Samantha
With a smirk, Samantha glanced at Lucas and Leonard talking near the railing, as they were slowly entering the harbour of Raylan… moresfair. The fact that the knights were standing there, having this conversation, it was her work and she was proud of it. She had a similar feeling back at the warehouse, when she fought against the man she had believed to be Butterfly, but this time she knew that it wasn't a lie. She had saved these knights and even though she still hadn't understand every connection, by doing so she might as well contributed in saving the city of Raylansfair.
For now, there was one more thing that forced her attention, something she had to deal with soon. Her smirk faded as she thought of Aylard Kawl. More importantly, she thought of the seven graves behind his old inn, where his wife and six of his children were buried. Not for the first time, she felt regret about what happened, as well as utter fury at the man resp… [view original content]
Samantha
With a smirk, Samantha glanced at Lucas and Leonard talking near the railing, as they were slowly entering the harbour of Raylan… moresfair. The fact that the knights were standing there, having this conversation, it was her work and she was proud of it. She had a similar feeling back at the warehouse, when she fought against the man she had believed to be Butterfly, but this time she knew that it wasn't a lie. She had saved these knights and even though she still hadn't understand every connection, by doing so she might as well contributed in saving the city of Raylansfair.
For now, there was one more thing that forced her attention, something she had to deal with soon. Her smirk faded as she thought of Aylard Kawl. More importantly, she thought of the seven graves behind his old inn, where his wife and six of his children were buried. Not for the first time, she felt regret about what happened, as well as utter fury at the man resp… [view original content]
Oops, forgot to reply to this. Anturion made my list due to my suspicions of him being a schemer, I don't think we've yet found out what sort of dealings he has going on with Harren Hoare, but I'm assuming they're shady. So while I don't really have a lot of proof to backup my thoughts on him, it's just a gut feeling I have.
Samantha
With a smirk, Samantha glanced at Lucas and Leonard talking near the railing, as they were slowly entering the harbour of Raylan… moresfair. The fact that the knights were standing there, having this conversation, it was her work and she was proud of it. She had a similar feeling back at the warehouse, when she fought against the man she had believed to be Butterfly, but this time she knew that it wasn't a lie. She had saved these knights and even though she still hadn't understand every connection, by doing so she might as well contributed in saving the city of Raylansfair.
For now, there was one more thing that forced her attention, something she had to deal with soon. Her smirk faded as she thought of Aylard Kawl. More importantly, she thought of the seven graves behind his old inn, where his wife and six of his children were buried. Not for the first time, she felt regret about what happened, as well as utter fury at the man resp… [view original content]
Samantha
With a smirk, Samantha glanced at Lucas and Leonard talking near the railing, as they were slowly entering the harbour of Raylan… moresfair. The fact that the knights were standing there, having this conversation, it was her work and she was proud of it. She had a similar feeling back at the warehouse, when she fought against the man she had believed to be Butterfly, but this time she knew that it wasn't a lie. She had saved these knights and even though she still hadn't understand every connection, by doing so she might as well contributed in saving the city of Raylansfair.
For now, there was one more thing that forced her attention, something she had to deal with soon. Her smirk faded as she thought of Aylard Kawl. More importantly, she thought of the seven graves behind his old inn, where his wife and six of his children were buried. Not for the first time, she felt regret about what happened, as well as utter fury at the man resp… [view original content]
Samantha
With a smirk, Samantha glanced at Lucas and Leonard talking near the railing, as they were slowly entering the harbour of Raylan… moresfair. The fact that the knights were standing there, having this conversation, it was her work and she was proud of it. She had a similar feeling back at the warehouse, when she fought against the man she had believed to be Butterfly, but this time she knew that it wasn't a lie. She had saved these knights and even though she still hadn't understand every connection, by doing so she might as well contributed in saving the city of Raylansfair.
For now, there was one more thing that forced her attention, something she had to deal with soon. Her smirk faded as she thought of Aylard Kawl. More importantly, she thought of the seven graves behind his old inn, where his wife and six of his children were buried. Not for the first time, she felt regret about what happened, as well as utter fury at the man resp… [view original content]
Marak is going to allow Wulvren to take a sample of his blood
At least the first choice will obviously have consequences for Samantha's and Lucas' storyline in this chapter. The second choice... well, you will see in time. Marak is definitely going to have a lot more to do than last chapter and this choice made it easier for me to write his next part. The wait for either storylines next part won't be long, but first I'm going to concentrate on some of the characters who haven't been seen in a while.
The next part should be out later today and it will include PoV's from Kersea and Willfred. Since especially Willfred's storyline has been some time ago, here's a very small recap for him: The last time we saw Willfred, he had a meeting with Hobert, during which he agreed to ally with him. The consequences of this choice will be very important in this chapter and possibly, depending on your choices, even in the following chapters.
Samantha
With a smirk, Samantha glanced at Lucas and Leonard talking near the railing, as they were slowly entering the harbour of Raylan… moresfair. The fact that the knights were standing there, having this conversation, it was her work and she was proud of it. She had a similar feeling back at the warehouse, when she fought against the man she had believed to be Butterfly, but this time she knew that it wasn't a lie. She had saved these knights and even though she still hadn't understand every connection, by doing so she might as well contributed in saving the city of Raylansfair.
