Thanks Yeah, Davith is currently unknown and considering that the last time we saw him, he was pursued by the Tom and his men, it does not look good for him. The only thing I can tell you is, his fate will be revealed in one of the upcoming chapters.
Well that was a certainly exciting and overall good ending shame about Davith though hope he isn't dead or going to get tortured but one of those will probably happen.
Thanks Yeah, Davith is currently unknown and considering that the last time we saw him, he was pursued by the Tom and his men, it does not … morelook good for him. The only thing I can tell you is, his fate will be revealed in one of the upcoming chapters.
Now, thanks to InGen for requesting a short overview of important choices from the last chapters that would have caused a huge difference onto how Chapter 5 would have played out. This one is a bit shorter than the last one, but there are still some huge differences that could have happened for several storylines. Most of the choices that would have changed a lot are choices from Chapter 4, although a number of older choices would have changed the events as well. Right now, I am writing the beginning of Chapter 6, which will be a Lucas part. Expect it to be out on Monday or Tuesday!
What would have happened...
... if Samantha wouldn't have been sent to Oldtown?
Perhaps the most important choice first. Actually, this is indeed one of the most important choices in the whole story, because logically, there is no way Lucas and Leonard could have ever survived Oldtown without her. So, to make things short: Without Samantha, Lucas and Leonard would have died. There would have been no sudden deus ex machina to save them. While Raenna at least plans to infiltrate the Hightower in Chapter 6, Lucas would have been long dead by then and there would have been no reason for Mullendore to keep Leonard alive either. Of course, it's easy to say now, but to be fair, I'm sure it would have been considerably harder for me to actually go through with it. In the end though, there is no plausible way for them to survive Oldtown without Samantha. In contrast, Dairon would have survived and Mullendore wouldn't have harmed him in the slightest. As for Samantha, she would have appeared in Gutten's storyline and wouldn't have been a PoV herself until later in the story.
... if Lunett would have survived Chapter 4?
This choice is actually not that important for Chapter 5, but would have had far more important consequences for later chapters. I think at the end of Chapter 6, I'm going to make another 'What if'-section where I will explain this a bit more. Lunett wouldn't have had a big role in this chapter. She would have been saved by Samantha and would have spent the entirety of it in Davith's hideout. She would have also managed to convince Samantha to save Lucas and Leonard. After Leonard's rescue, she would have treated his wounds and every time the group would be at Davith's hideout, she would have had a small role. Her survival would have heavily changed Lucas' and Samantha's storylines in Chapter 6 though.
... if Leonard would have stayed in Raylansfair in Chapter 1?
This one continues to be a huge choice for the entirety of Book 1. Most of the outcomes for Leonard have already been detailed the last time I wrote these alternative scenarios down. In this chapter, he would have still needed some recovery from the wounds he received in his fight against Kersea and Wolfius. However, he would have started to appear more often again and he would have mainly appeared in Jenna's storyline. Since he would have learned about Harris' involvement in Ilhan's death far earlier, he would have worked with Jenna to bring down Harris. Alternatively, Jenna could have still worked with Harris if you would have chosen so, which would have resulted in her finding out Septon Corbin's involvement with Butterfly. If Jenna would have worked with Leonard against Harris instead, they would have started to seriously undermine his authority in this chapter and they would have made plans to reveal his crimes, resulting in him having a far weaker position at the start of the next chapter. While things would have been harder for Lucas in the earlier chapters, Leonard's absence would have actually made things better for him in Chapter 5. Since she would have had only one target to focus on, Samantha would have managed to save him far earlier, resulting in him being able to keep his eye and his fingers.
... if Lucas would have allied with Archmaester Quent?
Allying with Quent would have still resulted in Lucas and Leonard getting captured. However, Lunett would have survived and would have safely reappeared together with Dairon, hiding with Archmaester Wulvren. In general, the Citadel, Wulvren and Quent would have had a more important role in this chapter. Dairon would have also survived for sure, as Quent's influence would have been enough to keep the Tom and the Moggy at bay. If she would have chosen so, Samantha could have allied herself with Quent, opening up an alternative way to free Lucas or Leonard. He would have also managed to figure out Butterfly's real identity by himself, giving Mullendore a powerful enemy in Oldtown. However, he would have later reappeared to demand some sort of payment for his help. In later chapters, I'm going to specify the nature of this payment and it would have been up to you to decide if it would have been worth it.
... if Jaron would have spared Butterfly?
This one is another very important choice that would have heavily changed his Chapter 5 storyline and, depending on your choices, everything beyond as well. At first, pretty much everyone aside from the Burned Man would have been shocked and disappointed at Jaron's decision. Harpy would have felt particularly angry, considering that she genuinely suffered under Butterfly. Ultimately though, she would have been the first to see the reasoning behind Jaron's choice, realizing what mistake he prevented her from doing. This would have resulted in her undergoing some heavy character development and becoming a far calmer and more merciful character. Others would have been less forgiving. Butterfly would have refused to talk and since the Burned Man, as a result of the torture he suffered himself, never tortures his enemies, he would have remained silent for a long time. Ultimately, the most unassuming member of the Burned Man's group would have been revealed to have the biggest grudge against him though. Himani Sand, who lost many friends to Butterfly, would have tried to kill him and as a result of Jaron's choices, he could have either succeeded, killing Butterfly a lot more brutal than Harpy did it at the end of Chapter 4, or he could have failed. An additional choice could have even resulted in his death. If Jaron would save Butterfly's life, the fake crimelord would have been oddly thankful. He would have finally started to talk, revealing Mullendore's secret, which would have changed the entire future Oldtown storyline.
... if Richard would have followed Philip's plan at the end of Chapter 4?
This one, while maybe appearing like a less important choice, would have had huge consequences for Richard's and Lyria's storylines. At the end of Chapter 4, Philip made the plan to use Rosalie as a bait to lure out Wolfius. This would have indeed worked for a short while and Richard, Philip, Urid, Lyria and Jarow would have cornered Wolfius before he could have harmed Rosalie. However, none of them would have expected Kreep to appear. A fight would have broken out, during which, depending on your choices, Urid, Lyria or both could have died. Similar to the Lawsen/Alexander choice, one of them had to die for sure, but there would have also been the possibility for both of them to die. Thanks to Kreep, Wolfius would have escaped and would have later appeared in Ilish's and Kersea's storyline.
... if Wolfius wouldn't have left the assassins at the end of Chapter 4?
If Kersea would have helped him in Chapter 3, resulting in the death of Jenna or Richard, Wolfius would have shown a slightly different side of his personality and would have actually developed respect and a friendly relationship with Kersea, much to her dismay. He would have stayed with the assassins, although he would have eventually left them on his own terms to hunt down everyone that pissed him off earlier. Lyria would have been spared in this chapter, but the attack on Ilish would have still happened.
Thankfully not. The number of newly submitted characters in general has become less, so hopefully I will be able to finally introduce more characters in this chapter than I have to add to the waiting list.
Super excited for the 'What if...' loved Chapter 4's.
And it's up now. It took me a bit longer to write, since I was busy yesterday.
There will be two new PoV's in this chapter. One of them is Edrick, a hedge knight from the North, whose role in the story has already been hinted at in the teaser. The second one is Sadie, a sellsword whose storyline is set in the Rock. That said, I am still planning for this chapter to be somehow shorter than the last.
There will be two new PoV's in this chapter. One of them is Edrick, a hedge knight from the North, whose role in the story has already been … morehinted at in the teaser. The second one is Sadie, a sellsword whose storyline is set in the Rock. That said, I am still planning for this chapter to be somehow shorter than the last.
There will be two new PoV's in this chapter. One of them is Edrick, a hedge knight from the North, whose role in the story has already been … morehinted at in the teaser. The second one is Sadie, a sellsword whose storyline is set in the Rock. That said, I am still planning for this chapter to be somehow shorter than the last.
