John
Gutten and Janae walked the path to the castle in an uncomfortable silence. The woman had an almost characteristic frown on her face… more, although this time it was clearly directed at him. Sure, this wasn't the first time she was angry at him, but this time it felt worse than ever, because this time he needed her friendship more than ever.
“Janae...”, he mumbled and received a glare from her. He let out sigh. “I'm sorry” She slightly shook her head at this sentence, but stopped for a moment as her gaze fell on the barely healed cuts on his face. “Do you have any idea how much worse our situation just got?”, she asked.
“It was just a bit of money”, Gutten tried to defend himself, but immediately noticed that he had said something bad. Temari had a similarly upset look on his face as John proclaimed that he would give some of his money to Aylard. The only one who had been happy about this was Behara and her bright smile had almost bee… [view original content]
Yes, in general this would be possible. However, in some occasions this can give me problems with the planned story for the character your c… moreharacter would be connected to, for example if I have already planned said characters storyline in greater detail or if they are set to die soon. Because of this, it would be for the best if you could write me a PM in which you detail your idea, then I can tell you if it is possible or not. In the end it depends mainly on the character you'd like to link your character to.
Personally I'm okay with characters that are linked to my characters (I believe there already are such characters since many of House Karstark have been submitted) so long as it doesn't dramatically change the backstory of them or add something out of character to them. However so far only two of my characters (Jaron and Alisa) have been introduced so I don't have much to offer for ya
Personally I'm okay with characters that are linked to my characters (I believe there already are such characters since many of House Karsta… morerk have been submitted) so long as it doesn't dramatically change the backstory of them or add something out of character to them. However so far only two of my characters (Jaron and Alisa) have been introduced so I don't have much to offer for ya
John
Gutten and Janae walked the path to the castle in an uncomfortable silence. The woman had an almost characteristic frown on her face… more, although this time it was clearly directed at him. Sure, this wasn't the first time she was angry at him, but this time it felt worse than ever, because this time he needed her friendship more than ever.
“Janae...”, he mumbled and received a glare from her. He let out sigh. “I'm sorry” She slightly shook her head at this sentence, but stopped for a moment as her gaze fell on the barely healed cuts on his face. “Do you have any idea how much worse our situation just got?”, she asked.
“It was just a bit of money”, Gutten tried to defend himself, but immediately noticed that he had said something bad. Temari had a similarly upset look on his face as John proclaimed that he would give some of his money to Aylard. The only one who had been happy about this was Behara and her bright smile had almost bee… [view original content]
Many of you probably remember the great illustrations foxbrg was doing of the characters of this story, and they can of course still be found from the album that is linked in the opening post. However fox has recently not had time to do them anymore so I suggested to Liquid yesterday that I could draw some characters of this story. I took three characters under work at first and now they are ready, here ya go:
What do you think?
And Liquid you can send a couple new characters now if you want
Hello fellow readers of FoT!
Many of you probably remember the great illustrations foxbrg was doing of the characters of this story, and … morethey can of course still be found from the album that is linked in the opening post. However fox has recently not had time to do them anymore so I suggested to Liquid yesterday that I could draw some characters of this story. I took three characters under work at first and now they are ready, here ya go:
What do you think?
And Liquid you can send a couple new characters now if you want
Hello fellow readers of FoT!
Many of you probably remember the great illustrations foxbrg was doing of the characters of this story, and … morethey can of course still be found from the album that is linked in the opening post. However fox has recently not had time to do them anymore so I suggested to Liquid yesterday that I could draw some characters of this story. I took three characters under work at first and now they are ready, here ya go:
What do you think?
And Liquid you can send a couple new characters now if you want
Hello fellow readers of FoT!
Many of you probably remember the great illustrations foxbrg was doing of the characters of this story, and … morethey can of course still be found from the album that is linked in the opening post. However fox has recently not had time to do them anymore so I suggested to Liquid yesterday that I could draw some characters of this story. I took three characters under work at first and now they are ready, here ya go:
What do you think?
And Liquid you can send a couple new characters now if you want
John
Gutten and Janae walked the path to the castle in an uncomfortable silence. The woman had an almost characteristic frown on her face… more, although this time it was clearly directed at him. Sure, this wasn't the first time she was angry at him, but this time it felt worse than ever, because this time he needed her friendship more than ever.
“Janae...”, he mumbled and received a glare from her. He let out sigh. “I'm sorry” She slightly shook her head at this sentence, but stopped for a moment as her gaze fell on the barely healed cuts on his face. “Do you have any idea how much worse our situation just got?”, she asked.
“It was just a bit of money”, Gutten tried to defend himself, but immediately noticed that he had said something bad. Temari had a similarly upset look on his face as John proclaimed that he would give some of his money to Aylard. The only one who had been happy about this was Behara and her bright smile had almost bee… [view original content]
Oh yes, these are amazing! Thank you so much They look spot on and I'm amazed at the details you put into these. My favourite here has to be Maron Mullendore, who looks uncannily exactly like I imagined him when I wrote stuff for him. These are truly awesome drawings and they are now also in the imgur gallery, with proper credit to you of course. Also, I have sent you a couple of new ones which I hope could be fun to draw
Hello fellow readers of FoT!
Many of you probably remember the great illustrations foxbrg was doing of the characters of this story, and … morethey can of course still be found from the album that is linked in the opening post. However fox has recently not had time to do them anymore so I suggested to Liquid yesterday that I could draw some characters of this story. I took three characters under work at first and now they are ready, here ya go:
What do you think?
And Liquid you can send a couple new characters now if you want
Oh yes, these are amazing! Thank you so much They look spot on and I'm amazed at the details you put into these. My favourite here has to b… moree Maron Mullendore, who looks uncannily exactly like I imagined him when I wrote stuff for him. These are truly awesome drawings and they are now also in the imgur gallery, with proper credit to you of course. Also, I have sent you a couple of new ones which I hope could be fun to draw
[Try to excavate the treasure tonight] TREASUREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
I'll be back to edit in my thoughts, I'm going to dinner. Sta… morey tuned.
“Who was this odd girl?”, John asked and a frown appeared on Federico's face. “Jenna Harking”, he answered. “Servicemaid in the castle. Apparently she got attacked by some crazy killer only a few days ago” This sentence caused a frown not unlike Janae's to appear on John's face as he exchanged a glance with her. “Have they killed the man who did this?”, he asked and Federico shook his head. “The city guard tries to find him, but I don't know how much I can expect from them”, he explained.
Odd girl? That's a starter. There's a lot more words that can be used to describe her.