For now, there was one more thing that forced her attention, something she had to deal with soon. Her smirk faded as she thought of Aylard Kawl. More importantly, she thought of the seven graves behind his old inn, where his wife and six of his children were buried. Not for the first time, she felt regret about what happened, as well as utter fury at the man resp… [view original content]
Alysanne cringed as the cold, wet towel touched the red burn marks on her shoulder. She was currently sitting on a chair, looking out of the small window that gave her a limited view on the street below, with Kersea behind her, cleaning her wounds and changing the bandages.
“Sorry”, Kersea mumbled, as she attempted to remove the towel. Alysanne's hand quickly grabbed hers, pressing it back onto her shoulder instead. For a moment, she shivered in clear pain, but an dissonantly cheerful smirk appeared on her face. “Don't apologize. It's fine”, she answered and her cracking voice revealed that she was lying. “I'm fine. It does not feel bad...” She glanced out of the window and Kersea simultaneously glanced at the door.
“He's been gone for hours now...”, Alysanne finally said, taking the words right out of Kersea's mouth. “Maybe he got caught”, she answered. Alysanne's smirk got slightly smaller and she shook her head. “I know Clayton for half a decade now”, she explained. “Trust me, men like him never get caught” She chuckled, although it sounded slightly forced as Kersea applied the burn ointment to her wounds. “Proves how unfair our world is”
“Preach it”, Kersea answered, as she reached for the bandages. She softly put a hand onto her friends good shoulder. “Just one more minute and I'll be done”, she assured her. Alysanne rolled her eyes, putting up a brave smile. “Until tomorrow at least”, she answered. “Stupid me just had to play in the burning warehouse, huh?” She chuckled in a way that made Kersea uncomfortable, before she suddenly stopped and looked at her
“Puppy, can I ask you a question?”, she asked. Kersea gave her a quick nod and raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”, she asked in return. A surprisingly sheepish smile appeared on Alysanne's face and her green eyes sparked with genuine curiosity. “I think I never asked you before, but... what was your family like?”, she finally managed to ask.
The question caught Kersea off guard and for a moment, she accidentally applied too much pressure onto Alysanne's burn wounds, causing the other woman to sigh in pain. “My family...?”, she stuttered. “Why... why do you want to know?”
“No need to get all defensive”, Alysanne chuckled. “I'm just interested. Figured, I know so little about you. At the same time, your the best friend I have” A calm smile formed on her mouth and for a moment, Kersea saw a deep-seated pain in her friends eyes. “You came back for me. Against his orders, despite the danger”, she explained. “No one ever did this for me and I... I started to wonder, where does it come from? Your compassion, I mean. Your bravery”
“Bravery?”, Kersea stuttered and every hint of joy faded from her gaze. “My mother was the brave one. You remember the man I killed, the one Butterfly send to kill my family?” She softly continued to bandage Alysanne's left shoulder and her upper arm while she said this, although she grounded her teeth in anger as she said this.
“Aye... His name was Gar. No sense of humour, but a bloody fine killer. Probably deserved what he got”, Alysanne remarked. The last statement caused Kersea to nod in agreement. “I only managed to kill him because my mother put an axe to his gut first. When I arrived back at out hut, he barely managed to stand. He was trying to crawl away from the corpse of my mother, with his entrails slowly sliding out of his belly. She even left him too weak to simply open the door to the room Briar was hiding in”, she explained and gave Alysanne a stern glare. “What I gave him was a mercy kill. Clayton called me a born killer, but truth be told, my mother did all the hard work”
Her voice broke at these last words and Alysanne turned around, smiling in a supposedly reassuring way. “Gar had always been a retard. Everyone knows to never get between a she-wolf and her pups, right?”, she grinned, before she noticed Kersea's expression. “Sorry... You don't have to talk about how they died”, she offered. “I mean... I suppose it hurts you to think about it. I'm more interested in how they were, back when they were still alive”
Kersea let out a sigh, as she glanced at the door once again. “I already told you, my mother was a brave woman. The bravest I knew and the best”, she explained with a stuttering voice. She wasn't even exactly sure why she was revealing this. Perhaps, as much as it pained her, it wasn't a bad thing to talk about them. For five years, Kersea had only her memories. Having someone to share them with felt good.
“My father was no coward either, but he wasn't a fighter. He was too soft for violence”, she explained and a genuine smile appeared on her face as a happy memory flashed through her mind. “But he had a good heart. I remember winter, when I lay in bed with a nasty fever. He never left my side, held my hand even while I was sleeping, all the way until I felt better again”
“Sounds beautiful...”, Alysanne remarked slowly and tonelessly, her curiosity seemingly gone in an instant. Kersea immediately noticed her changing mood and refrained from talking for a moment. Instead, she gave her friend a worried glance. “Is everything alright?”, she asked.
