content of this letter with you. Have you found what you've been looking for? Have you found this boy Butterfly is going crazy about? Do you know where he is?”
Lucas
Lucas awoke to the sound of someone knocking at his door. No, not his door. The sounds were too muffled for that. Weak rays of ligh… moret fell through the window, illuminating Lunett's room. She was still sleeping, curled up next to him, her left arm laid over his chest. A smile flashed across Lucas' face as he barely dared to breath, fearing to wake her up.
“Flowers!”, a muffled voice shouted and the knocking continued. “We're late, get up!” Again, the sounds of someone loudly knocking at a door were heard. “Flowers! Are you even there?”, the voice shouted again. Yes, that was clearly Leonard and he sounded frustrated.
Lunett sighed and slightly moved, strands of her brown hair falling over her face. The sound of footsteps came closer and suddenly, Lucas heard someone loudly knocking at his door. “Lunett!”, Leonard called her. “Are you awake? Do you know where Lucas is?”
This was finally enough to wake Lunett, who raised her hea… [view original content]
Lucas
Lucas awoke to the sound of someone knocking at his door. No, not his door. The sounds were too muffled for that. Weak rays of ligh… moret fell through the window, illuminating Lunett's room. She was still sleeping, curled up next to him, her left arm laid over his chest. A smile flashed across Lucas' face as he barely dared to breath, fearing to wake her up.
“Flowers!”, a muffled voice shouted and the knocking continued. “We're late, get up!” Again, the sounds of someone loudly knocking at a door were heard. “Flowers! Are you even there?”, the voice shouted again. Yes, that was clearly Leonard and he sounded frustrated.
Lunett sighed and slightly moved, strands of her brown hair falling over her face. The sound of footsteps came closer and suddenly, Lucas heard someone loudly knocking at his door. “Lunett!”, Leonard called her. “Are you awake? Do you know where Lucas is?”
This was finally enough to wake Lunett, who raised her hea… [view original content]
Lucas
Lucas awoke to the sound of someone knocking at his door. No, not his door. The sounds were too muffled for that. Weak rays of ligh… moret fell through the window, illuminating Lunett's room. She was still sleeping, curled up next to him, her left arm laid over his chest. A smile flashed across Lucas' face as he barely dared to breath, fearing to wake her up.
“Flowers!”, a muffled voice shouted and the knocking continued. “We're late, get up!” Again, the sounds of someone loudly knocking at a door were heard. “Flowers! Are you even there?”, the voice shouted again. Yes, that was clearly Leonard and he sounded frustrated.
Lunett sighed and slightly moved, strands of her brown hair falling over her face. The sound of footsteps came closer and suddenly, Lucas heard someone loudly knocking at his door. “Lunett!”, Leonard called her. “Are you awake? Do you know where Lucas is?”
This was finally enough to wake Lunett, who raised her hea… [view original content]
Lucas
Lucas awoke to the sound of someone knocking at his door. No, not his door. The sounds were too muffled for that. Weak rays of ligh… moret fell through the window, illuminating Lunett's room. She was still sleeping, curled up next to him, her left arm laid over his chest. A smile flashed across Lucas' face as he barely dared to breath, fearing to wake her up.
“Flowers!”, a muffled voice shouted and the knocking continued. “We're late, get up!” Again, the sounds of someone loudly knocking at a door were heard. “Flowers! Are you even there?”, the voice shouted again. Yes, that was clearly Leonard and he sounded frustrated.
Lunett sighed and slightly moved, strands of her brown hair falling over her face. The sound of footsteps came closer and suddenly, Lucas heard someone loudly knocking at his door. “Lunett!”, Leonard called her. “Are you awake? Do you know where Lucas is?”
This was finally enough to wake Lunett, who raised her hea… [view original content]
Lucas
Lucas awoke to the sound of someone knocking at his door. No, not his door. The sounds were too muffled for that. Weak rays of ligh… moret fell through the window, illuminating Lunett's room. She was still sleeping, curled up next to him, her left arm laid over his chest. A smile flashed across Lucas' face as he barely dared to breath, fearing to wake her up.
“Flowers!”, a muffled voice shouted and the knocking continued. “We're late, get up!” Again, the sounds of someone loudly knocking at a door were heard. “Flowers! Are you even there?”, the voice shouted again. Yes, that was clearly Leonard and he sounded frustrated.
Lunett sighed and slightly moved, strands of her brown hair falling over her face. The sound of footsteps came closer and suddenly, Lucas heard someone loudly knocking at his door. “Lunett!”, Leonard called her. “Are you awake? Do you know where Lucas is?”
This was finally enough to wake Lunett, who raised her hea… [view original content]
Lucas
Lucas awoke to the sound of someone knocking at his door. No, not his door. The sounds were too muffled for that. Weak rays of ligh… moret fell through the window, illuminating Lunett's room. She was still sleeping, curled up next to him, her left arm laid over his chest. A smile flashed across Lucas' face as he barely dared to breath, fearing to wake her up.
“Flowers!”, a muffled voice shouted and the knocking continued. “We're late, get up!” Again, the sounds of someone loudly knocking at a door were heard. “Flowers! Are you even there?”, the voice shouted again. Yes, that was clearly Leonard and he sounded frustrated.
Lunett sighed and slightly moved, strands of her brown hair falling over her face. The sound of footsteps came closer and suddenly, Lucas heard someone loudly knocking at his door. “Lunett!”, Leonard called her. “Are you awake? Do you know where Lucas is?”
This was finally enough to wake Lunett, who raised her hea… [view original content]
Lucas
Lucas awoke to the sound of someone knocking at his door. No, not his door. The sounds were too muffled for that. Weak rays of ligh… moret fell through the window, illuminating Lunett's room. She was still sleeping, curled up next to him, her left arm laid over his chest. A smile flashed across Lucas' face as he barely dared to breath, fearing to wake her up.
“Flowers!”, a muffled voice shouted and the knocking continued. “We're late, get up!” Again, the sounds of someone loudly knocking at a door were heard. “Flowers! Are you even there?”, the voice shouted again. Yes, that was clearly Leonard and he sounded frustrated.
Lunett sighed and slightly moved, strands of her brown hair falling over her face. The sound of footsteps came closer and suddenly, Lucas heard someone loudly knocking at his door. “Lunett!”, Leonard called her. “Are you awake? Do you know where Lucas is?”