“However, there is still a problem. Two of our men, Jaro and I'Lian have separated from us to follow a mission of their own. We have expected them back by now, but...”, Janae started to explain, but Harris … [view original content]
John and Janae will try to excavate the treasure tonight
Well... important choice here. Very important actually. In a certain way, this was not a very wise choice, muahahaha! In a certain other way, it was a very wise choice. In any case, this will have consequences and at least the negative ones will be obvious soon.
The next part should be out later today. It will be a Drent part and I will try my best to finish it in the next few hours.
I have just closed the voting before I even saw your comment It should be out today. Writing went a bit slower than usual, which was weird because I absolutely enjoyed this part again. But I am confident that I will be finished in a few hours.
Good job, I like to draw myself sometimes, but traditional way on paper, since while not having a tablet to paint anymore and with mouse I would just not be able to as I guess you did.. my patience would end pretty fast :-D Therefore I am finding myself other, digital ways to express creativity and I enjoy it a lot :-)
Hello fellow readers of FoT!
Many of you probably remember the great illustrations foxbrg was doing of the characters of this story, and … morethey can of course still be found from the album that is linked in the opening post. However fox has recently not had time to do them anymore so I suggested to Liquid yesterday that I could draw some characters of this story. I took three characters under work at first and now they are ready, here ya go:
What do you think?
And Liquid you can send a couple new characters now if you want
The Voting is closed!
John and Janae will try to excavate the treasure tonight
Well... important choice here. Very important actually.… more In a certain way, this was not a very wise choice, muahahaha! In a certain other way, it was a very wise choice. In any case, this will have consequences and at least the negative ones will be obvious soon.
The next part should be out later today. It will be a Drent part and I will try my best to finish it in the next few hours.
I have just closed the voting before I even saw your comment It should be out today. Writing went a bit slower than usual, which was weird because I absolutely enjoyed this part again. But I am confident that I will be finished in a few hours.
I do like to draw the traditional way too, have done it my whole childhood (edit: and still do ). However I don't consider myself very talented with pen And I'd love to try tablet, but I don't really feel like spending that much money just because I want to test it.
Good job, I like to draw myself sometimes, but traditional way on paper, since while not having a tablet to paint anymore and with mouse I w… moreould just not be able to as I guess you did.. my patience would end pretty fast :-D Therefore I am finding myself other, digital ways to express creativity and I enjoy it a lot :-)
The Voting is closed!
John and Janae will try to excavate the treasure tonight
Well... important choice here. Very important actually.… more In a certain way, this was not a very wise choice, muahahaha! In a certain other way, it was a very wise choice. In any case, this will have consequences and at least the negative ones will be obvious soon.
The next part should be out later today. It will be a Drent part and I will try my best to finish it in the next few hours.
What important is, is the fact you enjoy it anyway, even if you don't feel so talented with it. And I have totally the same, even when don't feel "pro", I still enjoy to take it to my hands from time to time.
There are also cheaper tablets, so you don't necessary need to spend too much on it. I bought one like this in the past and even if from lower shelf, it served me good. :-)
I do like to draw the traditional way too, have done it my whole childhood (edit: and still do ). However I don't consider myself very talen… moreted with pen And I'd love to try tablet, but I don't really feel like spending that much money just because I want to test it.
The Voting is closed!
John and Janae will try to excavate the treasure tonight
Well... important choice here. Very important actually.… more In a certain way, this was not a very wise choice, muahahaha! In a certain other way, it was a very wise choice. In any case, this will have consequences and at least the negative ones will be obvious soon.
The next part should be out later today. It will be a Drent part and I will try my best to finish it in the next few hours.
I think it will be this way - going in the night, more dangerous for not healthy enough members, but bigger chances of getting the treasure and if needed, hiding in the darkness. Going in the morning, more rested but as well big chances that treasure will be already gone, and they will come empty handed to Harris... after all, there are bandits around, who knows if they don't camp there this exact night :-p
The Voting is closed!
John and Janae will try to excavate the treasure tonight
Well... important choice here. Very important actually.… more In a certain way, this was not a very wise choice, muahahaha! In a certain other way, it was a very wise choice. In any case, this will have consequences and at least the negative ones will be obvious soon.
The next part should be out later today. It will be a Drent part and I will try my best to finish it in the next few hours.
I'm still convinced that beast attacks have some connections with the "Bear" and company. So that's why I think that excavating at night is not a wise choice, I would much rather risk not getting that treasure than this, but idk, it will be fun for sure
I think it will be this way - going in the night, more dangerous for not healthy enough members, but bigger chances of getting the treasure … moreand if needed, hiding in the darkness. Going in the morning, more rested but as well big chances that treasure will be already gone, and they will come empty handed to Harris... after all, there are bandits around, who knows if they don't camp there this exact night :-p
Exactly I'm just wondering if they'll bump to Bear&co., Wolfius, or the mysterious predator. Damn, Raylansfair really is a dangerous place, almost as bad as Oldtown.
I'm still convinced that beast attacks have some connections with the "Bear" and company. So that's why I think that excavating at night is … morenot a wise choice, I would much rather risk not getting that treasure than this, but idk, it will be fun for sure
Exactly I'm just wondering if they'll bump to Bear&co., Wolfius, or the mysterious predator. Damn, Raylansfair really is a dangerous place, almost as bad as Oldtown.
I believe they will be still careful and notice Bear and company before they notice them... it's easier to hide and be unnoticed in the night after all :-D ... so I actually don't regret voting for night, it will be exciting and interesting :-) (I hope!)
I'm still convinced that beast attacks have some connections with the "Bear" and company. So that's why I think that excavating at night is … morenot a wise choice, I would much rather risk not getting that treasure than this, but idk, it will be fun for sure
I believe they will be still careful and notice Bear and company before they notice them... it's easier to hide and be unnoticed in the nigh… moret after all :-D ... so I actually don't regret voting for night, it will be exciting and interesting :-) (I hope!)
Drent took a deep breath as he looked into Argella's deep blue eyes. “It is Garen”, he revealed. “He repeatedly stated that he is displeased with the way you handle things here, my princess” Argella raised her eyebrows, looking slightly surprised at this reveal. “Garen?”, she asked. “This is unexpected. I never thought a mercenary would have an opinion at all” She leant forward, slightly smiling at him. “Thank you for your honesty, Drent. I appreciate it. Would you like some more wine?”
Drent gave her a slight nod and allowed to show the hint of a smile. “It would be a pleasure, my princess”, he answered. Argella looked at the carafe and it took Drent a moment to realize that she had no intentions of pouring him another glass herself. “You know what... keep the carafe. Arbor White... not exactly my favourite”, the princess said.