A joyless smirk appeared on Alysanne's face, before she shook her head. “Nothing is alright”, she stated firmly “You are the one telling me about your dead parents. If anything, I should be the one asking you if everything is alright” She let out a sigh. “It's just... sometimes I wonder what could have been. Perhaps that could have been my life”
Kersea furrowed her brows at this statement. “What do you mean?”, she asked slowly. Alysanne sighed again, before a somewhat absent-minded look appeared on her face. “Sometimes I wonder what could have been if my parents cared as much as yours”, she finally answered and a bitter smirk appeared on her face. “I barely remember them, you see... the only thing I know is that they got a good price when they sold me”
“Your parents... wait, your parents sold you?”, Kersea asked, her voice shivering with disgust. Alysanne gave her a nod. “To a fighting pit in Astapor, to be precise. They pay good money for children, the younger the better”, she answered. Kersea put a hand onto her friends good shoulder, the closest thing resembling a hug she could give her at the moment, considering the burn wounds.
“I... fuck, I don't know what to say. I am sorry, Alysanne”, she said wholeheartedly. “But... why have they done this?” For the first time in all the years she knew Alysanne, the woman seemed genuinely sad. “I'll be damned if I know”, she admitted in a defeated tone. Her gaze hardened as she continued to speak and the tone in her voice sent a shiver down Kersea's spine. “But if I ever meet them again, I will kill them”
For a moment, uncomfortable silence engulfed them. Kersea had always wondered how Alysanne ended up being... well, being the person she ended up as. This explained more than she actually wanted to know and it only made her feel even more pity.
Before she could break the silence, Alysanne grabbed her forearm. “He's back”, she hissed and Kersea let out a sigh. “Puppy, there's one thing... what you just told me...” Alysanne pressed her lips together. “Never tell him. He'll use it against you. He'll only hurt you more”
Just as she said this, the door was opened and Clayton walked into the room, a curious grin on his face. He held his left hand behind his back, probably hiding something, but Kersea couldn't care less for his games at the moment. “Speaking of the Stranger?”, he asked.
“You're back”, Kersea answered coldly, while Alysanne managed to forcibly smile at him. “Hello, Clayton”, she greeted him. “Have you killed the target?” Clayton shook his head, obviously displeased at her words. “Not yet”, he answered. “And it could be harder than I thought. They are guarding him pretty well” He glanced at Kersea. “I have scouted the location though. I can do it on my own, but I thought I gather some backup first”
“Do I have a choice?”, Kersea asked and to her surprise, Clayton gave her a nod. “This time, yes, but only because I am torn about how useful you can actually be”, he explained and his voice got colder for a brief moment. “The target is important, more important than the servicemaid you failed to kill. He must die” He narrowed his eyes, but his mouth formed a relaxed, mocking smirk. “Considering your track record, I am not sure if your presence is going to help me, or if you are going to screw up this mission. Since I am torn about this, I'm going to let you decide”
“I still don't see a reason to come with you, not as long as I have the choice”, Kersea growled. Clayton shook his head. “Predictable, but consider this...”, he whispered. “It has been forever since we have spent some time together. A mission, just you and me. We could talk” His left hand moved into her sight and she finally saw what he was hiding behind his back. It was a single, beautiful red rose. “And I believe there is a lot to talk about”, he whispered as he placed the rose in her hand. Kersea, too stunned to protest, accepted the gesture. A pleased smile appeared on Claytons face.
“As I said, the choice is yours. If you change your mind, I'll be waiting on the outside”, he said as he turned around and started to walk towards the door. Before he reached it, he turned around again, the look in his eyes an odd mixture of warmth and coldness “Always keep in mind, should this mission fail, I'll be holding you responsible, regardless of your decision”
[Accompany Clayton][Stay with Alysanne]
Willfred
“Ser Willfred Reyne, heir of Lord Darren Reyne of Castamere, knight of the Rock. His uncle, Ser Roger Hill, knight of the Rock, two times winner of Highgarden's archery competition, four times winner of Lannisport's archery competition. Ser Vashord Tallian, military commander of the Crag, knight of the Rock”
Willfred suppressed to tap his feet in an impatient way as the herald announced him and his companions in a monotone, but far too loud voice. For a little over an hour, Lord Tyrell kept them waiting and now that he was finally ready to talk to them, he insisted on this ridiculous announcer. It wasn't as if they were about to enter a Great Hall, under the watchful eyes of dozens of noblemen. They were in Lord Raylan's audience room, a small chamber that was barely able to comfortably hold all of them. There were just Willfred and his companions, Lord Harlen Tyrell and his nephew Elias, as well as the lords Hobert and Harris with their entourage.
Hobert took his captain of the guard with him, a bald, but big-bearded man who went by the name of Malkolm Sternhelm. Next to Harris sat his master-at-arms, Ser Darren Tallwood as well as his new 'advisor', who only introduced herself as Lady Sherryl. As the two groups took place on opposite sides of the table, she shot Hobert a cold glare. In contrast, the looks she sent to Willfred were surprisingly interested and not cold at all.
“Thank you, Jarvis”, Lord Tyrell said. “I think we shall begin now” The steward of Highgarden was an old man, in his early sixties at best. His good looks had long since faded and he had gained some weight in recent years, as well as a reputation of getting soft. His nephew on the other hand was a handsome young man, perhaps in Willfred's age, with long, blonde hair and a haughty expression in his green eyes. While Harlen Tyrell never achieved anything remarkable in his life, Elias was a renowned knight already, someone whom Willfred would love to joust against. That the young knight had accompanied his uncle came as a pleasant surprise.