This was finally enough to wake Lunett, who raised her hea… [view original content]
Lucas, that sly bastard. I sincerely hope he did indeed get Lunett pregnant. Why? Because Leonard could finally use it as an excuse to. Go ahead back to Raylansfair and seize lordship title for himself. No one wants a bastard lord (Lucas & Harris) or one who is attempting to marry a small folk (Lucas). No, they want a man with bravery, great combat skills, leadership, wisdom, knowledge, charisma, and extremely good looks to seduce a daughter of a lord of a powerful house, whether that be Gardener or some less known house of the Reach. Especially a Gardener. I have a reason why, but I shall not disclose this at this current time. Hint: it's technically not because they are the kin of the King of the Reach...
More over, with Leonard's connections to the court of Mern Gardener himself, it is entirely possible if Leonard were to assume lordship, the Gardeners probably want to gain some sort of access to the archives of Raylansfair, as well as reassure themselves that House Raylan is a loyal vassal, and offer the bride to gain access to these perks.
So that my friends, is why you should support Leonard Constantine, the first of his name, to lead House Raylan into a new generation: House Constance (better than House Constantine). His wide range of talent allows for the maximum benefit to Raylansfair. He can lead small folk, he can train soldiers, he can deal with finances, and he can fight.
Lucas
Lucas awoke to the sound of someone knocking at his door. No, not his door. The sounds were too muffled for that. Weak rays of ligh… moret fell through the window, illuminating Lunett's room. She was still sleeping, curled up next to him, her left arm laid over his chest. A smile flashed across Lucas' face as he barely dared to breath, fearing to wake her up.
“Flowers!”, a muffled voice shouted and the knocking continued. “We're late, get up!” Again, the sounds of someone loudly knocking at a door were heard. “Flowers! Are you even there?”, the voice shouted again. Yes, that was clearly Leonard and he sounded frustrated.
Lunett sighed and slightly moved, strands of her brown hair falling over her face. The sound of footsteps came closer and suddenly, Lucas heard someone loudly knocking at his door. “Lunett!”, Leonard called her. “Are you awake? Do you know where Lucas is?”
This was finally enough to wake Lunett, who raised her hea… [view original content]
Lucas
Lucas awoke to the sound of someone knocking at his door. No, not his door. The sounds were too muffled for that. Weak rays of ligh… moret fell through the window, illuminating Lunett's room. She was still sleeping, curled up next to him, her left arm laid over his chest. A smile flashed across Lucas' face as he barely dared to breath, fearing to wake her up.
“Flowers!”, a muffled voice shouted and the knocking continued. “We're late, get up!” Again, the sounds of someone loudly knocking at a door were heard. “Flowers! Are you even there?”, the voice shouted again. Yes, that was clearly Leonard and he sounded frustrated.
Lunett sighed and slightly moved, strands of her brown hair falling over her face. The sound of footsteps came closer and suddenly, Lucas heard someone loudly knocking at his door. “Lunett!”, Leonard called her. “Are you awake? Do you know where Lucas is?”
This was finally enough to wake Lunett, who raised her hea… [view original content]
Lucas
Lucas awoke to the sound of someone knocking at his door. No, not his door. The sounds were too muffled for that. Weak rays of ligh… moret fell through the window, illuminating Lunett's room. She was still sleeping, curled up next to him, her left arm laid over his chest. A smile flashed across Lucas' face as he barely dared to breath, fearing to wake her up.
“Flowers!”, a muffled voice shouted and the knocking continued. “We're late, get up!” Again, the sounds of someone loudly knocking at a door were heard. “Flowers! Are you even there?”, the voice shouted again. Yes, that was clearly Leonard and he sounded frustrated.
Lunett sighed and slightly moved, strands of her brown hair falling over her face. The sound of footsteps came closer and suddenly, Lucas heard someone loudly knocking at his door. “Lunett!”, Leonard called her. “Are you awake? Do you know where Lucas is?”
This was finally enough to wake Lunett, who raised her hea… [view original content]
Ah shame, I had hopes it could stay in the main section after all the time. Since new readers are probably going to be rare from now on, I hope that the current readers stay. But it's alright, thank you very much for leaving it in the general discussion for the past six months, it helped a lot in gaining a huge amount of readers
So I guess @LiquidChciagoTed doesn't want to admit this is true and spoil the story which he is why he isn't responding. XD
Anyway, I've also come to some other conclusions:
Leonard can gave some mercenaries that he has encountered by eliminating Harris and becoming lord. With this becoming his elite guard along with his own skills he can attract new potential master-at-arms for Raylansfair. I figure if he challenges someone and bets that if he wins that person will come to Raylansfair and join him he can recruit some very powerful men to rise to the task.
He also can finally go claim his inheritance and use this to persuade others much like Lord Baelish.
[Don't reveal Dairon's location]
We don't need his help.
Lucas, that sly bastard. I sincerely hope he did indeed get Lunett pregnant. … moreWhy? Because Leonard could finally use it as an excuse to. Go ahead back to Raylansfair and seize lordship title for himself. No one wants a bastard lord (Lucas & Harris) or one who is attempting to marry a small folk (Lucas). No, they want a man with bravery, great combat skills, leadership, wisdom, knowledge, charisma, and extremely good looks to seduce a daughter of a lord of a powerful house, whether that be Gardener or some less known house of the Reach. Especially a Gardener. I have a reason why, but I shall not disclose this at this current time. Hint: it's technically not because they are the kin of the King of the Reach...
More over, with Leonard's connections to the court of Mern Gardener himself, it is entirely possible if Leonard were to assume lordship, the Gardeners probably want to g… [view original content]
So, I guess I'm going to name this post 'Holy shit, how many users can I actually tag in one post?', or 'Holy shit, how many readers do I actually have?' In order not to disappoint you: Both of these questions remain unanswered at the end of this post.