“Mine neither”, Drent agreed. “Arbor Red is clearly the best wine in this world” Argella gave him a slightly impressed look, followed by a slow nod. “My, my, Drent. I never thought of you as a wine expert”, she complimented him. Drent gave her a nervous, but proud smile and slightly chuckled. “Oh, you know, my princess... every man needs a few pleasures in life. One of mine just happens to be wine”
Argella's impressed look faded, her smirk starting to appear a bit mocking. “Actually, I still don't think of you as a wine expert”, she revealed and Drent's smile vanished. “Everyone knows that Arbor Gold is superior to Red in any way imaginable” “Never drank Gold before”, Drent admitted sheepishly. “Too expensive”
“That sounds terrible”, Argella said and Drent wasn't sure if she was making fun of him or if she was genuinely sympathetic. “You know what... once we're back in Storm's End, I shall give you a cask full of Arbor Gold, as a reward for your loyalty” This caused Drent's mouth to fall open. “A full cask?”, he asked and she gave him a mildly annoyed nod. “That's what I said”, she answered. “But... but that costs...”, he stuttered, before she cut him off. “Exactly nothing that would matter to me. It's just a reward for a loyal soldier”, she said. “Now, back to our earlier topic. Garen... do you know where he is at the moment?”
Drent shook his head. “Somewhere here at the camp. We had a small argument and he stormed off”, he answered. Argella pressed her lips together, apparently thinking about something for a moment. “This is unfortunate. I would have liked to talk to him”, she answered. “Talked?”, Drent asked and noticed too late that he said this out loud.
The Storm Princess' glare got slightly harder as she gave him a stern nod. “Talked”, she confirmed with a cold tone in her voice. Her anger seemed to be gone in an instant, as she let out a sigh. “Drent, what do you expect me to do?”, she asked and looked genuinely upset.
“I... my princess, I honestly don't know what you would do”, he answered and she gave him a nod. “No, you obviously don't”, she hissed. “But that was not an answer to my question. What do you expect me to do?”
“I... I don't know... I still remember the ambassador”, he uttered and her face darkened. “This impertinent swine got what he deserved”, she growled. “But regardless, what happened to him wasn't my doing, right? Personally, I would have settled for a less permanent humiliation. As for Garen... do you think I intend to punish him for speaking against me in a private moment?”
“I don't know, my princess”, Drent answered truthfully. The cold glare in her eyes faded, as she gave him a forgiving look. “Relax, Drent, this is an order. I have no intention of punishing him”, she said softly. “Perhaps I'll remove an eye or two if he continues to say such things...” The moment, she noticed Drent's shocked facial expression, Argella started to laugh brightly. “This was a joke, Drent. In Storm's End a legion of servants would laugh right now”, she explained with a bright grin. “I find your honesty refreshing”
“So you have no intention of punishing Garen?”, Drent asked, still completely baffled. Argella decisively shook her head. “How much clearer do I have to get? He can say whatever he wants as long as he follows my orders”, she said. “The gods gave him a tongue and it is his right to use it. I may have the blood of gods in my veins, but I don't intend to take it away from him”
“Then what are you going to do to him?”, Drent asked, noticing that he was way out of line. But now it was too late and besides, she did not seem to mind his question. If anything, the Storm Princess looked more hurt than angry, even though it only seemed to be a hint of sadness.
She looked him in the eye and sighed. “Please, try to look less disappointed at my lack of cruelty”, she ordered him. “I would have talked to him, in a civilized manner. I would have asked for his advice. As long as he wouldn't stoop so low as Ambassador Celtigar did, there would be nothing to fear” Her gaze hardened as she looked back at Drent. “Garen was respectful, wasn't he?”, she asked him with a sharp tone in her voice.
Before Drent could answer, Argella let out a sigh. “So, he wasn't”, she deduced and Drent gulped. What had he done to Garen? Sure, the mercenary wasn't exactly a friend, but he wouldn't deserve the Storm Princess' fury. The smile on her face looked slightly forced as she looked back at Drent. “I am afraid your opinion on me is completely wrong, Drent”, she said. “You're thinking I would kill or mutilate any man who dares to speak against me, aren't you?”
Before Drent could give her a sheepish nod, she let out a frustrated groan. “Say nothing! I don't even blame you”, she hissed and her facial expression started to get calmer again. “You know the opinion the other soldiers have about me, don't you?”
“I do, my princess”, Drent admitted. “Not very well though, but I do. I am afraid that Garen's opinion is not an unpopular one. But, my princess, these men are loyal to you” “Loyalty”, Argella muttered. “Do you know what loyalty is worth if I fail to win the hearts of my people? Even a man like Harren Hoare can inspire loyalty”
She raised from her chair, slowly walking towards the window, looking outside down on the camp her soldiers had made. “These men would die for me, not because they love me, but because they love my father”, she said with a surprisingly thoughtful tone in her voice. “My father is hard as steel, a true king of the storm. But he is old and I am his only child out of four who reached adulthood. How can I be their queen if all they see in me is Argilac Durrandon's daughter?”
“You have a lot of time to find an answer for this, my princess”, Drent said, trying to sound reassuring. Argella shook her head. “I won't remain a princess forever”, she answered and Drent gave her a nod. “I would never claim to be a wise man. I don't understand much about politics. I couldn't draw our borders on a map, I have only rudimentary knowledge about history and I am best at following simple orders. But I know that a good queen should never stop asking these things... though, perhaps she should find wiser men to ask”
As he said this, a strange expression flashed across Argella's face. It took Drent a moment to realize that it was a genuine smile. For a moment, no trace of sarcasm, of arrogance or haughtiness was seen on her face. Instead, it was simple, refreshing joy. “You have spoken like a true wise man, Drent”, the princess complimented him, before widely opening her eyes. “That's it! I have an idea!”, she chirped and her gaze hardened again. “Turn around”
“My princess?”, Drent asked in surprise, but Argella already grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing him to turn around in a surprisingly strong grip. “Turn around and look at the door. Concentrate at the door”, she ordered him. Still puzzled by her behaviour, Drent looked over his shoulder, causing her to slightly shake her head. “Let me put it this way. Turn around before I allow it and, by the gods of wind and sea, I have to cut out your eyes”, she hissed. After this sentence, Drent tried his best to concentrate on the door, while only hearing the Storm Princess moving behind him.
It took her only five minutes to finish whatever she was doing in the room behind him. “You can turn around now”, Argella ordered him. “And a little help would be nice” As Drent turned around, he saw a bizzare sight. Argella's red dress lay on the floor, her boots next to it, any kind of jewelry she was wearing was lying on the table. Instead, she wore a simple, green dress, made out of rugged fabric, reminding him of a common smallfolk servicemaid. She apparently had a few problems with her hair, trying to tie her long black mane into a simple bun. “Seven Hells, how hard can it be to tie my own hair? A handmaiden would be nice now, but unfortunately you are all I have”, Argella muttered. “Don't look at me as if I'm the first woman you ever saw, help me!”