Ilish I:
[Bring Malkolm a mug of ale first]
This option would have given Malkolm Sternhelm, Hobert's head guard, a bit more screentime… more and he would have been in a better mood in Willfred's next part, but ultimately, not much would have changed. You would have failed to learn Kreep's identity and he would have had less screentime in this chapter.
[Bring Ser Rodrik a bottle of wine first]
This option, similar to the Malcolm option would have caused Kreep to appear less in this chapter. Instead, Rodrik would have had marginally more screentime and he would have been in a better mood, resulting in him not snapping in the next Ilish part.
Samantha IV
[Try to negotiate with the Archmaester]
This would have caused Wulvren to be utterly annoyed at Samantha, but he ultimately would have opened the door. He wouldn't have shown some of his cooler character traits, instead he would have appeared to be somewhat grumpy. However, it w… [view original content]
A jolt when through the room, waking Lucas up and causing him to slowly open his eye. His eye... it would take a lot of time to get used to it. The left side of his face was heavily bandaged and pain was flashing through it as he tried to raise his head. This time, it was a bit better than last time he woke up. At least this time, a small ray of light shined through a tiny gap in the ships hull, allowing him to see the room he was in. The last time, it had been night when he woke up and in the first moment, he had panicked, as the darkness reminded him of Mullendore's torture room.
He closed his eye once again, raising his right hand to softly massage his forehead. Dizzying pain tried to force him to drift off to sleep again, but he resisted. Judging from the light, it was noon at the very least. He had to get up, as much as he hated to. Another attempt at raising his upper body finally succeeded, leaving Lucas sitting on his bed and staring into the room. He slowly turned his head and for a moment, he froze in terror. In a corner, barely illuminated by the light, stood a chair and on it sat the Sphynx.
Lucas let out a surprised scream as he fell back onto the back, slightly rolling away from the corner, to the edge of his bed. He immediately lost his balance and heavily fell onto the floor, slamming his head in the process. The pain in his head intensified and he had to press his lips together to suppress a scream.
For a moment, he just lay on the ground, too afraid to look up, too tired to look up. This couldn't be real, could it? Just his tired, wounded mind. Just the stress... The Sphynx was back in Oldtown. He couldn't be here, he just couldn't! He was in Oldtown! “So are you, Ser Lucas, at least a part of you”, the calm voice of the Sphynx sounded. “A part of you will always remain there, in every sense of the word”
Lucas shook his head as he reached up, trying to grab the edge of his bed with his left hand to pull himself up. Pain, horrible pain, flashed through his whole left arm as the bandaged stumps of his fingers touched the linen and another pained groan forced its way out of Lucas' throat as he sunk back onto the ground. “This little piggy went to the market...”, the Sphynx whispered, his voice sounding slightly distorted, the words echoing in his head, amplifying the pain in it.
Tears formed in Lucas' eye as his right hand clutched the ruined rest of his left, trying to ease the pain, to no avail. With heavy breathing, he finally raised from the ground, immediately focussing onto the corner where he had seen the Sphynx. The chair still stood there. It still wasn't empty. But it was just a white bedsheet lying onto it. The Sphynx wasn't there. His glance fell down upon his heavily bandaged left hand and his lower lip started to shiver in anger. With a scream of rage, he grabbed the jug that was standing on the nightstand next to his bed, throwing it across the room. It hit the opposing wall, shattering into dozens of pieces.
Only a moment later, the door was thrown open. Sasha stood in the doorframe, the look on her face more curious than worried. Her right hand rested on the hilt of her sword, but as she saw that Lucas was alone, she moved it to her belt. “What happened?”, she asked, her voice sounding stern and sober, without a hint of pity. It was this feature that made Lucas appreciate her company over Leonard's or Samantha's at the moment. From the moment he first talked to her, Sasha had made it clear that he was business to her, that she was only in this for the money Samantha promised her and that she wasn't his friend. But in turn, she was the only person right now who wasn't showing him any pity and that was exactly what he needed.
“I... thought I saw something”, he muttered and sat down on his bed again, glaring at the corner. Sasha narrowed her eyes as she glanced through the room, focussing on the corner for a moment. “The rest is on the upper deck”, she informed him. “Samantha heard your scream. She's pretty worried, you know...”
“There's no need for that”, Lucas answered. “I'm fine” Sasha let out a sigh as she entered the room. For a moment, it looked as if she would sit down next to him, but instead, she remained standing, looking at him and then at the door. “I think we both know, that was a lie”, she stated. “When we brought you to Wulvren... You can be lucky he managed to save you”
“Yeah”, Lucas answered and slightly raised his mutilated hand. “I can be fucking lucky” Sasha frowned at his words and the hint of anger appeared in her eyes. “Would you rather be dead?”, she asked. “Do you really give up that easily?” In turn, Lucas raised from the bed, glaring at her, her voice stirring up the anger inside of him. “Careful now”, he growled. “You have no idea what you're talking about” In turn Sasha raised an eyebrow. “Trust me, I know exactly what I'm talking about”, she answered slowly. “Listen, we need to talk. There is something you have to do”
Lucas let out a sigh as he took a step away from her. His legs were still a bit shaky, but with every moment he spent out of bed, it started to get better again. “What exactly do you want me to do?”, he asked. Sasha glanced over her shoulder, towards the door, waiting a moment before she continued to speak. “One week”, she answered. “For a whole week you've been down here, barely speaking to anyone”
“You want me to speak to the others?”, Lucas asked impatiently and Sasha gave him a nod. “To Samantha, specifically. I want you to go up there and I want you to thank her, for all she did” Lucas let out a sigh. It was true, ever since they got him out of that dungeon, he barely spoke to Samantha or Leonard. At first, it was because of his wounds. The man they brought him to, Archmaester Wulvren, patched him up as good as he could, but still, it took three days until he was able to just stay awake for a long period of time without the pain becoming excruciating. Wulvren had arranged for them to leave Oldtown by ship and the next days passed in a blur. Somehow, Lucas found himself unable and unwilling to talk to the others, aside from occasional visits, during which Leonard and Samantha mostly just checked if he was still alive.
“Leonard already thanked her”, he growled coldly and Sasha gave him a glare. “Do you have any idea what she risked for you?”, she hissed. “Leonard thanked her, but do you honestly think this lets you off the hook? The least you can do is to go up there and talk to her. She's not going to admit it, but trust me, it's going to mean a lot to her”
Lucas glanced back at the corner where he had seen the Sphynx. He knew, Sasha had a point, but their small chat was already enough to make his head hurt. How much worse would it be to have a a longer discussion with Samantha or even Leonard? Especially Leonard... Lucas wasn't even sure if he could look him in the eyes. “If I talk to Samantha, will you leave me alone?” Sasha gave him a nod. “Gladly”, she promised.
Still slightly shaking, Lucas gave her an awkward nod, before he turned around towards the narrow hallway. It was the first time in a week he even left his room. Sasha followed closely and Lucas noticed that she was actually observing if he would be able to make it on his own. Finally, he arrived at the end of the hallway, where a set of stairs let to the upper deck.
Fresh cold air filled his lungs, he heard the sound of waves crashing against the hull of the ship and a gale was blowing. For a moment, the painfully bright daylight caused him to shield his remaining eye. The ship they were staying on was small and Lucas hadn't even bothered with learning its name. Half a dozen men rushed across the upper deck, each having their own tasks at hand, although some of them glanced at Lucas. In their eyes he saw curiosity, but also the hint of pity.
He saw Samantha standing at the railing. Perhaps for the first time he saw her, she wore her hair open, allowing it to flow freely in the wind. Sasha gave him something that resembled an encouraging nod, as he walked closer to the railing, next to Samantha. She did not see him coming until he put his arms onto the railing and when she finally noticed him, a surprised smile formed on her face.
“Hey there”, she greeted him softly, the hint of pity in her light blue eyes as she glanced at his bandages. “How are you feeling?” Lucas let out a grunting noise, as he looked away from her, towards the ocean. In the distance, he could see the coast. “How do you think I feel?”, he asked in return and Samantha's smile vanished. “Yeah... shitty question, I know”, she admitted. “But I know something to raise your spirits” She put a hand onto his shoulder and pointed at the distant coast. “You see this?”