This is just a quick notification in case you don't have this story under your followed discussions for whatever reason and are just checking it by searching for it through the main page, or are just occasionally checking by. Is this post necessary? I hope not. It's just me being very cautious not to loose a reader as a result of the recent event. Maybe some of you are not reading this story actively at the moment, which is fine. In that case, just ignore this post and the notification it comes with. But in case you are following the story, but have not noticed it:
Before you spend time searching for the story in the general section: It's no longer there. It has now found a new home among it's literary brothers and sisters in the Forum Games section. I have expected this for a long time now and while I am not thrilled about this at all, seeing how it wasn't a problem in the past six months, it's completely beyond my control and I have no choice but to accept it. I guess I could argue with the mods, but BlindSniper and the others are just doing their jobs and I doubt they have that much of a choice in this either. However, if one of them decides to move it back, I certainly won't object. And well, it could be worse, seeing how the story is still open and will still continue in it's current form. However, the Forum Games section is a bit hidden, so I don't expect to gain a huge amount of new readers for the remainder of the story. Which is long, very long. In case you haven't noticed, we aren't even halfway through Book 1. Since it's only natural that some of you won't be active in the forum anymore in a year or so for a multitude of possible reasons, I'm a bit worried about loosing a majority of readers over the course of the next dozen months, which would be unfortunate. Scratch that, I am extremely worried. The huge amount of readers this story has was always something I was very proud of and the huge amount of feedback I got for my writing gave me a lot of self-assurance, so loosing a majority of the audience is a legitimate concern for me.
I know my worries are unfounded for most of you, but I'm doing this just in case. To make it complete and to push my massive ego, I'm also going to include those readers who I definitely know are going to continue following this story even without a notification. To give you some sort of notification, I'm going to tag every person who voted at least once over the course of this chapter. I know, some of those who I'm going to tag now aren't actively reading the story, which is cool, but I'm going to tag you regardless just in case you want to continue reading at some point in the future. I know I talk too much, it's a blessing and a curse. Allow me to proceed by tagging every person who voted on this story over the course of the past chapter, in order of their votes after the first part of this chapter:
Was this necessary to inform you on where you can find the story from now on? Hopefully not. Was this necessary to ease my worries about loosing a part of this wonderful audience? Absolutely. Did it feel good to tag every person who read at least one of the parts of this chapter, regardless of it being necessary or not? Hell yeah it did! Anyways, if you're not actively following the story at the moment or if you have noticed the current change already (or would have noticed it regardless), just ignore this little notification. Like I said, just a precaution.
Anyway, I have finished being paranoid now and will continue to work on the next chapter. Voting is going to be open until tomorrow and the next part is going to be out as soon as possible.
So, I guess I'm going to name this post 'Holy shit, how many users can I actually tag in one post?', or 'Holy shit, how many readers do I ac… moretually have?' In order not to disappoint you: Both of these questions remain unanswered at the end of this post.
This is just a quick notification in case you don't have this story under your followed discussions for whatever reason and are just checking it by searching for it through the main page, or are just occasionally checking by. Is this post necessary? I hope not. It's just me being very cautious not to loose a reader as a result of the recent event. Maybe some of you are not reading this story actively at the moment, which is fine. In that case, just ignore this post and the notification it comes with. But in case you are following the story, but have not noticed it:
Before you spend time searching for the story in the general section: It's no longer there. It has now found a new home among… [view original content]
So, I guess I'm going to name this post 'Holy shit, how many users can I actually tag in one post?', or 'Holy shit, how many readers do I ac… moretually have?' In order not to disappoint you: Both of these questions remain unanswered at the end of this post.
This is just a quick notification in case you don't have this story under your followed discussions for whatever reason and are just checking it by searching for it through the main page, or are just occasionally checking by. Is this post necessary? I hope not. It's just me being very cautious not to loose a reader as a result of the recent event. Maybe some of you are not reading this story actively at the moment, which is fine. In that case, just ignore this post and the notification it comes with. But in case you are following the story, but have not noticed it:
Before you spend time searching for the story in the general section: It's no longer there. It has now found a new home among… [view original content]
Lucas
Lucas awoke to the sound of someone knocking at his door. No, not his door. The sounds were too muffled for that. Weak rays of ligh… moret fell through the window, illuminating Lunett's room. She was still sleeping, curled up next to him, her left arm laid over his chest. A smile flashed across Lucas' face as he barely dared to breath, fearing to wake her up.
“Flowers!”, a muffled voice shouted and the knocking continued. “We're late, get up!” Again, the sounds of someone loudly knocking at a door were heard. “Flowers! Are you even there?”, the voice shouted again. Yes, that was clearly Leonard and he sounded frustrated.
Lunett sighed and slightly moved, strands of her brown hair falling over her face. The sound of footsteps came closer and suddenly, Lucas heard someone loudly knocking at his door. “Lunett!”, Leonard called her. “Are you awake? Do you know where Lucas is?”
This was finally enough to wake Lunett, who raised her hea… [view original content]
So, I guess I'm going to name this post 'Holy shit, how many users can I actually tag in one post?', or 'Holy shit, how many readers do I ac… moretually have?' In order not to disappoint you: Both of these questions remain unanswered at the end of this post.
This is just a quick notification in case you don't have this story under your followed discussions for whatever reason and are just checking it by searching for it through the main page, or are just occasionally checking by. Is this post necessary? I hope not. It's just me being very cautious not to loose a reader as a result of the recent event. Maybe some of you are not reading this story actively at the moment, which is fine. In that case, just ignore this post and the notification it comes with. But in case you are following the story, but have not noticed it:
Before you spend time searching for the story in the general section: It's no longer there. It has now found a new home among… [view original content]
Nah, it's fine. I just included you since you have voted at least once in this chapter. I know you're at least occasionally checking by. By the way, your characters will be introduced starting with early next chapter, which will start in late June.
Nah, it's fine. I just included you since you have voted at least once in this chapter. I know you're at least occasionally checking by. By the way, your characters will be introduced starting with early next chapter, which will start in late June.
Yeah, stuff like that happens. Just figured I had to do something to keep as many readers as possible for the next months. It's obviously way more fun to write for twenty people than it is to write for five, so I'm always worried to loose readers. But I am even more happy when a reader returns after some time of absence. Apparently, this notification post already had one positive effect
I got unfollowed from you and Blue's fan fics (frickin again)
Sorry about that, I'm gonna make sure I have everything else followed that I want to follow
Hehe, thanks for the update. I did not know that this story has been moved to the dreaded Forum Games section. I think it was a good idea to inform all of us, although I doubt I'll be gone by next year, as I have my own story as you know and that this is definitely one of, if not the best story on this forum. I certainly love reading it and I hope I am able to keep track of it despite what's going on at my house.