“My... my princess, what exactly are you doing?”, Drent asked. Argella let out a sigh, while finally making a bit of progress with the bun, even without his help. “How can I be their queen if they are afraid to tell me what they truly think?”, she asked. “Tonight, I will visit my soldiers. Not as their princess, but as a common servicemaid”
The thought itself was bizarre. Princess Argella Durrandon dressed as a common servicemaid. Drent had to admit that the clothes looked convincing, the hairstyle strikingly similar to the one commonly found with the smallfolk women in Storm's End. She even started to remove the hint of make-up she was wearing. But it did not change her aloof aura, the look in her eyes that told anyone who looked closely that this woman was used to order people around. Of course, if someone would ignore these things she could never change, he would only see a young servicemaid.
“My princess, are you sure that no one will recognize you?”, he asked and Argella gave him a nod. “Emphryus and Jax will recognize me, hopefully. But the rest? You gave me a good advice tonight, now let me give you a good advice in return. Most men only see what they want to see. Do you think these tired and half-drunken men out there want to see their princess walking among them? No, all they will see is a young woman in her service who takes a walk through the camp with her companion”
“That would be you”, she explained slowly, putting emphasis on each word as if she was talking to an imbecile. “What do you intend to achieve with this, my princess?”, Drent asked and Argella flashed him a bright smile. “I want to find out what they think about me first-hand. I want to hear it from them”, she explained. “Don't look at me like that, Drent! I'm sure it will be fun”
Before Drent could answer, Argella linked arms with him, slightly smirking at him. “Besides, I was told I can be quite charming. Surely I will get my answers in no time”, she said. Yes, she would get her answers, Drent was sure of that. The only question was if she would like them.
With these words, she started to walk towards the door, with Drent having no options but to walk next to her. The moment she opened the door, Ser Emphryus Dresfel, still standing in front of it, turned around. “Are you done already, Golt... what the hells?”, the knight exclaimed, mustering Argella from head to toe. “My princess... what are you doing?”, he asked.
“I'm going to have a bit of fun, Emphryus. Do you know the word? Three letters, starts with an 'f'”, the princess answered and Emphryus gave her a frown. “And I do not mean your kind of fun. I don't intend to charge into battle with these... rags” Her smile vanished. “Seven Hells, I hope there are no lice in them”
“My princess, I have to protest against your intentions. Going out there without me on your side is not safe”, Emphryus protested, but Argella slightly shook her head. “My dear Emphryus, I won't be in any danger, I can assure you this”
The knight gave her a reluctant nod, before glaring at Drent. In a single movement, he grabbed him at the throat, slightly pulling him closer. “Golton, keep an eye on her”, he growled. “If something happens to her during your watch, the Storm King won't be your biggest problem anymore” He let go of him, just enough so that Drent could give him a hasty nod. “Of course, Ser Emphryus”, he swore, knowing fully well that Dresfel never made idle threats.
With audibly grinding teeth, the knight stepped aside, looking sternly at Argella. “You can continue, my princess”, he growled. Argella raised an eyebrow as she walked past him, provocatively slow. “Oh, look Drent, we got his allowance”, she chirped mockingly. “Isn't this a blessed occasion, when Ser Emphryus Dresfel allows the Storm Princess to walk past him?”
Drent could almost hear Emprhyus' frown and had to chuckle slightly. Argella glanced at him out of the corners of her eyes and put a happy smirk on her face. “See, Drent? I told you it would be enjoyable”, she said as they walked out into the cold night. Drent had to agree with her earlier statement, outside of this tower, dressed like a smallfolk woman, she barely resembled the Storm Princess, at least as long as someone wouldn't look too closely at her. Then again, she still looked stunning. Many of the soldiers would look closely at her.
Of course, Argella did not even bother with this. Smiling brightly, she walked into the camp, still linked arms with Drent. To his surprise, while she managed to turn many heads, no one seemed to recognize her, while Argella made no attempts of talking to someone, at least initially. Just as they strolled past a few empty tents, Drent heard a familiar voice and slightly rolled with his eyes as he recognized the man. “Golton! Drent Golton! Hey, wait a moment”
Drent and Argella stopped and slowly turned around. The man who was approaching them was younger than Drent, probably more in Argella's age. He was tall and undeniably good-looking, with a clean-shaven face and short light-brown hair. His clothes consisted of a simple light blue shirt and brown pants. “Torrence”, he greeted him with a short nod. Yes, he knew Torrence Bernile. Calling him a friend would be too much, but he was at least better company than Garen and a familiar face among the soldiers. Drent knew him as hard to get along with, but still better than others he knew, if handled correctly.
“Saw you walking through the camp with your lovely companion”, Torrence said, smiling at Argella. “And I though... damn, where did Golton find one that pretty?” “You're too kind”, Argella said and the mocking tone in her voice was almost inaudible. “I know”, Torrence said with a dashing smirk before glancing at Drent. “Drent, don't you want to introduce us?”
Drent gave him a short nod. “This is Torrence Bernile”, he introduced the man. “A soldier in service of your fa... king. Exceptionally loyal towards the Stormlands and a huge supporter of your... king” “Our king, Drent”, Torrence corrected him. “You have spent too much time with that damn mercenary”
“Torrence, this is...”, Drent started to say, before realizing that he and Argella had forgotten to talk about one important detail. “This is... a young servicemaid who is accompanying us on this mission. Her name is... Gelly?” Seven Hells, he could feel her slowly murdering him with her glare!
“Gelly”, Torrence exclaimed, not even noticing her glare. By now, Drent was convinced that the other man had drunken at least a bit of wine. “A pretty name. Are you named after that flower?” Argella shook her head. “No”, she said coldly.
“Shame”, Torrence proclaimed. “It would fit to you. A beautiful flower for a beautiful girl. Say, how can it be that I have never seen you around in Storm's End?” Argella's cold glare slightly melted down, albeit Drent saw how much willpower it cost her. “Because I am mainly living in the upper floors of the tower”, she explained with patience and Torrence gave her an impressed nod. “So you're the handmaiden for Lady Tariel? Or even for the Storm Princess?”
“I am closer to the princess”, the Storm Princess answered, sending a casual glare towards Drent, who was absolutely unsure how to react in this situation. “Ah, I could have guessed that much. You look very similar, you know?”, Torrence answered and Drent gave him a slightly surprised look. “Yes, I do hear that quite often”, Argella answered, “Thanks a lot, Ser”
“Seven Hells, you got some manners, girl”, Torrence complimented her. “And you actually look better than Argella, by far” Argella raised an eyebrow in slight curiosity. “Is that so?”, she asked. Torrence gave her a short nod. “Aye. I mean, optically you have a lot in common. Your hair, your eyes... but you have this nice and friendly aura and this approachable smile” Yes, he was clearly pissed drunken. Her smile reminded Drent of a starving cat that laid eyes upon a mouse. Only a fool or a drunken man would call it 'approachable' and Torrence wasn't a fool. At least not more than others.