Lucas narrowed his eye, trying to recognize any detail, until he finally gave her a surprised look. “Raylansfair!”, he exclaimed as he spotted his home. Samantha gave him a small, happy nod. “You're almost home”, she said. “A few more hours. The captain told me we'll be there in the early evening”
Both of them stayed silent after this, knowing fully well what it meant. Samantha glanced at him for a moment, before she continued to speak. “You don't have to deal with Aylard Kawl”, she said softly. “Not yet at least. I can keep him at bay until you dealt with Harris”
Lucas shook his head. “I have to face him”, he muttered and was immediately remembered why he didn't want to talk to her or Leonard in the first place. Their presence reminded him of his guilt. “Eventually, you have to”, Samantha agreed. “And I won't keep him away from you forever. But first, you have more important matters to take care of”
“You don't have to do this”, Lucas interjected without looking at her. His gaze was focussed on the tiny spot in the distance, his home, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Samantha's soft smile faded, replaced by a stern glare. “I'm not doing this for you”, she clarified tonelessly. “Let's make things clear. I don't hate you, Lucas Flowers. I'm not even angry at you. But the feeling that you are to blame for Lunett's death... I don't think I'll ever get it out of my head”
“I am to blame”, Lucas answered and put his right hand onto the bandaged side of his face, as tears formed in his eyes, stinging in the wounds. “In a certain way, we're both to blame”, Samantha clarified. “Be assured, I'm not going to keep Aylard Kawl away from you because I like you. I mean, I'm not disliking you. But I'd never do this just for you. I'm doing it for Dairon. Because you and Leonard can set things right in your city again and because he would have wanted it”
“Dairon...”, Lucas mumbled, having to lean onto the railing so that he was even able to stand, as the headache grew stronger. “You haven't told me how he died” Samantha shook her head. “And I don't intend to do it”, she answered. “It's not something I like to remember. He saved my life, let's keep it there”
“He was a good boy”, Lucas mumbled and Samantha gave him a gentle nod. “He was”, she agreed. “I mean, you knew him better, but still... he left an impression on me” Lucas gulped, as her words reminded her of something else. “Leonard mentioned a man who was separated from your group, while you tried to save me”
“Davith”, she answered. “Sasha knew him better than I did. He was... irritatingly friendly, but that was not a bad thing. He was a good man and I'm not using the term lightly and... I could relate to him” She avoided to look him in the eye for a moment. “He was my friend”, she whispered.
“I see”, Lucas said. It was obvious that she didn't want to talk about it and Lucas could understand it. “Nonetheless... regardless of why you do it, I appreciate it. Thank you, Samantha. For what you did... I will always owe you”
She shook her head, her expression softening considerably. “You don't owe me anything”, she stated with an uncomfortable look on her face. “There are others you owe more” A small smile forced its way onto her face. “Sasha for example”, she added in the obvious attempt to lighten the mood. “What? You don't think I'm going to pay her for saving you, do you?”
Before Lucas could add anything, someone heavily patted him onto the back. With a grin on his face, Leonard moved between him and Samantha. “Flowers, you look terrible”, he greeted him, before a sincere smile appeared on his face. “But it's good to see you”
“Likewise”, Lucas greeted him. Samantha glanced at both of them, before she took a step away from the railing. “I'm going to give you some space”, she explained. “There's something I have to discuss with Sasha either way” With these words, she gave them a nod, before she turned around, walking towards the stairs that led down to the lower deck.
Leonard looked after her for a moment. “I wish I could help her”, he mumbled. “Wish I could take some of that guilt away” He looked back at Lucas. “She feels guilty because of what we did, Flowers. After all she did, she still feels guilty” His glance fell upon the tiny spot in the distance, where their home was located. “There's something we need to talk about”
“It's about Harris, right?”, Lucas asked and Leonard gave him a nod. “Kind off”, he answered. “We have Robert Raylan's last will. We have a letter from Septon Corbin, detailing Harris' murder of Ser Ilhan. We know, Lady Halla and Jenna Harking have witnessed it. All we need to do is to bring our evidence to the King, or to one of his officials and Harris is done for”
“That's the plan”, Lucas agreed with determination in his voice. “We're going to make sure that he hangs for his crime” Leonard gave him a nod. “I'd like that”, he mumbled and the tone in his voice caused Lucas to narrow his eye. “But?”, he asked.
Leonard let out a sigh. “But I had some time to think during the past week. When I first learned about what Harris did, I was furious. If he would have been with me in the same room, I would have slain him”, he admitted. “I'm still furious. I still want him dead. But you know what happened in Oldtown...” He glanced at Lucas' mutilated hand, which caused Lucas to slightly hide it behind his back.
“What does Oldtown have to do with Harris?”, he growled and Leonard pressed his lips together, obviously unhappy. “A lot, actually”, he explained. “Think about it... Maron Mullendore gave us this letter. He wanted Lord Robert's last will and he wanted Dairon. He obviously has plans for Raylansfair and Harris is in his way”
Lucas gulped as he realized what Leonard was about to suggest. “You can't be serious...”, he muttered, even though he knew how serious Leonard was at the moment. “You want to let him get away with what he did? With murdering Ilhan?”
“Maybe”, Leonard admitted. “If there's any way for us to bring him to justice later, we should take it. But for the moment, Mullendore is the bigger threat. Harris on the other hand... The enemy of my enemy, you know the saying? Maybe it's not a good time to bring Harris down. Maybe, instead of fighting him, we should ally with him. I know, if there is one thing I can be sure of, then it's that Harris Flowers would fight a man like Mullendore til his last breath” He looked away from Lucas, back to the distant city. “I simply think Harris Flowers is not the one we should focus on”
“But he's the one we have right in front of us. Mullendore is far away, in Oldtown. With what we know, we can bring Harris down in a single day. Afterwards one of us assumes the position of acting lord and prepares the city against Mullendore”, Lucas argued, clenching his right fist in anger.
“Here's the problem. Do you know anything about leading a city, Flowers?”, Leonard asked. “Don't get me wrong, but you're hardly in the best condition. Me neither. That fucking leg is going to kill me. Aside from that, I might not be too bad at leading men, but Harris has been Robert's castellan for over twenty years. I can't beat his experience” He pressed his lips together again, slightly grinding his teeth. “Harris Flowers has many flaws, he always had, but being a bad leader was never one of them. Perhaps instead of fighting him, we could fight the real enemy”
“Harris is the real enemy!”, Lucas growled, surprised at how loud, how angry his voice was. “Is he?”, Leonard asked. “What has he done to you? What has he done to me? Yes, he murdered Ser Ilhan, which obviously makes him Ilhan's enemy. But what has he done to us?” He glanced once more at Lucas' bandaged face. “And now think about what Mullendore did to us and tell me once more that Harris is the enemy here”
“They are both the enemy and we can crush them both”, Lucas argued. Leonard did not look convinced. Slowly, the knight shook his head. “Perhaps both of them are the enemy, I'm not denying it. But can we really fight both of them? Think about it, if we tell Harris about Mullendore...” He paused for a moment. “Flowers, I start to think that bringing down Harris is exactly what Mullendore expects us to do. He gave us the letter. He wants us to bring Harris down and frankly, I'm sick of playing his game”, he muttered, a slightly irritated glare in his eyes. “I'm surprised that you're still willing to play it...”
“I'm not playing anyone’s game!”, Lucas yelled and slammed his healthy fist onto the railing, causing two sailors to turn their heads into their direction. “I'm not playing anyone's game...”, he repeated a bit calmer. “Not Harris' and definitely not Mullendore's!” He paused for a moment. “Leonard, we can make it. We don't have to ally with Harris to bring Mullendore down”, he urged him. “Trust me, I want Mullendore dead as much as you do, but I don't think allying with a murderer is a good idea” A determined glare appeared in his remaining eye. “First we're going to bring down Harris, make sure that he's going to hang for his crimes. One of us takes Harris' position and the power he wields. Then, we go after the rest. Maron Mullendore, Samuel Harrington, Jaylon Gordus and everyone working for them” He gulped, trying to contain the rage inside of him. “We're going to kill them all”, he whispered.