So, I guess I'm going to name this post 'Holy shit, how many users can I actually tag in one post?', or 'Holy shit, how many readers do I ac… moretually have?' In order not to disappoint you: Both of these questions remain unanswered at the end of this post.
This is just a quick notification in case you don't have this story under your followed discussions for whatever reason and are just checking it by searching for it through the main page, or are just occasionally checking by. Is this post necessary? I hope not. It's just me being very cautious not to loose a reader as a result of the recent event. Maybe some of you are not reading this story actively at the moment, which is fine. In that case, just ignore this post and the notification it comes with. But in case you are following the story, but have not noticed it:
Before you spend time searching for the story in the general section: It's no longer there. It has now found a new home among… [view original content]
I feel kinda saddened by this new change, but there really isn't much we can do to oppose it. Either way I will actively follow this because I really want to see where this amazing story is going.
So, I guess I'm going to name this post 'Holy shit, how many users can I actually tag in one post?', or 'Holy shit, how many readers do I ac… moretually have?' In order not to disappoint you: Both of these questions remain unanswered at the end of this post.
This is just a quick notification in case you don't have this story under your followed discussions for whatever reason and are just checking it by searching for it through the main page, or are just occasionally checking by. Is this post necessary? I hope not. It's just me being very cautious not to loose a reader as a result of the recent event. Maybe some of you are not reading this story actively at the moment, which is fine. In that case, just ignore this post and the notification it comes with. But in case you are following the story, but have not noticed it:
Before you spend time searching for the story in the general section: It's no longer there. It has now found a new home among… [view original content]
So, I guess I'm going to name this post 'Holy shit, how many users can I actually tag in one post?', or 'Holy shit, how many readers do I ac… moretually have?' In order not to disappoint you: Both of these questions remain unanswered at the end of this post.
This is just a quick notification in case you don't have this story under your followed discussions for whatever reason and are just checking it by searching for it through the main page, or are just occasionally checking by. Is this post necessary? I hope not. It's just me being very cautious not to loose a reader as a result of the recent event. Maybe some of you are not reading this story actively at the moment, which is fine. In that case, just ignore this post and the notification it comes with. But in case you are following the story, but have not noticed it:
Before you spend time searching for the story in the general section: It's no longer there. It has now found a new home among… [view original content]
Comments
[Work with Jon]
[Don't give him the letter]
[Work with Jon]
[Don't give him the letter]
http://strawpoll.me/4543462
Poll.
Why do I get the strange feeling that you have a certain antipathy towards Jenna?
Though I'm curious... what would you do if she would save Leonard's life at some point in the story? Hypothetically speaking, of course.
Have him stab her immediately following saving him.
I should have seen that answer coming XD
Interestingly, it would have been Jenna (or Carma if she would have been the one to return to the castle) who would have saved Leonard's life if he would have stayed back in Raylansfair. As I've said in the alternate choices, he would have prevented Lady Halla's death by fighting against Kersea and Wolfius. While Kersea would have been no match for him in single combat, the additional help from Wolfius would have put Leonard at a disadvantage and he would have been severely wounded (he would have made a full recovery, but would have been bed-ridden for this chapter). Jenna, who just arrived at the castle, would have indirectly saved his life, by drawing Wolfius' attention towards her (it would have been very ambigous if that would have been intentional from her) and therefore preventing him from finishing Leonard off. If Leonard would have stayed back at Raylansfair in Chapter 1, he would have also become a major ally for Jenna in general. It's kinda funny that you dislike her that much, seeing how she and Leonard could have been good friends if a different choice would have been picked in chapter 1
Except she did none of that so no, I hate her.
And Leonard would have easily overpowered any opponent like those two shitbirds in combat. He's a swordsman, if you know what I mean.
[Don't work with Jon] Don't want Garthon to get caught working with rebels. Better to just avoid them in general.
[Give him the letter] This man has a beard, I trust this man. You should all trust this man.
The Voting is closed!
Garthon will accept Jon's help
Ellena won't give Samuel the letter
I really hope that Samuel Puffer and Samuel Harrington are never going to meet in this story. Any dialogue between them is going to be confusing as hell, even for me as the writer. By the way, the decision you made will have consequences. Not necessarily negative consequences, but consequences in general.
I checked the results of the poll and to my slight disappointment and neverending surprise I see that five of you see Jenna Harking as the worst character in the story. While I'm probably never going to understand why exactly she's hated that much, perhaps one of you could care to explain? I mean, while you are free to dislike her all the way you want, you really want to tell me that you hate her the most out of all the characters? After all, that means that you hate a completely innocent and timid servant more than a violently insane serial-killer, more than a crude and brutal tyrant and more than said tyrant's psychopathic eldest son, who hunts people like animals. It also means that you hate a character who couldn't harm a fly more than a crimelord who sees nothing bad in raping and mutilating children to send a message to his archrival. Keep that in mind when you continue to hate Jenna. But, oh my sweet summer children, I can tease that by the time this chapter is finished, most of you will have a new least favourite character, a character that truly deserves your hatred this time.
Anyways, the next part is roughly halfway written. Yesterday I made very little progress, as the result of a terrible headache. I'm still not feeling that well today, but I'll try my best to finish the chapter in the next few hours. It's going to be a Lucas part and it features romance, bromance and of course Maron Mullendore, who totally fits into this sentence.
I myself like Jenna but I think most people just feel that it didn't make sense for her to survive Wolfius's attack or maybe they just don't find her that interesting compared to the other characters.
Her survival has indeed been the result of a very unlikely combination of choices. Still, it has been entirely vote determinant, so I don't think that alone should be enough to hate her. In fact, most of the deaths are going to be vote determinant, since I don't like to kill characters without giving a choice. While I like all characters (except Butterfly and Harmund, fuck these guys), Jenna isn't my favourite either, but I really think there are characters who deserve being hated far more. The amount of hatred Jenna receives for not dying always baffles me, especially since there were several factors completely out of her control that played a role in her survival: Wolfius' thirst for blood caused him to torture her instead of killing her quickly, Kersea's nervous breakdown caused her to abandon her post instead of providing backup for Wolfius and finally, Richard's arrival was enough to force Wolfius to retreat. The only thing she did to ensure her survival was clawing Wolfius in the eyes, but every other factor was absolutely not her 'fault'.