“Whereas Princess Argella always has this cold and remote look on her face. She wears her nose so high in the air that she fails to see the struggles of the smallfolk”, Torrence continued and for the first time in their conversation, Argella seemed to listen to him with genuine interest. “That is... interesting”, she remarked. “I have always seen her as kind and warm-hearted”
This sentence caused Torrence to laugh hard enough to make him ignore Argella's genuinely hurt facial expression. “Gelly, I don't know if we're talking about the same Argella Durrandon”, he chuckled. “The one I'm talking about has all of King Argilac's less desirable traits and unfortunately none of his positive traits. She has a temper, is arrogant and spoiled. She has a terrible sense of humour and she does not care at all for people like us”
“That is not true!”, Argella exclaimed, obviously louder than intended. Torrence shook his head. “It's the truest thing I have ever said in my life”, he proclaimed. “Her father though... that man knows how to live, as you probably know” Argella's considerably hardened glare fell on him. “What do you mean?”, she slowly growled. Torrence did not notice the dangerous tone in her voice and continued with joy. “Ah, you know. Old King Argilac loves the servants and the servants love Old King Argilac”
“I seriously doubt he would ever do such a thing with me”, Argella hissed and Torrence gave her a grin. “Of course, honey. If you insist. You can admit it though, it's no shame” Argella shook her head again. “Tell me”, she snarled, her voice sounding highly irritated. “Do we know each other that you can make such assumptions about me?”
Torrence slightly shook his head and gently put an arm around her shoulder. Argella looked at it as if she was taking into consideration to rip it off with her bare hands. “Not yet, sweetie”, he said with a charming grin. “But I got a jug of wine in my tent and we can get to know each other a bit better” He looked at Drent and gave him an infuriating wink. “You don't need that douchebag over there. What do you say, honey?”
Following these words, Torrence made a serious mistake. His hand moved down and gave her a playful slap on the bum, before resting on her lower waist in an unseemly manner. Drent saw Argella tensing up, saw her fists clenching and saw the angry look in her eyes. And he noticed that he had his own fist clenched. Of course, starting a fight with Torrence would anger the other man greatly. But perhaps he would be more thankful if he would wake up the next day and still had both of his hands attached to his body. Of course, he saw a few other options he had to deal with this situation, but he had to make a decision quickly...
[Punch Torrence][Try to break up the situation by talking][Let Argella deal with Torrence][Reveal her identity to him]
Drent
Drent took a deep breath as he looked into Argella's deep blue eyes. “It is Garen”, he revealed. “He repeatedly stated that he is d… moreispleased with the way you handle things here, my princess” Argella raised her eyebrows, looking slightly surprised at this reveal. “Garen?”, she asked. “This is unexpected. I never thought a mercenary would have an opinion at all” She leant forward, slightly smiling at him. “Thank you for your honesty, Drent. I appreciate it. Would you like some more wine?”
Drent gave her a slight nod and allowed to show the hint of a smile. “It would be a pleasure, my princess”, he answered. Argella looked at the carafe and it took Drent a moment to realize that she had no intentions of pouring him another glass herself. “You know what... keep the carafe. Arbor White... not exactly my favourite”, the princess said.
“Mine neither”, Drent agreed. “Arbor Red is clearly the best wine in this world” Argella gave him a … [view original content]
Drent
Drent took a deep breath as he looked into Argella's deep blue eyes. “It is Garen”, he revealed. “He repeatedly stated that he is d… moreispleased with the way you handle things here, my princess” Argella raised her eyebrows, looking slightly surprised at this reveal. “Garen?”, she asked. “This is unexpected. I never thought a mercenary would have an opinion at all” She leant forward, slightly smiling at him. “Thank you for your honesty, Drent. I appreciate it. Would you like some more wine?”
Drent gave her a slight nod and allowed to show the hint of a smile. “It would be a pleasure, my princess”, he answered. Argella looked at the carafe and it took Drent a moment to realize that she had no intentions of pouring him another glass herself. “You know what... keep the carafe. Arbor White... not exactly my favourite”, the princess said.
“Mine neither”, Drent agreed. “Arbor Red is clearly the best wine in this world” Argella gave him a … [view original content]
Drent
Drent took a deep breath as he looked into Argella's deep blue eyes. “It is Garen”, he revealed. “He repeatedly stated that he is d… moreispleased with the way you handle things here, my princess” Argella raised her eyebrows, looking slightly surprised at this reveal. “Garen?”, she asked. “This is unexpected. I never thought a mercenary would have an opinion at all” She leant forward, slightly smiling at him. “Thank you for your honesty, Drent. I appreciate it. Would you like some more wine?”
Drent gave her a slight nod and allowed to show the hint of a smile. “It would be a pleasure, my princess”, he answered. Argella looked at the carafe and it took Drent a moment to realize that she had no intentions of pouring him another glass herself. “You know what... keep the carafe. Arbor White... not exactly my favourite”, the princess said.
“Mine neither”, Drent agreed. “Arbor Red is clearly the best wine in this world” Argella gave him a … [view original content]
Comments
[Try to excavate the treasure tonight] Hope is worth it... it can be empty or with pile of bones and is a trap! ooo NooOOooo....
Is there maybe a character you would recommend me...im not doen yet with the summory btw^^
Personally I'm okay with characters that are linked to my characters (I believe there already are such characters since many of House Karstark have been submitted) so long as it doesn't dramatically change the backstory of them or add something out of character to them. However so far only two of my characters (Jaron and Alisa) have been introduced so I don't have much to offer for ya
Who is ur character again?^^
My characters are Ser Jaron the Bastard and Alisa Karstark.
{try to exacvate the treasure in the morning)
lol man, u have atleast 10 people copying your fanfics. crazy! making new interactive stories etc,
[Try to excavate the treasure in the morning]
A fellow Karstark!
I submitted Dante Karstark.
Hello fellow readers of FoT!
Many of you probably remember the great illustrations foxbrg was doing of the characters of this story, and they can of course still be found from the album that is linked in the opening post. However fox has recently not had time to do them anymore so I suggested to Liquid yesterday that I could draw some characters of this story. I took three characters under work at first and now they are ready, here ya go:
What do you think?
And Liquid you can send a couple new characters now if you want
They look amazing!
Mullendore that wretched bastard.
I love the Drent and Mullendore one's!
Thanks!