Leonard sighed and shook his head. “Listen, I'd like to, but I'm not so sure if we can pull this off, Flowers. I know you're angry at Harris and so am I. But I think we can both agree that Mullendore is the bigger threat and that, regardless of what Harris did, Mullendore did more to deserve our hatred” He paused for a moment and let out a frustrated sigh. “If you think that we can bring him down on our own, I'm willing to give it one chance, but not more”, he growled and for a moment, he narrowed his eyes. “Before you make your decision, look at your hand and keep in mind what happened the last time you were so convinced of your plan”
With these words, he turned around, leaving Lucas alone at the railing. For a moment, Lucas held his breath in anger at Leonard's last words. He knew, Leonard felt the same anger and deep down, he feared it could be directed at him, at the consequences of his actions. Harris or Mullendore... of course, Leonard had a point. Bringing Harris down could leave the city in chaos, could make it easier for Mullendore to achieve whatever he tried to achieve. But perhaps they only had this one chance to bring Harris down, before he would find a way to destroy the evidence. Was winning Harris' help really worth the danger of him getting away with murdering Ilhan? As much as he hated to, Lucas had to make a decision. Both men were his enemy, but he had to focus on bringing down one of them first, in the hope that it wouldn't allow the other one to get away with his crimes.
Act II: Shattered and Broken
Chapter III: Masquerade
Lucas
A jolt when through the room, waking Lucas up and causing him to slowly … moreopen his eye. His eye... it would take a lot of time to get used to it. The left side of his face was heavily bandaged and pain was flashing through it as he tried to raise his head. This time, it was a bit better than last time he woke up. At least this time, a small ray of light shined through a tiny gap in the ships hull, allowing him to see the room he was in. The last time, it had been night when he woke up and in the first moment, he had panicked, as the darkness reminded him of Mullendore's torture room.
He closed his eye once again, raising his right hand to softly massage his forehead. Dizzying pain tried to force him to drift off to sleep again, but he resisted. Judging from the light, it was noon at the very least. He had to get up, as much as he hated to. Another attempt at raising his uppe… [view original content]
[Focus on Mullendore] Definitely Mullendore, in the end he is the biggest threat to Raylansfair, or so I'd think. Harris might be a dick, but he can still be a decent lord. Plus there are already more than enough people claiming for the lordship of Raylansfair as it is - I don't think either Lucas or Leonard would have high chances on taking that throne.
Act II: Shattered and Broken
Chapter III: Masquerade
Lucas
A jolt when through the room, waking Lucas up and causing him to slowly … moreopen his eye. His eye... it would take a lot of time to get used to it. The left side of his face was heavily bandaged and pain was flashing through it as he tried to raise his head. This time, it was a bit better than last time he woke up. At least this time, a small ray of light shined through a tiny gap in the ships hull, allowing him to see the room he was in. The last time, it had been night when he woke up and in the first moment, he had panicked, as the darkness reminded him of Mullendore's torture room.
He closed his eye once again, raising his right hand to softly massage his forehead. Dizzying pain tried to force him to drift off to sleep again, but he resisted. Judging from the light, it was noon at the very least. He had to get up, as much as he hated to. Another attempt at raising his uppe… [view original content]
[Focus on Mullendore] Say what you will about Harris, but everything he's done, as terrible as they might be, was for Raylansfair. We need to be smart.
And here I was super excited to see Lucas and Leonard go up against Harris. Jenna's working with Harris now isn't she? Maybe we'll see her again.
Lucas and Leonard don't know about the assassins do they?
Act II: Shattered and Broken
Chapter III: Masquerade
Lucas
A jolt when through the room, waking Lucas up and causing him to slowly … moreopen his eye. His eye... it would take a lot of time to get used to it. The left side of his face was heavily bandaged and pain was flashing through it as he tried to raise his head. This time, it was a bit better than last time he woke up. At least this time, a small ray of light shined through a tiny gap in the ships hull, allowing him to see the room he was in. The last time, it had been night when he woke up and in the first moment, he had panicked, as the darkness reminded him of Mullendore's torture room.
He closed his eye once again, raising his right hand to softly massage his forehead. Dizzying pain tried to force him to drift off to sleep again, but he resisted. Judging from the light, it was noon at the very least. He had to get up, as much as he hated to. Another attempt at raising his uppe… [view original content]
[Focus on Mullendore] Say what you will about Harris, but everything he's done, as terrible as they might be, was for Raylansfair. We need t… moreo be smart.
And here I was super excited to see Lucas and Leonard go up against Harris. Jenna's working with Harris now isn't she? Maybe we'll see her again.
Lucas and Leonard don't know about the assassins do they?
Act II: Shattered and Broken
Chapter III: Masquerade
Lucas
A jolt when through the room, waking Lucas up and causing him to slowly … moreopen his eye. His eye... it would take a lot of time to get used to it. The left side of his face was heavily bandaged and pain was flashing through it as he tried to raise his head. This time, it was a bit better than last time he woke up. At least this time, a small ray of light shined through a tiny gap in the ships hull, allowing him to see the room he was in. The last time, it had been night when he woke up and in the first moment, he had panicked, as the darkness reminded him of Mullendore's torture room.
He closed his eye once again, raising his right hand to softly massage his forehead. Dizzying pain tried to force him to drift off to sleep again, but he resisted. Judging from the light, it was noon at the very least. He had to get up, as much as he hated to. Another attempt at raising his uppe… [view original content]
Glad to sed this back sooner that any other interfic (for which i now currently own the record for longest time since posting a part for a continuing story). And im glad to see thus start with a big choice right of the bad............im not sure if i trust this. Things seem too......clear. Like the right path was suddenly colores with bright bricks. It manes me think that going after Mullendore is bad. So then:
Focus on Harris trusting my gut here.
As for the time skip is this for all POV's?
Act II: Shattered and Broken
Chapter III: Masquerade
Lucas
A jolt when through the room, waking Lucas up and causing him to slowly … moreopen his eye. His eye... it would take a lot of time to get used to it. The left side of his face was heavily bandaged and pain was flashing through it as he tried to raise his head. This time, it was a bit better than last time he woke up. At least this time, a small ray of light shined through a tiny gap in the ships hull, allowing him to see the room he was in. The last time, it had been night when he woke up and in the first moment, he had panicked, as the darkness reminded him of Mullendore's torture room.
He closed his eye once again, raising his right hand to softly massage his forehead. Dizzying pain tried to force him to drift off to sleep again, but he resisted. Judging from the light, it was noon at the very least. He had to get up, as much as he hated to. Another attempt at raising his uppe… [view original content]
Act II: Shattered and Broken
Chapter III: Masquerade
Lucas
A jolt when through the room, waking Lucas up and causing him to slowly … moreopen his eye. His eye... it would take a lot of time to get used to it. The left side of his face was heavily bandaged and pain was flashing through it as he tried to raise his head. This time, it was a bit better than last time he woke up. At least this time, a small ray of light shined through a tiny gap in the ships hull, allowing him to see the room he was in. The last time, it had been night when he woke up and in the first moment, he had panicked, as the darkness reminded him of Mullendore's torture room.
He closed his eye once again, raising his right hand to softly massage his forehead. Dizzying pain tried to force him to drift off to sleep again, but he resisted. Judging from the light, it was noon at the very least. He had to get up, as much as he hated to. Another attempt at raising his uppe… [view original content]
[Focus on Harris] I think Leonard is actually wrong on this. Mullendore would expect L&L to take revenge after all the grief and pain he has caused them. Also this will screw over Harris' plans along with the Storm King's plans since they won't expect Harris to be hanged. After which all we have to do is have Tyrell dude assign a new Lord who L&L will give the load down on Mullendore and they will prepare for(winter) his tricks and schuff.