Lucas
Lucas awoke to the sound of someone knocking at his door. No, not his door. The sounds were too muffled for that. Weak rays of light fell through the window, illuminating Lunett's room. She was still sleeping, curled up next to him, her left arm laid over his chest. A smile flashed across Lucas' face as he barely dared to breath, fearing to wake her up.
“Flowers!”, a muffled voice shouted and the knocking continued. “We're late, get up!” Again, the sounds of someone loudly knocking at a door were heard. “Flowers! Are you even there?”, the voice shouted again. Yes, that was clearly Leonard and he sounded frustrated.
Lunett sighed and slightly moved, strands of her brown hair falling over her face. The sound of footsteps came closer and suddenly, Lucas heard someone loudly knocking at his door. “Lunett!”, Leonard called her. “Are you awake? Do you know where Lucas is?”
This was finally enough to wake Lunett, who raised her head, looking directly at Lucas. A happy smile appeared on her face. “Good morning”, she mumbled, leaning forward to kiss him. “You slept well?”, she asked and Lucas grin got wieder
“Is someone in there with...”, the voice of Leonard asked before Lucas could answer. “Oh, come on!”, the other knight exclaimed. “Flowers, you sly bastard!” Lunett giggled as she heard this and Lucas couldn't supress a short laughter. “Good morning, Lenny!”, he shouted through the door and he could almost hear Leonard frowning.
“Fuck you too, Flowers”, he answered, albeit he sounded joyful as he said it. “The sun is up and so should you. We have a busy day ahead and I plan to be out of this city by evening, so hurry up a little bit!” Lunett slightly raised from Lucas' chest, looking at the door. “Good morning, Leonard”, she answered softly. “Give us a moment, will ya?”
Leonard mumbled something unintelligible, before his voice got louder again. “Sure thing”, he said. “But don't take too long. I bet Mullendore does not like waiting” The sound of his footsteps got more distant as he left. Lunett sank down onto Lucas' chest again, her brown hair now touching his chin. “Just one moment”, she mumbled, snuggling up against him.
“Last night was...”, Lucas started to say, but she put a finger on his mouth. “Shhh”, she mumbled. “Don't talk now” For a short moment, she just laid in his arms and Lucas felt happier than he felt in years. As she tried to rise, he gave her a passionate kiss and she sank back into his arms again. “We should...”, she mumbled, but Lucas interrupted her by kissing her again. “We really should get up”
Lucas cradled her in his arms, gently stroking her hair. “Or we could stay here for a while longer. No Leonard. No Mullendore. No Oldtown. Just you and me”, he whispered and her happy smile made him beam with joy. “I'd love to”, she whispered back, before gently squirming free from his hug. “But we can't. Not yet”
She finally raised from the bed, noticing that Lucas was staring at her naked body. A smirk stretched across her face as she reached for her dress. “Not now, Lucas”, she chuckled. He let out a frustrated moan and noticed that her smile disappeared. “I... I can't stop wondering... what will my father say?”, she asked.
Lucas had thought about that too. Of course, he had barely talked to Lunett's father, but what he saw of him left him with a bad opinion. “He will probably try to murder me”, he mumbled and raised from the bed, putting his arms around Lunett. “Don't joke about that”, she whispered and Lucas noticed that she was slightly shivering. “He might try it indeed. He can be unreasonable when it comes to me”
“Would he object if I offer to...”, Lucas started to say, but choked on the words for a moment. He barely knew her! He met her a week ago, he barely knew her father. But last night he had taken her virginity, in the worst case he even got her pregnant. He barely knew her, yes, but he liked her a lot. And he was a knight, he had to take this seriously. He wouldn't father a bastard!
“What?”, Lunett asked and Lucas realized that she already knew what he wanted to say. “Would he object to what?” “Would he object if I'd offer to marry you?”, Lucas revealed, watching her eyes widen and her cheeks blushing in a beautiful rosy colour. “You... what?”, Lunett stuttered, a smile appearing on her face. “You mean...?” Lucas gave her a nod. “I know this is pretty fast, but...”, he said, but was interrupted as she gave him a passionate kiss. “He wouldn't object”, she said with a smile. “Neither would I”
Lucas held her in his arms for a moment and wished for nothing more than to forget this city, to forget everything aside from her. For the first time since his father had banished him from his families lands, he knew exactly what he wanted.
They were interrupted by the sound of someone knocking at the door again. “Seven Hells, Flowers! Hurry up!”, Leonard called and Lucas rolled with his eyes, while Lunett pulled away from him. “Horrible timing, Leonard”, Lucas shouted and let out a sigh. “You're welcome, Flowers. And now come on!”, the other knight answered.
Lucas needed only a few moments to put his clothes back on, while Lunett needed slightly longer to brush her hair. As they finally opened the door, they were greeted with the sight of a visibly annoyed Leonard. “Fucking finally”, he said, albeit Lucas saw a pleased look in his eyes. “Now come on, we got a lot to do”
Leonard started to walk down the hallway, while Lucas and Lunett exchanged a short look. The girl was still smiling, albeit her face now had a bright red colour. “We need to talk about that later”, she said.
Lucas put an arm around her as they walked down the hallway. “We will, he promised her. “After we got out of here. Then we return to your father and I will tell him everything” He gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I will tell him that I intend to marry his beautiful daughter” This caused her to snicker and Lucas was sure that Leonard slightly sighed as he heard this.
Dairon was already waiting for them in the taproom, sitting on a table all for himself. He looked well-rested, calmer and more collected than the day before. In contrast, Lucas noticed that Leonard looked slightly nervous and moved a bit more stiffly than usual.
“Alright, now that the rest of us finally decided to show up, we can plan our day”, Leonard said. “Lucas, we will go to the Hightower in a minute. Maron Mullendore is waiting for us and I want to get that done as soon as possible” Lucas gave him an understanding nod. He wasn't too eager to meet this man again, but both of them knew that Mullendore probably was their best bet when it came to help in this city.
“Dairon and Lunett, you will stay here while we're gone. Don't leave the building unless you are in danger”, Leonard continued. Dairon gave him a startled glare. “Do you think is could be dangerous for us?”, he asked. Lunett gave him a grin. “Do not worry”, she said. “As long as I'm here, you'll be safe”
Leonard ignored her remark as he continued. “I don't know if you're in danger”, he admitted. “It's possible. Getting Mullendore to help us in leaving this city is one of our most important tasks today. As long as we get his help, you'll be safe” He looked at Lucas and didn't need to continue. As long as they got Mullendore's help...