[Try to excavate the treasure tonight]
Oh yes, these are amazing! Thank you so much
They look spot on and I'm amazed at the details you put into these. My favourite here has to be Maron Mullendore, who looks uncannily exactly like I imagined him when I wrote stuff for him. These are truly awesome drawings and they are now also in the imgur gallery, with proper credit to you of course. Also, I have sent you a couple of new ones which I hope could be fun to draw 
Thanks, it was great to draw these and I'm eager to draw more.
And yes, I must say that Mullendore is my own favorite too, it's always nice to draw the villains
Going to check the ones you sent now>
Harris probably thinks Leonard swooned yet another girl who insisted on follow them
When we will be able to read new part? Can't wait :-)
The Voting is closed!
John and Janae will try to excavate the treasure tonight
Well... important choice here. Very important actually. In a certain way, this was not a very wise choice, muahahaha! In a certain other way, it was a very wise choice. In any case, this will have consequences and at least the negative ones will be obvious soon.
The next part should be out later today. It will be a Drent part and I will try my best to finish it in the next few hours.
I have just closed the voting before I even saw your comment
It should be out today. Writing went a bit slower than usual, which was weird because I absolutely enjoyed this part again. But I am confident that I will be finished in a few hours.
Good job, I like to draw myself sometimes, but traditional way on paper, since while not having a tablet to paint anymore and with mouse I would just not be able to as I guess you did.. my patience would end pretty fast :-D Therefore I am finding myself other, digital ways to express creativity and I enjoy it a lot :-)
Can't wait for the next part!
It's just mindreading :-D
I do like to draw the traditional way too, have done it my whole childhood (edit: and still do
). However I don't consider myself very talented with pen 
And I'd love to try tablet, but I don't really feel like spending that much money just because I want to test it.
Excited for this, Drent's storyline is shaping up to be pretty great
What important is, is the fact you enjoy it anyway, even if you don't feel so talented with it. And I have totally the same, even when don't feel "pro", I still enjoy to take it to my hands from time to time.
There are also cheaper tablets, so you don't necessary need to spend too much on it. I bought one like this in the past and even if from lower shelf, it served me good. :-)
So both of the choices are bad?
I think it will be this way - going in the night, more dangerous for not healthy enough members, but bigger chances of getting the treasure and if needed, hiding in the darkness. Going in the morning, more rested but as well big chances that treasure will be already gone, and they will come empty handed to Harris... after all, there are bandits around, who knows if they don't camp there this exact night :-p
I'm still convinced that beast attacks have some connections with the "Bear" and company. So that's why I think that excavating at night is not a wise choice, I would much rather risk not getting that treasure than this, but idk, it will be fun for sure
Exactly
I'm just wondering if they'll bump to Bear&co., Wolfius, or the mysterious predator. Damn, Raylansfair really is a dangerous place, almost as bad as Oldtown.
Yea I regret voting for them to go at night.
I believe they will be still careful and notice Bear and company before they notice them... it's easier to hide and be unnoticed in the night after all :-D ... so I actually don't regret voting for night, it will be exciting and interesting :-) (I hope!)
Well I have to agree that sneaking in the night sounds more exciting than going in the morning.
LOl woops
Drent
Drent took a deep breath as he looked into Argella's deep blue eyes. “It is Garen”, he revealed. “He repeatedly stated that he is displeased with the way you handle things here, my princess” Argella raised her eyebrows, looking slightly surprised at this reveal. “Garen?”, she asked. “This is unexpected. I never thought a mercenary would have an opinion at all” She leant forward, slightly smiling at him. “Thank you for your honesty, Drent. I appreciate it. Would you like some more wine?”
Drent gave her a slight nod and allowed to show the hint of a smile. “It would be a pleasure, my princess”, he answered. Argella looked at the carafe and it took Drent a moment to realize that she had no intentions of pouring him another glass herself. “You know what... keep the carafe. Arbor White... not exactly my favourite”, the princess said.
“Mine neither”, Drent agreed. “Arbor Red is clearly the best wine in this world” Argella gave him a slightly impressed look, followed by a slow nod. “My, my, Drent. I never thought of you as a wine expert”, she complimented him. Drent gave her a nervous, but proud smile and slightly chuckled. “Oh, you know, my princess... every man needs a few pleasures in life. One of mine just happens to be wine”
Argella's impressed look faded, her smirk starting to appear a bit mocking. “Actually, I still don't think of you as a wine expert”, she revealed and Drent's smile vanished. “Everyone knows that Arbor Gold is superior to Red in any way imaginable” “Never drank Gold before”, Drent admitted sheepishly. “Too expensive”
“That sounds terrible”, Argella said and Drent wasn't sure if she was making fun of him or if she was genuinely sympathetic. “You know what... once we're back in Storm's End, I shall give you a cask full of Arbor Gold, as a reward for your loyalty” This caused Drent's mouth to fall open. “A full cask?”, he asked and she gave him a mildly annoyed nod. “That's what I said”, she answered. “But... but that costs...”, he stuttered, before she cut him off. “Exactly nothing that would matter to me. It's just a reward for a loyal soldier”, she said. “Now, back to our earlier topic. Garen... do you know where he is at the moment?”
Drent shook his head. “Somewhere here at the camp. We had a small argument and he stormed off”, he answered. Argella pressed her lips together, apparently thinking about something for a moment. “This is unfortunate. I would have liked to talk to him”, she answered. “Talked?”, Drent asked and noticed too late that he said this out loud.
The Storm Princess' glare got slightly harder as she gave him a stern nod. “Talked”, she confirmed with a cold tone in her voice. Her anger seemed to be gone in an instant, as she let out a sigh. “Drent, what do you expect me to do?”, she asked and looked genuinely upset.
“I... my princess, I honestly don't know what you would do”, he answered and she gave him a nod. “No, you obviously don't”, she hissed. “But that was not an answer to my question. What do you expect me to do?”
“I... I don't know... I still remember the ambassador”, he uttered and her face darkened. “This impertinent swine got what he deserved”, she growled. “But regardless, what happened to him wasn't my doing, right? Personally, I would have settled for a less permanent humiliation. As for Garen... do you think I intend to punish him for speaking against me in a private moment?”
“I don't know, my princess”, Drent answered truthfully. The cold glare in her eyes faded, as she gave him a forgiving look. “Relax, Drent, this is an order. I have no intention of punishing him”, she said softly. “Perhaps I'll remove an eye or two if he continues to say such things...” The moment, she noticed Drent's shocked facial expression, Argella started to laugh brightly. “This was a joke, Drent. In Storm's End a legion of servants would laugh right now”, she explained with a bright grin. “I find your honesty refreshing”
“So you have no intention of punishing Garen?”, Drent asked, still completely baffled. Argella decisively shook her head. “How much clearer do I have to get? He can say whatever he wants as long as he follows my orders”, she said. “The gods gave him a tongue and it is his right to use it. I may have the blood of gods in my veins, but I don't intend to take it away from him”
“Then what are you going to do to him?”, Drent asked, noticing that he was way out of line. But now it was too late and besides, she did not seem to mind his question. If anything, the Storm Princess looked more hurt than angry, even though it only seemed to be a hint of sadness.