Act II: Shattered and Broken
Chapter III: Masquerade
Lucas
A jolt when through the room, waking Lucas up and causing him to slowly … moreopen his eye. His eye... it would take a lot of time to get used to it. The left side of his face was heavily bandaged and pain was flashing through it as he tried to raise his head. This time, it was a bit better than last time he woke up. At least this time, a small ray of light shined through a tiny gap in the ships hull, allowing him to see the room he was in. The last time, it had been night when he woke up and in the first moment, he had panicked, as the darkness reminded him of Mullendore's torture room.
He closed his eye once again, raising his right hand to softly massage his forehead. Dizzying pain tried to force him to drift off to sleep again, but he resisted. Judging from the light, it was noon at the very least. He had to get up, as much as he hated to. Another attempt at raising his uppe… [view original content]
I'm still hyped for Lucas and leonard to take down Harris since he is the bad guy being control by the bad lady who works for the Storm King. It seems to good to be true that we can work with Harris.
[Focus on Mullendore] Say what you will about Harris, but everything he's done, as terrible as they might be, was for Raylansfair. We need t… moreo be smart.
And here I was super excited to see Lucas and Leonard go up against Harris. Jenna's working with Harris now isn't she? Maybe we'll see her again.
Lucas and Leonard don't know about the assassins do they?
Glad to sed this back sooner that any other interfic (for which i now currently own the record for longest time since posting a part for a c… moreontinuing story). And im glad to see thus start with a big choice right of the bad............im not sure if i trust this. Things seem too......clear. Like the right path was suddenly colores with bright bricks. It manes me think that going after Mullendore is bad. So then:
Focus on Harris trusting my gut here.
As for the time skip is this for all POV's?
Mullendore is the obvious choice here, something in my gut tells me that we should get rid of Harris first. Shame though, since I actually like Harris.
Glad to sed this back sooner that any other interfic (for which i now currently own the record for longest time since posting a part for a c… moreontinuing story). And im glad to see thus start with a big choice right of the bad............im not sure if i trust this. Things seem too......clear. Like the right path was suddenly colores with bright bricks. It manes me think that going after Mullendore is bad. So then:
Focus on Harris trusting my gut here.
As for the time skip is this for all POV's?
Act II: Shattered and Broken
Chapter III: Masquerade
Lucas
A jolt when through the room, waking Lucas up and causing him to slowly … moreopen his eye. His eye... it would take a lot of time to get used to it. The left side of his face was heavily bandaged and pain was flashing through it as he tried to raise his head. This time, it was a bit better than last time he woke up. At least this time, a small ray of light shined through a tiny gap in the ships hull, allowing him to see the room he was in. The last time, it had been night when he woke up and in the first moment, he had panicked, as the darkness reminded him of Mullendore's torture room.
He closed his eye once again, raising his right hand to softly massage his forehead. Dizzying pain tried to force him to drift off to sleep again, but he resisted. Judging from the light, it was noon at the very least. He had to get up, as much as he hated to. Another attempt at raising his uppe… [view original content]
Act II: Shattered and Broken
Chapter III: Masquerade
Lucas
A jolt when through the room, waking Lucas up and causing him to slowly … moreopen his eye. His eye... it would take a lot of time to get used to it. The left side of his face was heavily bandaged and pain was flashing through it as he tried to raise his head. This time, it was a bit better than last time he woke up. At least this time, a small ray of light shined through a tiny gap in the ships hull, allowing him to see the room he was in. The last time, it had been night when he woke up and in the first moment, he had panicked, as the darkness reminded him of Mullendore's torture room.
He closed his eye once again, raising his right hand to softly massage his forehead. Dizzying pain tried to force him to drift off to sleep again, but he resisted. Judging from the light, it was noon at the very least. He had to get up, as much as he hated to. Another attempt at raising his uppe… [view original content]
Good i look forward to see how a couple of days changed the cast. If its anything like Silicon im already guessing the suprising relationships .
Hey wait where did Sam's crew get a ship? Did one of their contacts get it or is it just a ship hedding for Raylandsfair which they borded as passangers?
Comments
Thanks
Yeah, Davith is currently unknown and considering that the last time we saw him, he was pursued by the Tom and his men, it does not look good for him. The only thing I can tell you is, his fate will be revealed in one of the upcoming chapters.
Oh god he'll be in a torture chamber or dead.
Get any joke characters Liquid lately?
Super excited for the 'What if...' loved Chapter 4's.
Now, thanks to InGen for requesting a short overview of important choices from the last chapters that would have caused a huge difference onto how Chapter 5 would have played out. This one is a bit shorter than the last one, but there are still some huge differences that could have happened for several storylines. Most of the choices that would have changed a lot are choices from Chapter 4, although a number of older choices would have changed the events as well. Right now, I am writing the beginning of Chapter 6, which will be a Lucas part. Expect it to be out on Monday or Tuesday!
What would have happened...
... if Samantha wouldn't have been sent to Oldtown?
Perhaps the most important choice first. Actually, this is indeed one of the most important choices in the whole story, because logically, there is no way Lucas and Leonard could have ever survived Oldtown without her. So, to make things short: Without Samantha, Lucas and Leonard would have died. There would have been no sudden deus ex machina to save them. While Raenna at least plans to infiltrate the Hightower in Chapter 6, Lucas would have been long dead by then and there would have been no reason for Mullendore to keep Leonard alive either. Of course, it's easy to say now, but to be fair, I'm sure it would have been considerably harder for me to actually go through with it. In the end though, there is no plausible way for them to survive Oldtown without Samantha. In contrast, Dairon would have survived and Mullendore wouldn't have harmed him in the slightest. As for Samantha, she would have appeared in Gutten's storyline and wouldn't have been a PoV herself until later in the story.
... if Lunett would have survived Chapter 4?
This choice is actually not that important for Chapter 5, but would have had far more important consequences for later chapters. I think at the end of Chapter 6, I'm going to make another 'What if'-section where I will explain this a bit more. Lunett wouldn't have had a big role in this chapter. She would have been saved by Samantha and would have spent the entirety of it in Davith's hideout. She would have also managed to convince Samantha to save Lucas and Leonard. After Leonard's rescue, she would have treated his wounds and every time the group would be at Davith's hideout, she would have had a small role. Her survival would have heavily changed Lucas' and Samantha's storylines in Chapter 6 though.
... if Leonard would have stayed in Raylansfair in Chapter 1?
This one continues to be a huge choice for the entirety of Book 1. Most of the outcomes for Leonard have already been detailed the last time I wrote these alternative scenarios down. In this chapter, he would have still needed some recovery from the wounds he received in his fight against Kersea and Wolfius. However, he would have started to appear more often again and he would have mainly appeared in Jenna's storyline. Since he would have learned about Harris' involvement in Ilhan's death far earlier, he would have worked with Jenna to bring down Harris. Alternatively, Jenna could have still worked with Harris if you would have chosen so, which would have resulted in her finding out Septon Corbin's involvement with Butterfly. If Jenna would have worked with Leonard against Harris instead, they would have started to seriously undermine his authority in this chapter and they would have made plans to reveal his crimes, resulting in him having a far weaker position at the start of the next chapter. While things would have been harder for Lucas in the earlier chapters, Leonard's absence would have actually made things better for him in Chapter 5. Since she would have had only one target to focus on, Samantha would have managed to save him far earlier, resulting in him being able to keep his eye and his fingers.
... if Lucas would have allied with Archmaester Quent?