“If something goes wrong, I want you to flee”, Lucas advised them. “Run to the Citadel. Archmaester Quent might be willing to help you” This statement caused Leonard to glare at him. “Quent?”, he growled. “That snake won't help them without any ulterior motive”
Lucas gave him a nod. “True”, he admitted. “But if we fail to win Mullendore's help, Quent might be the only one who could keep them safe” Leonard did not answer, but his facial expression made it clear that he disliked this idea. “Whatever”, he mumbled after a few moments. “Shall we get going?”
Lucas looked at Lunett, who gave him a sweet smile. “Don't ask me”, she said. “I have no problem with you staying here forever” Lucas let out a sigh and gave her a short kiss. “As much as I'd like to”, he answered. “I'll be back soon”
He and Leonard raised from their chairs and Lucas gave Dairon a stern look. “We do all of this because of you”, he told him. “So I want you to listen to Lunett while we're gone. If something happens, you bring her to the Citadel, do you understand me?”
Leonard put a hand on his shoulder. “Come on, Flowers”, he said softly. “The earlier we deal with Mullendore, the earlier we're back here” He gave Lunett and Dairon a short nod. “Follow my advice. If you're in danger, don't pretend to be heroes. Stay safe”
With these words, he turned around and walked out of the building. Lucas gave Lunett a last look and walked after him. He couldn't deny it, he was worried for her safety. Never before had he been worried for someone like that. And he wouldn't stop being worried until they would finally leave this city behind.
He noticed Leonard's big grin only after a while. “Something the matter, Len?”, he asked. Leonard slightly patted him on the back. “Oh Flowers, you lucky bastard”, he grinned. “Are you sure that you picked a good time to roll in the hay with the innkeeper's daughter?”
This caused Lucas to frown and he gave Leonard a surprised look. “Wait... are you upset? You encouraged me to talk to her!”, he protested. Leonard's grin turned into a smirk. “You got an interesting definition of 'talking' to someone, Flowers. I'm not upset about you, I am proud”
His smirk vanished and for a moment he looked deadly serious at Lucas, as they were walking down the streets of Oldtown. “What are you going to do with her?”, he asked. Lucas pressed his lips together. “I offered to marry her”, he answered, causing Leonard to laugh out loud. “Marrying?”, he asked in surprise. “Congratulations, I guess” “Yeah...”, Lucas answered slowly. “I guess. It's not that I have that much of a choice here. I took her virginity and in the worst case I got her pregnant. What kind of knight would I be if I would just leave her now?”
Leonard gave him a nod. “You're a good knight, Lucas”, he answered. “And I respect your decision. Aside from that, she's a decent looking girl. You could do worse” A pained expression flashed over his face and he stopped for a moment, holding his back.
“What's up?”, Lucas asked as Leonard put both of his hands on his back, slowly kneading it. “Well, not everyone of us had a good night”, he answered. “Of course I gave Dairon the bed and took the floor for myself. Wasn't exactly comfortable. On top of that, you won't believe me how loud that boy snorts” He continued to walk down the street, slightly shaking his head.
Lucas grinned as he heard this. “No way”, he exclaimed. “We're talking about the same Dairon who barely speaks a word when he's with us, right?” Leonard gave him a nod. “Like a goddamn dragon”, he explained. Both of them chuckled and for a moment, Lucas nearly forgot his worries. But as soon as he looked to the sky, seeing the huge tower in front of him, his fear came back and his smile vanished.
The Hightower was visible from ever part of this city, but it looked more intimidating the closer it came. It was a wise move that the city guards headquarters were located inside of this tower. Lucas wasn't a criminal, but he could imagine the effect it had on anyone who was brought there for interrogation.
“Remember what we talked about, Flowers”, Leonard reminded him as they approached the hulking building. “He mustn't know about Dairon” Lucas gave him a hasty nod. “I understand”, he mumbled. “But what if there's no other choice?”
Leonard gave him a curious look. “What do you mean?”, he asked. “What if the only way to convince him to help us is by giving him what he wants?”, Lucas answered. “He's a man of the law. Surely he won't do anything to harm Dairon, right?”
This caused Leonard to shake his head again. “Don't be such a fool, Flowers. Not all of us are as honourable as you. If we give him Dairon, what use do we have for him? Remember that this man is not our friend, he is still sworn to Hightower! I can only assure you, don't do anything stupid”
They arrived at the Hightower a few minutes later. It was the tallest building in the known world and right now, Lucas had the expression that it was the best guarded as well. Still, getting into the tower wasn't hard work. The large wooden doors, bigger than Raylansfair's main gate, were always opened, allowing the knights to enter, albeit under the watchful eyes of dozens of guards. Lucas had no doubt that one of them would inform Mullendore of their presence. Neither Lucas or Leonard had brought their weapons or armour and Lucas was glad about it. They couldn't do anything against the amount of force Lord Hightower displayed here.
While the tower itself was impressive mainly because of it's height, the circular entrance hall was stunning in a completely different way. It was larger than the courtyard back in Raylansfair, the bottom consisting completely out of blackened marble. Seven golden pillars supported the ceiling far above them. At least two hundred soldiers, clad in grey armour, stood at guard, blocking several stairways and doors that lead to different parts of the tower. Countless courtiers walked around, walking from room to room, the combined sounds of their footsteps enough to drown every conversation.
It wasn't long until Lucas noticed a man walking straight towards them. From the grey armour he was wearing, Lucas identified him as part of the city guard. He was older than him, probably in his late thirties, with short, black hair and a stubble beard. He approached them with swift steps, taking a short, but polite bow in front of them. “Leonard Constantine and Lucas Flowers?”, he asked. Leonard gave him a nod. “We are”, he answered. “We're here to talk to Ser Maron Mullendore”
The man gave them a handwave, ordering them to follow them, before turning around and walking towards one of the doors that lead out of hall. “My name is Ryder Harrington, captain of the guard. Ser Maron is already informed of your arrival. He will meet you in his office”
With these words, he continued his way through the tower, leading them to a large wooden door. Behind it, Lucas and Leonard entered a second, far smaller hall, filled with guardsmen, who were apparently off duty at the moment, sitting around several tables, eating or playing cards. Several of them gave their guide respectful nods, some even greeted Lucas and Leonard with short nods.