She looked him in the eye and sighed. “Please, try to look less disappointed at my lack of cruelty”, she ordered him. “I would have talked to him, in a civilized manner. I would have asked for his advice. As long as he wouldn't stoop so low as Ambassador Celtigar did, there would be nothing to fear” Her gaze hardened as she looked back at Drent. “Garen was respectful, wasn't he?”, she asked him with a sharp tone in her voice.
Before Drent could answer, Argella let out a sigh. “So, he wasn't”, she deduced and Drent gulped. What had he done to Garen? Sure, the mercenary wasn't exactly a friend, but he wouldn't deserve the Storm Princess' fury. The smile on her face looked slightly forced as she looked back at Drent. “I am afraid your opinion on me is completely wrong, Drent”, she said. “You're thinking I would kill or mutilate any man who dares to speak against me, aren't you?”
Before Drent could give her a sheepish nod, she let out a frustrated groan. “Say nothing! I don't even blame you”, she hissed and her facial expression started to get calmer again. “You know the opinion the other soldiers have about me, don't you?”
“I do, my princess”, Drent admitted. “Not very well though, but I do. I am afraid that Garen's opinion is not an unpopular one. But, my princess, these men are loyal to you” “Loyalty”, Argella muttered. “Do you know what loyalty is worth if I fail to win the hearts of my people? Even a man like Harren Hoare can inspire loyalty”
She raised from her chair, slowly walking towards the window, looking outside down on the camp her soldiers had made. “These men would die for me, not because they love me, but because they love my father”, she said with a surprisingly thoughtful tone in her voice. “My father is hard as steel, a true king of the storm. But he is old and I am his only child out of four who reached adulthood. How can I be their queen if all they see in me is Argilac Durrandon's daughter?”
“You have a lot of time to find an answer for this, my princess”, Drent said, trying to sound reassuring. Argella shook her head. “I won't remain a princess forever”, she answered and Drent gave her a nod. “I would never claim to be a wise man. I don't understand much about politics. I couldn't draw our borders on a map, I have only rudimentary knowledge about history and I am best at following simple orders. But I know that a good queen should never stop asking these things... though, perhaps she should find wiser men to ask”
As he said this, a strange expression flashed across Argella's face. It took Drent a moment to realize that it was a genuine smile. For a moment, no trace of sarcasm, of arrogance or haughtiness was seen on her face. Instead, it was simple, refreshing joy. “You have spoken like a true wise man, Drent”, the princess complimented him, before widely opening her eyes. “That's it! I have an idea!”, she chirped and her gaze hardened again. “Turn around”
“My princess?”, Drent asked in surprise, but Argella already grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing him to turn around in a surprisingly strong grip. “Turn around and look at the door. Concentrate at the door”, she ordered him. Still puzzled by her behaviour, Drent looked over his shoulder, causing her to slightly shake her head. “Let me put it this way. Turn around before I allow it and, by the gods of wind and sea, I have to cut out your eyes”, she hissed. After this sentence, Drent tried his best to concentrate on the door, while only hearing the Storm Princess moving behind him.
It took her only five minutes to finish whatever she was doing in the room behind him. “You can turn around now”, Argella ordered him. “And a little help would be nice” As Drent turned around, he saw a bizzare sight. Argella's red dress lay on the floor, her boots next to it, any kind of jewelry she was wearing was lying on the table. Instead, she wore a simple, green dress, made out of rugged fabric, reminding him of a common smallfolk servicemaid. She apparently had a few problems with her hair, trying to tie her long black mane into a simple bun. “Seven Hells, how hard can it be to tie my own hair? A handmaiden would be nice now, but unfortunately you are all I have”, Argella muttered. “Don't look at me as if I'm the first woman you ever saw, help me!”
“My... my princess, what exactly are you doing?”, Drent asked. Argella let out a sigh, while finally making a bit of progress with the bun, even without his help. “How can I be their queen if they are afraid to tell me what they truly think?”, she asked. “Tonight, I will visit my soldiers. Not as their princess, but as a common servicemaid”
The thought itself was bizarre. Princess Argella Durrandon dressed as a common servicemaid. Drent had to admit that the clothes looked convincing, the hairstyle strikingly similar to the one commonly found with the smallfolk women in Storm's End. She even started to remove the hint of make-up she was wearing. But it did not change her aloof aura, the look in her eyes that told anyone who looked closely that this woman was used to order people around. Of course, if someone would ignore these things she could never change, he would only see a young servicemaid.
“My princess, are you sure that no one will recognize you?”, he asked and Argella gave him a nod. “Emphryus and Jax will recognize me, hopefully. But the rest? You gave me a good advice tonight, now let me give you a good advice in return. Most men only see what they want to see. Do you think these tired and half-drunken men out there want to see their princess walking among them? No, all they will see is a young woman in her service who takes a walk through the camp with her companion”
“That would be you”, she explained slowly, putting emphasis on each word as if she was talking to an imbecile. “What do you intend to achieve with this, my princess?”, Drent asked and Argella flashed him a bright smile. “I want to find out what they think about me first-hand. I want to hear it from them”, she explained. “Don't look at me like that, Drent! I'm sure it will be fun”
Before Drent could answer, Argella linked arms with him, slightly smirking at him. “Besides, I was told I can be quite charming. Surely I will get my answers in no time”, she said. Yes, she would get her answers, Drent was sure of that. The only question was if she would like them.
With these words, she started to walk towards the door, with Drent having no options but to walk next to her. The moment she opened the door, Ser Emphryus Dresfel, still standing in front of it, turned around. “Are you done already, Golt... what the hells?”, the knight exclaimed, mustering Argella from head to toe. “My princess... what are you doing?”, he asked.
“I'm going to have a bit of fun, Emphryus. Do you know the word? Three letters, starts with an 'f'”, the princess answered and Emphryus gave her a frown. “And I do not mean your kind of fun. I don't intend to charge into battle with these... rags” Her smile vanished. “Seven Hells, I hope there are no lice in them”
“My princess, I have to protest against your intentions. Going out there without me on your side is not safe”, Emphryus protested, but Argella slightly shook her head. “My dear Emphryus, I won't be in any danger, I can assure you this”
The knight gave her a reluctant nod, before glaring at Drent. In a single movement, he grabbed him at the throat, slightly pulling him closer. “Golton, keep an eye on her”, he growled. “If something happens to her during your watch, the Storm King won't be your biggest problem anymore” He let go of him, just enough so that Drent could give him a hasty nod. “Of course, Ser Emphryus”, he swore, knowing fully well that Dresfel never made idle threats.