Allying with Quent would have still resulted in Lucas and Leonard getting captured. However, Lunett would have survived and would have safely reappeared together with Dairon, hiding with Archmaester Wulvren. In general, the Citadel, Wulvren and Quent would have had a more important role in this chapter. Dairon would have also survived for sure, as Quent's influence would have been enough to keep the Tom and the Moggy at bay. If she would have chosen so, Samantha could have allied herself with Quent, opening up an alternative way to free Lucas or Leonard. He would have also managed to figure out Butterfly's real identity by himself, giving Mullendore a powerful enemy in Oldtown. However, he would have later reappeared to demand some sort of payment for his help. In later chapters, I'm going to specify the nature of this payment and it would have been up to you to decide if it would have been worth it.
... if Jaron would have spared Butterfly?
This one is another very important choice that would have heavily changed his Chapter 5 storyline and, depending on your choices, everything beyond as well. At first, pretty much everyone aside from the Burned Man would have been shocked and disappointed at Jaron's decision. Harpy would have felt particularly angry, considering that she genuinely suffered under Butterfly. Ultimately though, she would have been the first to see the reasoning behind Jaron's choice, realizing what mistake he prevented her from doing. This would have resulted in her undergoing some heavy character development and becoming a far calmer and more merciful character. Others would have been less forgiving. Butterfly would have refused to talk and since the Burned Man, as a result of the torture he suffered himself, never tortures his enemies, he would have remained silent for a long time. Ultimately, the most unassuming member of the Burned Man's group would have been revealed to have the biggest grudge against him though. Himani Sand, who lost many friends to Butterfly, would have tried to kill him and as a result of Jaron's choices, he could have either succeeded, killing Butterfly a lot more brutal than Harpy did it at the end of Chapter 4, or he could have failed. An additional choice could have even resulted in his death. If Jaron would save Butterfly's life, the fake crimelord would have been oddly thankful. He would have finally started to talk, revealing Mullendore's secret, which would have changed the entire future Oldtown storyline.
... if Richard would have followed Philip's plan at the end of Chapter 4?
This one, while maybe appearing like a less important choice, would have had huge consequences for Richard's and Lyria's storylines. At the end of Chapter 4, Philip made the plan to use Rosalie as a bait to lure out Wolfius. This would have indeed worked for a short while and Richard, Philip, Urid, Lyria and Jarow would have cornered Wolfius before he could have harmed Rosalie. However, none of them would have expected Kreep to appear. A fight would have broken out, during which, depending on your choices, Urid, Lyria or both could have died. Similar to the Lawsen/Alexander choice, one of them had to die for sure, but there would have also been the possibility for both of them to die. Thanks to Kreep, Wolfius would have escaped and would have later appeared in Ilish's and Kersea's storyline.
... if Wolfius wouldn't have left the assassins at the end of Chapter 4?
If Kersea would have helped him in Chapter 3, resulting in the death of Jenna or Richard, Wolfius would have shown a slightly different side of his personality and would have actually developed respect and a friendly relationship with Kersea, much to her dismay. He would have stayed with the assassins, although he would have eventually left them on his own terms to hunt down everyone that pissed him off earlier. Lyria would have been spared in this chapter, but the attack on Ilish would have still happened.
Thankfully not. The number of newly submitted characters in general has become less, so hopefully I will be able to finally introduce more characters in this chapter than I have to add to the waiting list.
And it's up now. It took me a bit longer to write, since I was busy yesterday.
Cant wait anymore
The hype.
How many new PoVs will this chapter have?
There will be two new PoV's in this chapter. One of them is Edrick, a hedge knight from the North, whose role in the story has already been hinted at in the teaser. The second one is Sadie, a sellsword whose storyline is set in the Rock. That said, I am still planning for this chapter to be somehow shorter than the last.
Will the chapter start today?
Yes. I haven't managed to finish the part yesterday, but I am currently writing it and I think I will be able to finish it soon.
Whose part is it?
It's going to be a Lucas part. Not necessarily the most action-packed beginning, but it will have a very important choice.
Will Edrick be in the North or will he just be from there?
Both. He will be from the North and his storyline will start in the North.
Hurray for a storyline in the North! Where in the north will he be?
His story will start on the lands of House Boleyn, Alys' family, who are sworn to the Karstarks.
Hey wait why is Alys going to see Bear? Wasn't she under Edwards protection?
She was and still is under Edward's protection, but she is also going to meet Bear's men in the next chapter. It's going to make sense.
Ok i trust it will
ITS HAPPENING ! INSERT GIF HERE
What?
New Chapter!
a lots of kisses
Act II: Shattered and Broken
Chapter III: Masquerade
Lucas
A jolt when through the room, waking Lucas up and causing him to slowly open his eye. His eye... it would take a lot of time to get used to it. The left side of his face was heavily bandaged and pain was flashing through it as he tried to raise his head. This time, it was a bit better than last time he woke up. At least this time, a small ray of light shined through a tiny gap in the ships hull, allowing him to see the room he was in. The last time, it had been night when he woke up and in the first moment, he had panicked, as the darkness reminded him of Mullendore's torture room.
He closed his eye once again, raising his right hand to softly massage his forehead. Dizzying pain tried to force him to drift off to sleep again, but he resisted. Judging from the light, it was noon at the very least. He had to get up, as much as he hated to. Another attempt at raising his upper body finally succeeded, leaving Lucas sitting on his bed and staring into the room. He slowly turned his head and for a moment, he froze in terror. In a corner, barely illuminated by the light, stood a chair and on it sat the Sphynx.
Lucas let out a surprised scream as he fell back onto the back, slightly rolling away from the corner, to the edge of his bed. He immediately lost his balance and heavily fell onto the floor, slamming his head in the process. The pain in his head intensified and he had to press his lips together to suppress a scream.
For a moment, he just lay on the ground, too afraid to look up, too tired to look up. This couldn't be real, could it? Just his tired, wounded mind. Just the stress... The Sphynx was back in Oldtown. He couldn't be here, he just couldn't! He was in Oldtown! “So are you, Ser Lucas, at least a part of you”, the calm voice of the Sphynx sounded. “A part of you will always remain there, in every sense of the word”
Lucas shook his head as he reached up, trying to grab the edge of his bed with his left hand to pull himself up. Pain, horrible pain, flashed through his whole left arm as the bandaged stumps of his fingers touched the linen and another pained groan forced its way out of Lucas' throat as he sunk back onto the ground. “This little piggy went to the market...”, the Sphynx whispered, his voice sounding slightly distorted, the words echoing in his head, amplifying the pain in it.
Tears formed in Lucas' eye as his right hand clutched the ruined rest of his left, trying to ease the pain, to no avail. With heavy breathing, he finally raised from the ground, immediately focussing onto the corner where he had seen the Sphynx. The chair still stood there. It still wasn't empty. But it was just a white bedsheet lying onto it. The Sphynx wasn't there. His glance fell down upon his heavily bandaged left hand and his lower lip started to shiver in anger. With a scream of rage, he grabbed the jug that was standing on the nightstand next to his bed, throwing it across the room. It hit the opposing wall, shattering into dozens of pieces.
Only a moment later, the door was thrown open. Sasha stood in the doorframe, the look on her face more curious than worried. Her right hand rested on the hilt of her sword, but as she saw that Lucas was alone, she moved it to her belt. “What happened?”, she asked, her voice sounding stern and sober, without a hint of pity. It was this feature that made Lucas appreciate her company over Leonard's or Samantha's at the moment. From the moment he first talked to her, Sasha had made it clear that he was business to her, that she was only in this for the money Samantha promised her and that she wasn't his friend. But in turn, she was the only person right now who wasn't showing him any pity and that was exactly what he needed.
“I... thought I saw something”, he muttered and sat down on his bed again, glaring at the corner. Sasha narrowed her eyes as she glanced through the room, focussing on the corner for a moment. “The rest is on the upper deck”, she informed him. “Samantha heard your scream. She's pretty worried, you know...”