Ryder lead them directly towards a short, open door, revealing a small,tidy chamber behind it. Maron Mullendore sat on a large chair, his arms resting on the dark, wooden table. In front of him, huge stacks of paperwork. He looked paler than he did yesterday, his red hair looking especially messy now. He gave them a short nod as they entered. “Ser Lucas, Ser Leonard. It's an honour to meet you again”, he said with his raspy voice, pointing at two chairs in front of his desk. “Please, have a seat”
He gave the guardsman a small nod. “Ryder, thank you for bringing them here. Could you get the letter?” He looked back at Lucas. “That's why you are here, right?” Lucas gave him a nod. “Indeed, Ser Maron. Thank you for meeting us”
Mullendore's mouth formed a tired grin as Ryder left the room, closing the door behind him. “I've made some room. Are you okay?”, he asked. “Is there any reason not to be okay?”, Leonard asked and Lucas noticed the hostile tone in his voice. Mullendore gave him a nod. “Indeed it is”, he answered shortly. “Butterfly is interested in you. That's usually a death sentence”
“You've informed us about that”, Lucas told him. “But so far he hasn't made a move on us” Mullendore's tired grin got a bit wider, but he still showed no joy. “None you know about”, he growled. “Do not underestimate this man. Butterfly is more dangerous than you think”
He let out a sigh, raising from his chair. Lucas noticed once again that Mullendore was taller than most people. If he would have been half his age and half his weight, he would look like a warrior. But now he just looked like a jaded guardsman. Lucas could understand him well. Mullendore appeared to be an honourable man, surrounded by liars.
Mullendore started to walk towards a small cupboard in the edge of his office and Lucas noticed that he walked with a small limp. The knight noticed his stare and a smirk appeared on his face. “A spear, thrown by a fucking Stormlands soldier”, he explained. “Ten years ago, Battle of Blackhaven. Not my first scar, not my last and certainly not my worst. But on bad days I can still feel it” He opened the cupboard's drawer, pulling out a bottle filled with a golden liquid.
“And today is a very bad day”, he grumbled. “You want some Arbor Gold?” Lucas and Leonard exchanged a small look, before answering simultaneously. “Yes”, Lucas answered, while Leonard shook his head. “No”, the other knight said, causing Mullendore to raise an eyebrow.
“It's okay not to trust me”, he chuckled. “Distrust comes naturally in this city. But distrusting a good Arbor Gold? You're behaving fishy, boy” Leonard gave him a frown. “I'm not thirsty”, he answered. Mullendore shrugged. “Your loss” With these words, he pulled out two small cups, filling them with wine, before grabbing both of them and limping back to his table. He place one of the cups in front of Lucas, giving both knights a stern look.
“Have you ever been to war?”, he asked. “Do you know the sound of clashing steel, the noise of arrows flying through the air, the screams of dying people, all combined to a bitter cacophony? Do you know the moment when a man's life is worth less than his own shit?”
Lucas shook his head. “Luckily, I've never been to war. I fought in small skirmishes in Essos, but I never experienced a larger battle”, he answered. “Neither have I”, Leonard joined in. “Small skirmishes have been all for me, same as Flowers”
Mullendore's stern face got a somewhat pleased look. “I pray to the Stranger that none of you will ever experience a real war. Because that's what I have to deal with every fucking hour on every fucking day for the past thirty years. Blackhaven wasn't my worst battle. Oldtown is”
He raised the cup and Lucas did the same with his own. “To war! And to the lucky bastards who never experienced it!”, Mullendore proclaimed, emptying his cup in a single gulp. “You want to leave this city, am I right?”
“As soon as possible”, Leonard answered. Mullendore gave him a distanced nod. “Clever boy”, he mumbled. “When I was tasked with bringing peace to this city, twenty years ago, I could have never imagined what kind of work that is. Today, I have two enemies, the Burned Man and Butterfly. The Burned Man is the more dangerous out of these, because Butterfly only targets other criminals, like a vigilante. Still, I found out the hard way that he is not interested in an alliance with me. And neither are you, if I interpret your behaviour correctly”
Lucas and Leonard changed a surprised look. “Ser Maron?”, Lucas asked. Mullendore let out a sigh. “You know, I trust you more than most of my men out there. You are knights from the countryside. You have honour. Still, I know you don't trust me and I know you want to leave this city as soon as possible. And I can't even blame you for it”
He leant forwards in his chair, looking over Leonard's shoulder. As Lucas turned around, he saw Ryder standing in the door, holding a small sheet of paper. “Still, one question remains before I share the content of this letter with you. Have you found what you've been looking for? Have you found this boy Butterfly is going crazy about? Do you know where he is?”
[Reveal Dairon's location] [Don't reveal Dairon's location]
Reveal Dairon's location
[Reveal Dairon's location]
[Don't reveal Dairon's location] The boys are needed back in Raylainsfair. Can they just go home?
[Reveal Dairon's location] It's a risky move but the way I see it, it's a chance to gain a powerful ally.
[Don't reveal Dairon's location]
(Dont reveal Dairon location)
[Reveal Dairon's location] Got to advance here and this seems like the only way.
[Don't reveal Dairon's location]
[Don't reveal Dairon's location]
We don't need his help.
Lucas, that sly bastard. I sincerely hope he did indeed get Lunett pregnant. Why? Because Leonard could finally use it as an excuse to. Go ahead back to Raylansfair and seize lordship title for himself. No one wants a bastard lord (Lucas & Harris) or one who is attempting to marry a small folk (Lucas). No, they want a man with bravery, great combat skills, leadership, wisdom, knowledge, charisma, and extremely good looks to seduce a daughter of a lord of a powerful house, whether that be Gardener or some less known house of the Reach. Especially a Gardener. I have a reason why, but I shall not disclose this at this current time. Hint: it's technically not because they are the kin of the King of the Reach...
More over, with Leonard's connections to the court of Mern Gardener himself, it is entirely possible if Leonard were to assume lordship, the Gardeners probably want to gain some sort of access to the archives of Raylansfair, as well as reassure themselves that House Raylan is a loyal vassal, and offer the bride to gain access to these perks.
So that my friends, is why you should support Leonard Constantine, the first of his name, to lead House Raylan into a new generation: House Constance (better than House Constantine). His wide range of talent allows for the maximum benefit to Raylansfair. He can lead small folk, he can train soldiers, he can deal with finances, and he can fight.