“First of all, let me greet you. Lord Hobert, Ser Harris”, Tyrell continued and Sherryl narrowed her eyes as he addressed Harris. “Harris is a lord”, she insisted. “The acting lord of Raylansfair, until further notice”
“He will address Ser Harris as it pleases him, Flowers”, Elias snarled. “My uncle is the king's steward. Don't start an argument you can't win” Sherryl's glare got utterly murderous for a moment, while Darren Tallwood visibly suppressed a chuckle. Harris on the other hand remained calm at this brief argument, only looking from Sherryl to Elias. “Are you both done?”, he asked. “There are more important matters to deal with than your petty arguments”
Without waiting for an answer, he raised from his chair and put both of his hands onto the table. “First and foremost, we have to decide who is going to inherit House Raylan and the city of Raylansfair”, he growled and looked at Hobert, his face not giving away any emotion, although his way of speaking seemed almost forced in Willfred's opinion, hinting at the anger that was raging inside of him.
“Isn't that clear already?”, Hobert asked, a smug expression on his face as he leant back on his chair. For a moment, Willfred was sure that he would put his boots onto the table, but the lord surprised him by retaining a tiny bit of suavity at least. “I have called Lord Tyrell here. I have a claim and I have the men to back it up”
“Was that a threat?”, Darren growled, while he and Malkolm exchanged angry glares. Hobert shook his head. “Just a statement”, he chuckled. “Do with it what you like. Fact is, we should end this farce. I have the right to rule Raylansfair”
“You have nothing”, Harris responded. “Your claim is watered-down at best, entirely fabricated at worst. In fact, may I ask where your much-awaited proof is?” Hobert leant forwards, putting both of his hands onto the table, a wide smirk appearing on his face. “In my archive, Harris. Right here in the city”
Before Harris could answer anything, an impatient knock on the door caused everyone to shift their attention. Without waiting for an answer, the door was opened, revealing a young man in the uniform of Raylansfairs city guard. “M'lady Sherryl!”, he exclaimed. “M'lady, they are here!”
Sherryl let out a sigh as Harris gave her a questioning look. “Who is here, Sherryl?”, he asked. In return, she gave him a stunning, wide smile, before she raised from her chair. “Someone I have been waiting for. I'll explain it later, now you have more important matters to discuss”, she chirped. “For now, please excuse me. I have to deal with this immediately” With these words, she gave Lord Tyrell a respectful bow, before she stormed out of the room in a sudden hurry, leaving a visibly confused Harris behind.
“Looks like even your girl keeps secrets from you, Harris”, Hobert said in a mocking tone, but he immediately stopped as Harlen Tyrell narrowed his eyes. Usually, a kind, soft, perhaps even weak expression was in them, but right now, Willfred knew for sure why King Gardener had appointed this man to be his steward. “You're out of line, Hobert”, he warned him in a low tone. “Harris is correct. None of us has seen your proof. Naturally, this will be something we have to talk about today”
Finally, his stern gaze faded, replaced by a friendly smile as he looked at Willfred. “And then there are our guests from the Rock. Ser Willfred, perhaps you'd like to explain why exactly you are here? Hobert assured me that your presence will be vital for our negotiations”
Willfred and his uncle exchanged a glance and Roger gave him a reassuring nod. “Lord Tyrell, I am here on behalf of my kingdom and I speak with King Loren's authority”, he started to explain. “The late Lord Robert Raylan gave a promise, to help us in our war against the Ironborn. He offered five hundred men to support our borders” He looked at Harris, who had closed his eyes by now. “This man refused to help, which prompted me to travel to Raylansfair on King Loren's behalf, in order to deal with this matter”, he continued and looked back at Tyrell. “Lord Tyrell, I am here to take what was promised. The future lord of Raylansfair should stay true to his predecessors words”
“True”, Harris agreed, to Willfred's surprise. “Usually, I would be bound by honour to uphold Lord Robert's wish. In this case though, I think my refusal to send half of my city to their death shouldn't be held against me”
“I see your point”, Tyrell interjected. “Robert was a good lord and both, King Mern and myself considered him a friend. Yet we all know, his views about the Ironborn have been... extreme to say the least” Before Willfred could protest, Tyrell swiftly continued. “Unfortunately, we are not here to discuss this decision. Robert gave his word. The word a lord should be worth something”, he explained. “Which is why I think that the future Lord Raylan should honour this promise”
“Actually, I have already talked about this with Ser Willfred”, Hobert said with an obnoxious smile. “We agreed on a bargain. My support, in exchange for the Rock's support” He smiled at Tyrell and Harris. “As you can see, there is nothing to discuss. Even the Kingdom of the Rock wants to see me as the new Lord Raylan” Tyrell raised an eyebrow at this remark. “Is that so? That, my dear Hobert, would indeed change a lot”
“If I may say so, I don't think a neighbouring kingdom should get any saying in our internal politics”, Harris growled, before he glared at Willfred. “Do you really want to support this man?” Willfred shrugged as an answer. This argument in general, it started to bore him. Raylansfair meant nothing to him, not as long as his kingdom was in danger. He honestly couldn't care less about the future lord of Raylansfair, as long as said lord would uphold his end of the bargain. “I support the one who promised help in defending my home”, he answered.