“There's no need for that”, Lucas answered. “I'm fine” Sasha let out a sigh as she entered the room. For a moment, it looked as if she would sit down next to him, but instead, she remained standing, looking at him and then at the door. “I think we both know, that was a lie”, she stated. “When we brought you to Wulvren... You can be lucky he managed to save you”
“Yeah”, Lucas answered and slightly raised his mutilated hand. “I can be fucking lucky” Sasha frowned at his words and the hint of anger appeared in her eyes. “Would you rather be dead?”, she asked. “Do you really give up that easily?” In turn, Lucas raised from the bed, glaring at her, her voice stirring up the anger inside of him. “Careful now”, he growled. “You have no idea what you're talking about” In turn Sasha raised an eyebrow. “Trust me, I know exactly what I'm talking about”, she answered slowly. “Listen, we need to talk. There is something you have to do”
Lucas let out a sigh as he took a step away from her. His legs were still a bit shaky, but with every moment he spent out of bed, it started to get better again. “What exactly do you want me to do?”, he asked. Sasha glanced over her shoulder, towards the door, waiting a moment before she continued to speak. “One week”, she answered. “For a whole week you've been down here, barely speaking to anyone”
“You want me to speak to the others?”, Lucas asked impatiently and Sasha gave him a nod. “To Samantha, specifically. I want you to go up there and I want you to thank her, for all she did” Lucas let out a sigh. It was true, ever since they got him out of that dungeon, he barely spoke to Samantha or Leonard. At first, it was because of his wounds. The man they brought him to, Archmaester Wulvren, patched him up as good as he could, but still, it took three days until he was able to just stay awake for a long period of time without the pain becoming excruciating. Wulvren had arranged for them to leave Oldtown by ship and the next days passed in a blur. Somehow, Lucas found himself unable and unwilling to talk to the others, aside from occasional visits, during which Leonard and Samantha mostly just checked if he was still alive.
“Leonard already thanked her”, he growled coldly and Sasha gave him a glare. “Do you have any idea what she risked for you?”, she hissed. “Leonard thanked her, but do you honestly think this lets you off the hook? The least you can do is to go up there and talk to her. She's not going to admit it, but trust me, it's going to mean a lot to her”
Lucas glanced back at the corner where he had seen the Sphynx. He knew, Sasha had a point, but their small chat was already enough to make his head hurt. How much worse would it be to have a a longer discussion with Samantha or even Leonard? Especially Leonard... Lucas wasn't even sure if he could look him in the eyes. “If I talk to Samantha, will you leave me alone?” Sasha gave him a nod. “Gladly”, she promised.
Still slightly shaking, Lucas gave her an awkward nod, before he turned around towards the narrow hallway. It was the first time in a week he even left his room. Sasha followed closely and Lucas noticed that she was actually observing if he would be able to make it on his own. Finally, he arrived at the end of the hallway, where a set of stairs let to the upper deck.
Fresh cold air filled his lungs, he heard the sound of waves crashing against the hull of the ship and a gale was blowing. For a moment, the painfully bright daylight caused him to shield his remaining eye. The ship they were staying on was small and Lucas hadn't even bothered with learning its name. Half a dozen men rushed across the upper deck, each having their own tasks at hand, although some of them glanced at Lucas. In their eyes he saw curiosity, but also the hint of pity.
He saw Samantha standing at the railing. Perhaps for the first time he saw her, she wore her hair open, allowing it to flow freely in the wind. Sasha gave him something that resembled an encouraging nod, as he walked closer to the railing, next to Samantha. She did not see him coming until he put his arms onto the railing and when she finally noticed him, a surprised smile formed on her face.
“Hey there”, she greeted him softly, the hint of pity in her light blue eyes as she glanced at his bandages. “How are you feeling?” Lucas let out a grunting noise, as he looked away from her, towards the ocean. In the distance, he could see the coast. “How do you think I feel?”, he asked in return and Samantha's smile vanished. “Yeah... shitty question, I know”, she admitted. “But I know something to raise your spirits” She put a hand onto his shoulder and pointed at the distant coast. “You see this?”
Lucas narrowed his eye, trying to recognize any detail, until he finally gave her a surprised look. “Raylansfair!”, he exclaimed as he spotted his home. Samantha gave him a small, happy nod. “You're almost home”, she said. “A few more hours. The captain told me we'll be there in the early evening”
Both of them stayed silent after this, knowing fully well what it meant. Samantha glanced at him for a moment, before she continued to speak. “You don't have to deal with Aylard Kawl”, she said softly. “Not yet at least. I can keep him at bay until you dealt with Harris”
Lucas shook his head. “I have to face him”, he muttered and was immediately remembered why he didn't want to talk to her or Leonard in the first place. Their presence reminded him of his guilt. “Eventually, you have to”, Samantha agreed. “And I won't keep him away from you forever. But first, you have more important matters to take care of”
“You don't have to do this”, Lucas interjected without looking at her. His gaze was focussed on the tiny spot in the distance, his home, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Samantha's soft smile faded, replaced by a stern glare. “I'm not doing this for you”, she clarified tonelessly. “Let's make things clear. I don't hate you, Lucas Flowers. I'm not even angry at you. But the feeling that you are to blame for Lunett's death... I don't think I'll ever get it out of my head”
“I am to blame”, Lucas answered and put his right hand onto the bandaged side of his face, as tears formed in his eyes, stinging in the wounds. “In a certain way, we're both to blame”, Samantha clarified. “Be assured, I'm not going to keep Aylard Kawl away from you because I like you. I mean, I'm not disliking you. But I'd never do this just for you. I'm doing it for Dairon. Because you and Leonard can set things right in your city again and because he would have wanted it”
“Dairon...”, Lucas mumbled, having to lean onto the railing so that he was even able to stand, as the headache grew stronger. “You haven't told me how he died” Samantha shook her head. “And I don't intend to do it”, she answered. “It's not something I like to remember. He saved my life, let's keep it there”
“He was a good boy”, Lucas mumbled and Samantha gave him a gentle nod. “He was”, she agreed. “I mean, you knew him better, but still... he left an impression on me” Lucas gulped, as her words reminded her of something else. “Leonard mentioned a man who was separated from your group, while you tried to save me”
“Davith”, she answered. “Sasha knew him better than I did. He was... irritatingly friendly, but that was not a bad thing. He was a good man and I'm not using the term lightly and... I could relate to him” She avoided to look him in the eye for a moment. “He was my friend”, she whispered.
“I see”, Lucas said. It was obvious that she didn't want to talk about it and Lucas could understand it. “Nonetheless... regardless of why you do it, I appreciate it. Thank you, Samantha. For what you did... I will always owe you”
She shook her head, her expression softening considerably. “You don't owe me anything”, she stated with an uncomfortable look on her face. “There are others you owe more” A small smile forced its way onto her face. “Sasha for example”, she added in the obvious attempt to lighten the mood. “What? You don't think I'm going to pay her for saving you, do you?”
Before Lucas could add anything, someone heavily patted him onto the back. With a grin on his face, Leonard moved between him and Samantha. “Flowers, you look terrible”, he greeted him, before a sincere smile appeared on his face. “But it's good to see you”
“Likewise”, Lucas greeted him. Samantha glanced at both of them, before she took a step away from the railing. “I'm going to give you some space”, she explained. “There's something I have to discuss with Sasha either way” With these words, she gave them a nod, before she turned around, walking towards the stairs that led down to the lower deck.
Leonard looked after her for a moment. “I wish I could help her”, he mumbled. “Wish I could take some of that guilt away” He looked back at Lucas. “She feels guilty because of what we did, Flowers. After all she did, she still feels guilty” His glance fell upon the tiny spot in the distance, where their home was located. “There's something we need to talk about”
“It's about Harris, right?”, Lucas asked and Leonard gave him a nod. “Kind off”, he answered. “We have Robert Raylan's last will. We have a letter from Septon Corbin, detailing Harris' murder of Ser Ilhan. We know, Lady Halla and Jenna Harking have witnessed it. All we need to do is to bring our evidence to the King, or to one of his officials and Harris is done for”
“That's the plan”, Lucas agreed with determination in his voice. “We're going to make sure that he hangs for his crime” Leonard gave him a nod. “I'd like that”, he mumbled and the tone in his voice caused Lucas to narrow his eye. “But?”, he asked.