Concerning the other knight:
http://strawpoll.me/4567526
[Don't reveal Dairon's location]
[Reveal Dairon's location] it's a bold move cotton let's see how it plays out
Just a heads up, I am moving this fan fiction thread to the Forum Games section over at Telltale Talk.
Ah shame, I had hopes it could stay in the main section after all the time. Since new readers are probably going to be rare from now on, I hope that the current readers stay. But it's alright, thank you very much for leaving it in the general discussion for the past six months, it helped a lot in gaining a huge amount of readers
This comes 6 months after he posted it? XD
Eh, whatever.
So I guess @LiquidChciagoTed doesn't want to admit this is true and spoil the story which he is why he isn't responding. XD
Anyway, I've also come to some other conclusions:
Leonard can gave some mercenaries that he has encountered by eliminating Harris and becoming lord. With this becoming his elite guard along with his own skills he can attract new potential master-at-arms for Raylansfair. I figure if he challenges someone and bets that if he wins that person will come to Raylansfair and join him he can recruit some very powerful men to rise to the task.
He also can finally go claim his inheritance and use this to persuade others much like Lord Baelish.
So, I guess I'm going to name this post 'Holy shit, how many users can I actually tag in one post?', or 'Holy shit, how many readers do I actually have?' In order not to disappoint you: Both of these questions remain unanswered at the end of this post.
This is just a quick notification in case you don't have this story under your followed discussions for whatever reason and are just checking it by searching for it through the main page, or are just occasionally checking by. Is this post necessary? I hope not. It's just me being very cautious not to loose a reader as a result of the recent event. Maybe some of you are not reading this story actively at the moment, which is fine. In that case, just ignore this post and the notification it comes with. But in case you are following the story, but have not noticed it:
Before you spend time searching for the story in the general section: It's no longer there. It has now found a new home among it's literary brothers and sisters in the Forum Games section. I have expected this for a long time now and while I am not thrilled about this at all, seeing how it wasn't a problem in the past six months, it's completely beyond my control and I have no choice but to accept it. I guess I could argue with the mods, but BlindSniper and the others are just doing their jobs and I doubt they have that much of a choice in this either. However, if one of them decides to move it back, I certainly won't object. And well, it could be worse, seeing how the story is still open and will still continue in it's current form. However, the Forum Games section is a bit hidden, so I don't expect to gain a huge amount of new readers for the remainder of the story. Which is long, very long. In case you haven't noticed, we aren't even halfway through Book 1. Since it's only natural that some of you won't be active in the forum anymore in a year or so for a multitude of possible reasons, I'm a bit worried about loosing a majority of readers over the course of the next dozen months, which would be unfortunate. Scratch that, I am extremely worried. The huge amount of readers this story has was always something I was very proud of and the huge amount of feedback I got for my writing gave me a lot of self-assurance, so loosing a majority of the audience is a legitimate concern for me.
I know my worries are unfounded for most of you, but I'm doing this just in case. To make it complete and to push my massive ego, I'm also going to include those readers who I definitely know are going to continue following this story even without a notification. To give you some sort of notification, I'm going to tag every person who voted at least once over the course of this chapter. I know, some of those who I'm going to tag now aren't actively reading the story, which is cool, but I'm going to tag you regardless just in case you want to continue reading at some point in the future. I know I talk too much, it's a blessing and a curse. Allow me to proceed by tagging every person who voted on this story over the course of the past chapter, in order of their votes after the first part of this chapter:
@InGen_Nate_Kenny, @NoHopeLeft, @MadManLee, @Badboybadger, @TWD_25, @supersagig, @husmusen, @NightShroud18, @Pipas, @WildlingKing, @Loki522, @Bounden, @KSGoT, @AlexxChief, @JohnBuro, @Herodriver, @1632699, @Upshaw, @Geoor, @Norrens_Plowed_Field, @DiverseGnu, @Partition, @finlander, @SivD1, @KingInTheNorth13, @SuperChocoLatte, @Crips, @Nolonius, @TheNarwhalKing, @TheAPlegends, @Firewallcano, @InKennyWeTrust, @TheFurryOne, @AgentZ46, @Chaosjester, @cheyman99, @Saltlick123, @Luthor_92Light, @xSensus, @themadeiramagician
Was this necessary to inform you on where you can find the story from now on? Hopefully not. Was this necessary to ease my worries about loosing a part of this wonderful audience? Absolutely. Did it feel good to tag every person who read at least one of the parts of this chapter, regardless of it being necessary or not? Hell yeah it did! Anyways, if you're not actively following the story at the moment or if you have noticed the current change already (or would have noticed it regardless), just ignore this little notification. Like I said, just a precaution.
Anyway, I have finished being paranoid now and will continue to work on the next chapter. Voting is going to be open until tomorrow and the next part is going to be out as soon as possible.
XD when did you submit them?
Holy fucking shit Liquid. Writing this before I read the wall of text. One big ass post.
I'm sorry, I'm being a massive dick by not reading until one of my characters are introduced
Don't reveal Dairons location
Yep, I always talk too much when I'm excited or worried about anything
I got unfollowed from you and Blue's fan fics (frickin again)
Sorry about that, I'm gonna make sure I have everything else followed that I want to follow
Nah, it's fine. I just included you since you have voted at least once in this chapter. I know you're at least occasionally checking by. By the way, your characters will be introduced starting with early next chapter, which will start in late June.
Yeah, stuff like that happens. Just figured I had to do something to keep as many readers as possible for the next months. It's obviously way more fun to write for twenty people than it is to write for five, so I'm always worried to loose readers. But I am even more happy when a reader returns after some time of absence. Apparently, this notification post already had one positive effect
Hehe, thanks for the update. I did not know that this story has been moved to the dreaded Forum Games section. I think it was a good idea to inform all of us, although I doubt I'll be gone by next year, as I have my own story as you know
and that this is definitely one of, if not the best story on this forum. I certainly love reading it and I hope I am able to keep track of it despite what's going on at my house. 
I feel kinda saddened by this new change, but there really isn't much we can do to oppose it. Either way I will actively follow this because I really want to see where this amazing story is going.
Damn, that's a huge wall of text
But it's actually good, because my acc had unfollowed some threads (again), including yours, so I didn't know if you had posted another chapter.