Harris threw his arms up in the air, a gesture of defeat. “Fine”, he growled. “So be it. Ser Willfred, you'll get your troops if you support me. If sending some of my men into a war that is not theirs is necessary to keep the rest of them save from this...” He glared at Hobert. “This half-wit schemer, then so be it”
Hobert chuckled at the insult, but he put a hand onto Malkolm's upper arm, to prevent him from retorting anything. “Play nice, bastard”, he warned him. “Will here... I can call you 'Will', right? Will here already made his decision. Soon, I am going to be Lord of Mander's Mouth and Raylansfair. Perhaps, in the future, another title will be added to this list, once I marry a suitable bride”
Before the acting lord answered, he and Darren exchanged a glance. “This is all a game for you, isn't it?”, he asked, his voice barely audible. “Collecting titles, playing your games on the back of my people...” He looked at Willfred. “Ser Willfred, I can only urge you to reconsider your choice. I doubt Raylansfairs suffering means anything to you, so I can only... Seven Hells, I can only beg you, don't declare for Hobert. He is going to be a terrible lord”
“Then whom should he declare for in your opinion? You?”, Hobert growled. “Boy... Will, we had a deal. Now declare your support for my claim!” Before Willfred could answer anything, Lord Tyrell raised his hand. “Perhaps we should allow him to make his own decision”, he said calmly. “Ser Willfred, please. Your support won't decide the future lord of Raylansfair of course, but I have to admit, it is going to be a factor I have to consider before making a decision. Who should it be in your opinion?”
Willfred let out a sigh. This was likely his last chance to change his decision. True, he made a deal with Hobert. Yet at the same time, the lord's arrogance started to get on his nerves. He would deserve to be brought down a peg or two. And given his current position, Harris surely would be grateful for the support. Though, to be honest, he would rather declare for no one and let them fight their own battle, regardless of wether or not this would be a wise choice.
[Declare for Hobert][Declare for Harris][Declare for no one]
[Stay with Alysanne] Are we going to help him kill someone in the second POV? Hell no. As much as I hate Alysanne, this will hopefully screw Clayton. Has Clayton actually dropped a name for his target? Or is it just implied to be Harris?
[Declare for Harris] Well, not only we will piss Hobert (kind of like in Episode 1 of GoT where you tell one person they'll be your Sentinel but give the Bracer to the other) these Westermen can help against the assassins.
I really don't like that Sherryl left. I really, really don't like it. I mean it's obvious that's the guard that saw Lucas and Leonard, just look at the descriptions
By now, the ship was close enough for Samantha to see the white in the young man’s eyes. More importantly, she saw his tabard, which identified him as a member of Raylansfairs guard. He was obviously watching them. Specifically, he was looking at Lucas and Leonard. Every possibility of this encounter just being a coincidence was destroyed as soon as he realized that Samantha and Sasha were looking at him. The young guard froze in shock as he slowly staggered backwards. Then, he turned around and started to run down the street that lead away from Raylansfairs embarrassingly small docks.
“So much for staying undetected”, Sasha said, glancing at the knights. “Guards usually don't behave that way. I bet someone is soon going to learn about the knights' presence here pretty soon. Guess they'll be in trouble” She stopped, as she suddenly glared at Samantha. “Don't you dare”, she growled.
Before Harris could answer anything, an impatient knock on the door caused everyone to shift their attention. Without waiting for an answer, the door was opened, revealing a young man in the uniform of Raylansfairs city guard. “M'lady Sherryl!”, he exclaimed. “M'lady, they are here!”
I don't know what she's planning but "they are here" and it probably will end badly.
Kersea
Alysanne cringed as the cold, wet towel touched the red burn marks on her shoulder. She was currently sitting on a chair, looking … moreout of the small window that gave her a limited view on the street below, with Kersea behind her, cleaning her wounds and changing the bandages.
“Sorry”, Kersea mumbled, as she attempted to remove the towel. Alysanne's hand quickly grabbed hers, pressing it back onto her shoulder instead. For a moment, she shivered in clear pain, but an dissonantly cheerful smirk appeared on her face. “Don't apologize. It's fine”, she answered and her cracking voice revealed that she was lying. “I'm fine. It does not feel bad...” She glanced out of the window and Kersea simultaneously glanced at the door.
“He's been gone for hours now...”, Alysanne finally said, taking the words right out of Kersea's mouth. “Maybe he got caught”, she answered. Alysanne's smirk got slightly smaller and she shook her head. “I know Cla… [view original content]
Kersea
Alysanne cringed as the cold, wet towel touched the red burn marks on her shoulder. She was currently sitting on a chair, looking … moreout of the small window that gave her a limited view on the street below, with Kersea behind her, cleaning her wounds and changing the bandages.
“Sorry”, Kersea mumbled, as she attempted to remove the towel. Alysanne's hand quickly grabbed hers, pressing it back onto her shoulder instead. For a moment, she shivered in clear pain, but an dissonantly cheerful smirk appeared on her face. “Don't apologize. It's fine”, she answered and her cracking voice revealed that she was lying. “I'm fine. It does not feel bad...” She glanced out of the window and Kersea simultaneously glanced at the door.