Leonard let out a sigh. “But I had some time to think during the past week. When I first learned about what Harris did, I was furious. If he would have been with me in the same room, I would have slain him”, he admitted. “I'm still furious. I still want him dead. But you know what happened in Oldtown...” He glanced at Lucas' mutilated hand, which caused Lucas to slightly hide it behind his back.
“What does Oldtown have to do with Harris?”, he growled and Leonard pressed his lips together, obviously unhappy. “A lot, actually”, he explained. “Think about it... Maron Mullendore gave us this letter. He wanted Lord Robert's last will and he wanted Dairon. He obviously has plans for Raylansfair and Harris is in his way”
Lucas gulped as he realized what Leonard was about to suggest. “You can't be serious...”, he muttered, even though he knew how serious Leonard was at the moment. “You want to let him get away with what he did? With murdering Ilhan?”
“Maybe”, Leonard admitted. “If there's any way for us to bring him to justice later, we should take it. But for the moment, Mullendore is the bigger threat. Harris on the other hand... The enemy of my enemy, you know the saying? Maybe it's not a good time to bring Harris down. Maybe, instead of fighting him, we should ally with him. I know, if there is one thing I can be sure of, then it's that Harris Flowers would fight a man like Mullendore til his last breath” He looked away from Lucas, back to the distant city. “I simply think Harris Flowers is not the one we should focus on”
“But he's the one we have right in front of us. Mullendore is far away, in Oldtown. With what we know, we can bring Harris down in a single day. Afterwards one of us assumes the position of acting lord and prepares the city against Mullendore”, Lucas argued, clenching his right fist in anger.
“Here's the problem. Do you know anything about leading a city, Flowers?”, Leonard asked. “Don't get me wrong, but you're hardly in the best condition. Me neither. That fucking leg is going to kill me. Aside from that, I might not be too bad at leading men, but Harris has been Robert's castellan for over twenty years. I can't beat his experience” He pressed his lips together again, slightly grinding his teeth. “Harris Flowers has many flaws, he always had, but being a bad leader was never one of them. Perhaps instead of fighting him, we could fight the real enemy”
“Harris is the real enemy!”, Lucas growled, surprised at how loud, how angry his voice was. “Is he?”, Leonard asked. “What has he done to you? What has he done to me? Yes, he murdered Ser Ilhan, which obviously makes him Ilhan's enemy. But what has he done to us?” He glanced once more at Lucas' bandaged face. “And now think about what Mullendore did to us and tell me once more that Harris is the enemy here”
“They are both the enemy and we can crush them both”, Lucas argued. Leonard did not look convinced. Slowly, the knight shook his head. “Perhaps both of them are the enemy, I'm not denying it. But can we really fight both of them? Think about it, if we tell Harris about Mullendore...” He paused for a moment. “Flowers, I start to think that bringing down Harris is exactly what Mullendore expects us to do. He gave us the letter. He wants us to bring Harris down and frankly, I'm sick of playing his game”, he muttered, a slightly irritated glare in his eyes. “I'm surprised that you're still willing to play it...”
“I'm not playing anyone’s game!”, Lucas yelled and slammed his healthy fist onto the railing, causing two sailors to turn their heads into their direction. “I'm not playing anyone's game...”, he repeated a bit calmer. “Not Harris' and definitely not Mullendore's!” He paused for a moment. “Leonard, we can make it. We don't have to ally with Harris to bring Mullendore down”, he urged him. “Trust me, I want Mullendore dead as much as you do, but I don't think allying with a murderer is a good idea” A determined glare appeared in his remaining eye. “First we're going to bring down Harris, make sure that he's going to hang for his crimes. One of us takes Harris' position and the power he wields. Then, we go after the rest. Maron Mullendore, Samuel Harrington, Jaylon Gordus and everyone working for them” He gulped, trying to contain the rage inside of him. “We're going to kill them all”, he whispered.
Leonard sighed and shook his head. “Listen, I'd like to, but I'm not so sure if we can pull this off, Flowers. I know you're angry at Harris and so am I. But I think we can both agree that Mullendore is the bigger threat and that, regardless of what Harris did, Mullendore did more to deserve our hatred” He paused for a moment and let out a frustrated sigh. “If you think that we can bring him down on our own, I'm willing to give it one chance, but not more”, he growled and for a moment, he narrowed his eyes. “Before you make your decision, look at your hand and keep in mind what happened the last time you were so convinced of your plan”
With these words, he turned around, leaving Lucas alone at the railing. For a moment, Lucas held his breath in anger at Leonard's last words. He knew, Leonard felt the same anger and deep down, he feared it could be directed at him, at the consequences of his actions. Harris or Mullendore... of course, Leonard had a point. Bringing Harris down could leave the city in chaos, could make it easier for Mullendore to achieve whatever he tried to achieve. But perhaps they only had this one chance to bring Harris down, before he would find a way to destroy the evidence. Was winning Harris' help really worth the danger of him getting away with murdering Ilhan? As much as he hated to, Lucas had to make a decision. Both men were his enemy, but he had to focus on bringing down one of them first, in the hope that it wouldn't allow the other one to get away with his crimes.
[Focus on Harris] [Focus on Mullendore]
[Focus on Mullendore]
[Focus on Mullendore] Definitely Mullendore, in the end he is the biggest threat to Raylansfair, or so I'd think. Harris might be a dick, but he can still be a decent lord. Plus there are already more than enough people claiming for the lordship of Raylansfair as it is - I don't think either Lucas or Leonard would have high chances on taking that throne.
[Focus on Mullendore] Say what you will about Harris, but everything he's done, as terrible as they might be, was for Raylansfair. We need to be smart.
And here I was super excited to see Lucas and Leonard go up against Harris. Jenna's working with Harris now isn't she? Maybe we'll see her again.
Lucas and Leonard don't know about the assassins do they?
Yes she is, if only for a lack of alternatives. Her loyalty towards him is questionable at best, since she definitely hasn't forgiven what he did.
They don't. They also assume that Lady Halla is still alive. Needless to say, they'll be in for a surprise.
[Focus on Mullendore]
The lesser evil is Harris, and although I hate that bastard, I hate this other jackass more. Maybe Harris will have an 'accident'.
But then again, Hobert...
Glad to sed this back sooner that any other interfic (for which i now currently own the record for longest time since posting a part for a continuing story). And im glad to see thus start with a big choice right of the bad............im not sure if i trust this. Things seem too......clear. Like the right path was suddenly colores with bright bricks. It manes me think that going after Mullendore is bad. So then:
Focus on Harris trusting my gut here.
As for the time skip is this for all POV's?
Focus on Mullendore
Gonna go with this... Sorry for not being on here much, I've been kinda busy lately and have been binge-reading.
[Focus on Harris] I think Leonard is actually wrong on this. Mullendore would expect L&L to take revenge after all the grief and pain he has caused them. Also this will screw over Harris' plans along with the Storm King's plans since they won't expect Harris to be hanged. After which all we have to do is have Tyrell dude assign a new Lord who L&L will give the load down on Mullendore and they will prepare for(winter) his tricks and schuff.
I'm still hyped for Lucas and leonard to take down Harris since he is the bad guy being control by the bad lady who works for the Storm King. It seems to good to be true that we can work with Harris.
I more worried about the Storm King right now tbh and the lady who is basically mind controlling Harris.
[Focus on Harris]
Mullendore is the obvious choice here, something in my gut tells me that we should get rid of Harris first. Shame though, since I actually like Harris.
Yes, every PoV's storyline in this chapter starts a week after we have last seen them.
(Focus on mullendore)
[Focus on Mullendore]
Still. Im suspicious.
Good i look forward to see how a couple of days changed the cast. If its anything like Silicon im already guessing the suprising relationships
.
Hey wait where did Sam's crew get a ship? Did one of their contacts get it or is it just a ship hedding for Raylandsfair which they borded as passangers?