With audibly grinding teeth, the knight stepped aside, looking sternly at Argella. “You can continue, my princess”, he growled. Argella raised an eyebrow as she walked past him, provocatively slow. “Oh, look Drent, we got his allowance”, she chirped mockingly. “Isn't this a blessed occasion, when Ser Emphryus Dresfel allows the Storm Princess to walk past him?”
Drent could almost hear Emprhyus' frown and had to chuckle slightly. Argella glanced at him out of the corners of her eyes and put a happy smirk on her face. “See, Drent? I told you it would be enjoyable”, she said as they walked out into the cold night. Drent had to agree with her earlier statement, outside of this tower, dressed like a smallfolk woman, she barely resembled the Storm Princess, at least as long as someone wouldn't look too closely at her. Then again, she still looked stunning. Many of the soldiers would look closely at her.
Of course, Argella did not even bother with this. Smiling brightly, she walked into the camp, still linked arms with Drent. To his surprise, while she managed to turn many heads, no one seemed to recognize her, while Argella made no attempts of talking to someone, at least initially. Just as they strolled past a few empty tents, Drent heard a familiar voice and slightly rolled with his eyes as he recognized the man. “Golton! Drent Golton! Hey, wait a moment”
Drent and Argella stopped and slowly turned around. The man who was approaching them was younger than Drent, probably more in Argella's age. He was tall and undeniably good-looking, with a clean-shaven face and short light-brown hair. His clothes consisted of a simple light blue shirt and brown pants. “Torrence”, he greeted him with a short nod. Yes, he knew Torrence Bernile. Calling him a friend would be too much, but he was at least better company than Garen and a familiar face among the soldiers. Drent knew him as hard to get along with, but still better than others he knew, if handled correctly.
“Saw you walking through the camp with your lovely companion”, Torrence said, smiling at Argella. “And I though... damn, where did Golton find one that pretty?” “You're too kind”, Argella said and the mocking tone in her voice was almost inaudible. “I know”, Torrence said with a dashing smirk before glancing at Drent. “Drent, don't you want to introduce us?”
Drent gave him a short nod. “This is Torrence Bernile”, he introduced the man. “A soldier in service of your fa... king. Exceptionally loyal towards the Stormlands and a huge supporter of your... king” “Our king, Drent”, Torrence corrected him. “You have spent too much time with that damn mercenary”
“Torrence, this is...”, Drent started to say, before realizing that he and Argella had forgotten to talk about one important detail. “This is... a young servicemaid who is accompanying us on this mission. Her name is... Gelly?” Seven Hells, he could feel her slowly murdering him with her glare!
“Gelly”, Torrence exclaimed, not even noticing her glare. By now, Drent was convinced that the other man had drunken at least a bit of wine. “A pretty name. Are you named after that flower?” Argella shook her head. “No”, she said coldly.
“Shame”, Torrence proclaimed. “It would fit to you. A beautiful flower for a beautiful girl. Say, how can it be that I have never seen you around in Storm's End?” Argella's cold glare slightly melted down, albeit Drent saw how much willpower it cost her. “Because I am mainly living in the upper floors of the tower”, she explained with patience and Torrence gave her an impressed nod. “So you're the handmaiden for Lady Tariel? Or even for the Storm Princess?”
“I am closer to the princess”, the Storm Princess answered, sending a casual glare towards Drent, who was absolutely unsure how to react in this situation. “Ah, I could have guessed that much. You look very similar, you know?”, Torrence answered and Drent gave him a slightly surprised look. “Yes, I do hear that quite often”, Argella answered, “Thanks a lot, Ser”
“Seven Hells, you got some manners, girl”, Torrence complimented her. “And you actually look better than Argella, by far” Argella raised an eyebrow in slight curiosity. “Is that so?”, she asked. Torrence gave her a short nod. “Aye. I mean, optically you have a lot in common. Your hair, your eyes... but you have this nice and friendly aura and this approachable smile” Yes, he was clearly pissed drunken. Her smile reminded Drent of a starving cat that laid eyes upon a mouse. Only a fool or a drunken man would call it 'approachable' and Torrence wasn't a fool. At least not more than others.
“Whereas Princess Argella always has this cold and remote look on her face. She wears her nose so high in the air that she fails to see the struggles of the smallfolk”, Torrence continued and for the first time in their conversation, Argella seemed to listen to him with genuine interest. “That is... interesting”, she remarked. “I have always seen her as kind and warm-hearted”
This sentence caused Torrence to laugh hard enough to make him ignore Argella's genuinely hurt facial expression. “Gelly, I don't know if we're talking about the same Argella Durrandon”, he chuckled. “The one I'm talking about has all of King Argilac's less desirable traits and unfortunately none of his positive traits. She has a temper, is arrogant and spoiled. She has a terrible sense of humour and she does not care at all for people like us”
“That is not true!”, Argella exclaimed, obviously louder than intended. Torrence shook his head. “It's the truest thing I have ever said in my life”, he proclaimed. “Her father though... that man knows how to live, as you probably know” Argella's considerably hardened glare fell on him. “What do you mean?”, she slowly growled. Torrence did not notice the dangerous tone in her voice and continued with joy. “Ah, you know. Old King Argilac loves the servants and the servants love Old King Argilac”
“I seriously doubt he would ever do such a thing with me”, Argella hissed and Torrence gave her a grin. “Of course, honey. If you insist. You can admit it though, it's no shame” Argella shook her head again. “Tell me”, she snarled, her voice sounding highly irritated. “Do we know each other that you can make such assumptions about me?”
Torrence slightly shook his head and gently put an arm around her shoulder. Argella looked at it as if she was taking into consideration to rip it off with her bare hands. “Not yet, sweetie”, he said with a charming grin. “But I got a jug of wine in my tent and we can get to know each other a bit better” He looked at Drent and gave him an infuriating wink. “You don't need that douchebag over there. What do you say, honey?”
Following these words, Torrence made a serious mistake. His hand moved down and gave her a playful slap on the bum, before resting on her lower waist in an unseemly manner. Drent saw Argella tensing up, saw her fists clenching and saw the angry look in her eyes. And he noticed that he had his own fist clenched. Of course, starting a fight with Torrence would anger the other man greatly. But perhaps he would be more thankful if he would wake up the next day and still had both of his hands attached to his body. Of course, he saw a few other options he had to deal with this situation, but he had to make a decision quickly...
[Punch Torrence] [Try to break up the situation by talking] [Let Argella deal with Torrence] [Reveal her identity to him]
[Try to break up the situation by talking]
[Punch Torrence]^^
[Let Argella deal with Torrence]
There is no way I'm not going to see this.
[Punch Torrence] This guy needs a beating!