“He's been gone for hours now...”, Alysanne finally said, taking the words right out of Kersea's mouth. “Maybe he got caught”, she answered. Alysanne's smirk got slightly smaller and she shook her head. “I know Cla… [view original content]
[Stay with Alysanne] I have no idea will this be better for the target or not, so it's really a gamble that I take assuming that Kersea won't sabotage Clayton again, it's too much to hope for.
[Declare for Harris] I don't think Hobart would be a good lord. I don't want Harris either but he is better lord (Most likely) and we need him as a lord if we want to follow the plan that Leonard and Lucas made against Butterfly
Kersea
Alysanne cringed as the cold, wet towel touched the red burn marks on her shoulder. She was currently sitting on a chair, looking … moreout of the small window that gave her a limited view on the street below, with Kersea behind her, cleaning her wounds and changing the bandages.
“Sorry”, Kersea mumbled, as she attempted to remove the towel. Alysanne's hand quickly grabbed hers, pressing it back onto her shoulder instead. For a moment, she shivered in clear pain, but an dissonantly cheerful smirk appeared on her face. “Don't apologize. It's fine”, she answered and her cracking voice revealed that she was lying. “I'm fine. It does not feel bad...” She glanced out of the window and Kersea simultaneously glanced at the door.
“He's been gone for hours now...”, Alysanne finally said, taking the words right out of Kersea's mouth. “Maybe he got caught”, she answered. Alysanne's smirk got slightly smaller and she shook her head. “I know Cla… [view original content]
Kersea
Alysanne cringed as the cold, wet towel touched the red burn marks on her shoulder. She was currently sitting on a chair, looking … moreout of the small window that gave her a limited view on the street below, with Kersea behind her, cleaning her wounds and changing the bandages.
“Sorry”, Kersea mumbled, as she attempted to remove the towel. Alysanne's hand quickly grabbed hers, pressing it back onto her shoulder instead. For a moment, she shivered in clear pain, but an dissonantly cheerful smirk appeared on her face. “Don't apologize. It's fine”, she answered and her cracking voice revealed that she was lying. “I'm fine. It does not feel bad...” She glanced out of the window and Kersea simultaneously glanced at the door.
“He's been gone for hours now...”, Alysanne finally said, taking the words right out of Kersea's mouth. “Maybe he got caught”, she answered. Alysanne's smirk got slightly smaller and she shook her head. “I know Cla… [view original content]
Kersea
Alysanne cringed as the cold, wet towel touched the red burn marks on her shoulder. She was currently sitting on a chair, looking … moreout of the small window that gave her a limited view on the street below, with Kersea behind her, cleaning her wounds and changing the bandages.
“Sorry”, Kersea mumbled, as she attempted to remove the towel. Alysanne's hand quickly grabbed hers, pressing it back onto her shoulder instead. For a moment, she shivered in clear pain, but an dissonantly cheerful smirk appeared on her face. “Don't apologize. It's fine”, she answered and her cracking voice revealed that she was lying. “I'm fine. It does not feel bad...” She glanced out of the window and Kersea simultaneously glanced at the door.
“He's been gone for hours now...”, Alysanne finally said, taking the words right out of Kersea's mouth. “Maybe he got caught”, she answered. Alysanne's smirk got slightly smaller and she shook her head. “I know Cla… [view original content]
[Accompany Clayton] Kersea's been a lot of trouble for Clayton lately, I think she needs to prove that she's worth the trouble. Plus I'm interested to see what he wants to talk about.
[Declare for Harris] This won't put Wilfred in the best light, but Harris is a better man and the better choice. It made sense to support Hobert before because his support was guaranteed, Harris' was not. Now that it is, I think it makes sense to support him.
Kersea
Alysanne cringed as the cold, wet towel touched the red burn marks on her shoulder. She was currently sitting on a chair, looking … moreout of the small window that gave her a limited view on the street below, with Kersea behind her, cleaning her wounds and changing the bandages.
“Sorry”, Kersea mumbled, as she attempted to remove the towel. Alysanne's hand quickly grabbed hers, pressing it back onto her shoulder instead. For a moment, she shivered in clear pain, but an dissonantly cheerful smirk appeared on her face. “Don't apologize. It's fine”, she answered and her cracking voice revealed that she was lying. “I'm fine. It does not feel bad...” She glanced out of the window and Kersea simultaneously glanced at the door.
“He's been gone for hours now...”, Alysanne finally said, taking the words right out of Kersea's mouth. “Maybe he got caught”, she answered. Alysanne's smirk got slightly smaller and she shook her head. “I know Cla… [view original content]
Kersea
Alysanne cringed as the cold, wet towel touched the red burn marks on her shoulder. She was currently sitting on a chair, looking … moreout of the small window that gave her a limited view on the street below, with Kersea behind her, cleaning her wounds and changing the bandages.
“Sorry”, Kersea mumbled, as she attempted to remove the towel. Alysanne's hand quickly grabbed hers, pressing it back onto her shoulder instead. For a moment, she shivered in clear pain, but an dissonantly cheerful smirk appeared on her face. “Don't apologize. It's fine”, she answered and her cracking voice revealed that she was lying. “I'm fine. It does not feel bad...” She glanced out of the window and Kersea simultaneously glanced at the door.
“He's been gone for hours now...”, Alysanne finally said, taking the words right out of Kersea's mouth. “Maybe he got caught”, she answered. Alysanne's smirk got slightly smaller and she shook her head. “I know Cla… [view original content]
Kersea
Alysanne cringed as the cold, wet towel touched the red burn marks on her shoulder. She was currently sitting on a chair, looking … moreout of the small window that gave her a limited view on the street below, with Kersea behind her, cleaning her wounds and changing the bandages.
“Sorry”, Kersea mumbled, as she attempted to remove the towel. Alysanne's hand quickly grabbed hers, pressing it back onto her shoulder instead. For a moment, she shivered in clear pain, but an dissonantly cheerful smirk appeared on her face. “Don't apologize. It's fine”, she answered and her cracking voice revealed that she was lying. “I'm fine. It does not feel bad...” She glanced out of the window and Kersea simultaneously glanced at the door.
“He's been gone for hours now...”, Alysanne finally said, taking the words right out of Kersea's mouth. “Maybe he got caught”, she answered. Alysanne's smirk got slightly smaller and she shook her head. “I know Cla… [view original content]
Once Sam's dealt with Aylard, what will she do? Try to rejoin John?
Actually, she is still undecided about this. Originally, I plann… moreed to include a small paragraph in this part, exactly about this topic. She would love to rejoin John and his group. At the same time, she knows that she can't just do nothing against Mullendore. Because of this, she is not sure if she should rejoin John, or if she should travel back to Oldtown on her own, to hopefully find a way to take down Mullendore.
I'm assuming she has no clue he's in Raylansfair.
She knows that he is in Raylansfair and she knows that Aylard is there as well. After they survived Bear's attack on Aylard's tavern and after John agreed to send her to Oldtown, they made the plan that John brings Aylard, his son and the remaining barmaids to Raylansfair, while Samantha travels to Oldtown to get Lunett.
Kersea
Alysanne cringed as the cold, wet towel touched the red burn marks on her shoulder. She was currently sitting on a chair, looking … moreout of the small window that gave her a limited view on the street below, with Kersea behind her, cleaning her wounds and changing the bandages.
“Sorry”, Kersea mumbled, as she attempted to remove the towel. Alysanne's hand quickly grabbed hers, pressing it back onto her shoulder instead. For a moment, she shivered in clear pain, but an dissonantly cheerful smirk appeared on her face. “Don't apologize. It's fine”, she answered and her cracking voice revealed that she was lying. “I'm fine. It does not feel bad...” She glanced out of the window and Kersea simultaneously glanced at the door.
“He's been gone for hours now...”, Alysanne finally said, taking the words right out of Kersea's mouth. “Maybe he got caught”, she answered. Alysanne's smirk got slightly smaller and she shook her head. “I know Cla… [view original content]
Kersea
Alysanne cringed as the cold, wet towel touched the red burn marks on her shoulder. She was currently sitting on a chair, looking … moreout of the small window that gave her a limited view on the street below, with Kersea behind her, cleaning her wounds and changing the bandages.
“Sorry”, Kersea mumbled, as she attempted to remove the towel. Alysanne's hand quickly grabbed hers, pressing it back onto her shoulder instead. For a moment, she shivered in clear pain, but an dissonantly cheerful smirk appeared on her face. “Don't apologize. It's fine”, she answered and her cracking voice revealed that she was lying. “I'm fine. It does not feel bad...” She glanced out of the window and Kersea simultaneously glanced at the door.
“He's been gone for hours now...”, Alysanne finally said, taking the words right out of Kersea's mouth. “Maybe he got caught”, she answered. Alysanne's smirk got slightly smaller and she shook her head. “I know Cla… [view original content]
[Accompany Clayton] Another opportunity to foil Clayton's plans. Need to buy John and Richard some time so they can finally devise a plan to counter Clayton.
[Declare for Harris] There are a few reasons why Harris should be lord:
1) He has experience running the city of Raylansfair
2) He is generally well liked by the people
3) Unlike Hobert, he actually wants the best for Raylansfair by any means necessary. He doesn't seek glory or fame
4) Watching Hobert's reaction to Wilfred's betrayal would be hilarious
Kersea
Alysanne cringed as the cold, wet towel touched the red burn marks on her shoulder. She was currently sitting on a chair, looking … moreout of the small window that gave her a limited view on the street below, with Kersea behind her, cleaning her wounds and changing the bandages.
“Sorry”, Kersea mumbled, as she attempted to remove the towel. Alysanne's hand quickly grabbed hers, pressing it back onto her shoulder instead. For a moment, she shivered in clear pain, but an dissonantly cheerful smirk appeared on her face. “Don't apologize. It's fine”, she answered and her cracking voice revealed that she was lying. “I'm fine. It does not feel bad...” She glanced out of the window and Kersea simultaneously glanced at the door.
“He's been gone for hours now...”, Alysanne finally said, taking the words right out of Kersea's mouth. “Maybe he got caught”, she answered. Alysanne's smirk got slightly smaller and she shook her head. “I know Cla… [view original content]
Kersea
Alysanne cringed as the cold, wet towel touched the red burn marks on her shoulder. She was currently sitting on a chair, looking … moreout of the small window that gave her a limited view on the street below, with Kersea behind her, cleaning her wounds and changing the bandages.
“Sorry”, Kersea mumbled, as she attempted to remove the towel. Alysanne's hand quickly grabbed hers, pressing it back onto her shoulder instead. For a moment, she shivered in clear pain, but an dissonantly cheerful smirk appeared on her face. “Don't apologize. It's fine”, she answered and her cracking voice revealed that she was lying. “I'm fine. It does not feel bad...” She glanced out of the window and Kersea simultaneously glanced at the door.
“He's been gone for hours now...”, Alysanne finally said, taking the words right out of Kersea's mouth. “Maybe he got caught”, she answered. Alysanne's smirk got slightly smaller and she shook her head. “I know Cla… [view original content]
[Accompany Clayton] Better be there to ruin his plans.
As someone who just watched the Jessica Jones season during the holidays (yeah I know, I'm late to the party), Kersea and Clayton remind me of Jessica and Kilgrave
[Declare for Harris] Now that Harris also promised the troops he is the better option.
Kersea
Alysanne cringed as the cold, wet towel touched the red burn marks on her shoulder. She was currently sitting on a chair, looking … moreout of the small window that gave her a limited view on the street below, with Kersea behind her, cleaning her wounds and changing the bandages.
“Sorry”, Kersea mumbled, as she attempted to remove the towel. Alysanne's hand quickly grabbed hers, pressing it back onto her shoulder instead. For a moment, she shivered in clear pain, but an dissonantly cheerful smirk appeared on her face. “Don't apologize. It's fine”, she answered and her cracking voice revealed that she was lying. “I'm fine. It does not feel bad...” She glanced out of the window and Kersea simultaneously glanced at the door.
“He's been gone for hours now...”, Alysanne finally said, taking the words right out of Kersea's mouth. “Maybe he got caught”, she answered. Alysanne's smirk got slightly smaller and she shook her head. “I know Cla… [view original content]
Kersea
Alysanne cringed as the cold, wet towel touched the red burn marks on her shoulder. She was currently sitting on a chair, looking … moreout of the small window that gave her a limited view on the street below, with Kersea behind her, cleaning her wounds and changing the bandages.
“Sorry”, Kersea mumbled, as she attempted to remove the towel. Alysanne's hand quickly grabbed hers, pressing it back onto her shoulder instead. For a moment, she shivered in clear pain, but an dissonantly cheerful smirk appeared on her face. “Don't apologize. It's fine”, she answered and her cracking voice revealed that she was lying. “I'm fine. It does not feel bad...” She glanced out of the window and Kersea simultaneously glanced at the door.
“He's been gone for hours now...”, Alysanne finally said, taking the words right out of Kersea's mouth. “Maybe he got caught”, she answered. Alysanne's smirk got slightly smaller and she shook her head. “I know Cla… [view original content]
The second choice was, once again, very important. Paired with Lucas, who plans to focus on Mullendore first, Willfred's support means that Harris' position is now stronger than ever. At the same time, Hobert will be seriously pissed off for sure. It remains to be seen if this was a wise choice for Willfred and for Raylansfair in general. The wait for the next Willfred part won't be that long, because the way I have currently planned Chapter 6 requires Willfred to have a majority of his storyline in the first half of the chapter. While I don't want to reveal too much about the consequences of Kersea's choice, I can tell you that this will give her a longer storyline in this chapter, as well as a more action-packed. Clayton's new target will be revealed in her next part.
The next part will be out later today. It is going to be a Jaron part, who is going to have one of the longest storylines in this chapter. Since he already had a part in this chapter, I guess it can't hurt to give you a short recap: The last time we saw Jaron, he was preparing for the masquerade he is about to attend, together with Harpy, Martin, Ayden, Keira and Jarek. However, the Burned Man wanted to have a word in private with him as well. During their following talk, the Burned Man expressed his desire to force Harpy out of the city, in order to keep her safe from the war. He also offered Jaron a chance to get out of the city together with her. While Jaron considered the Burned Man's wishes, he remained slightly hesitating at the same time, since he is rightfully afraid that the Burned Man sending her away could completely crush Harpy. In the end though, he agreed to follow the Burned Man's wishes, albeit reluctantly.
[Accompany Clayton] Another opportunity to foil Clayton's plans. Need to buy John and Richard some time so they can finally devise a plan to… more counter Clayton.
[Declare for Harris] There are a few reasons why Harris should be lord:
1) He has experience running the city of Raylansfair
2) He is generally well liked by the people
3) Unlike Hobert, he actually wants the best for Raylansfair by any means necessary. He doesn't seek glory or fame
4) Watching Hobert's reaction to Wilfred's betrayal would be hilarious
The Voting is closed!
Kersea will accompany Clayton
Willfred will declare for Harris
The second choice was, once again, very import… moreant. Paired with Lucas, who plans to focus on Mullendore first, Willfred's support means that Harris' position is now stronger than ever. At the same time, Hobert will be seriously pissed off for sure. It remains to be seen if this was a wise choice for Willfred and for Raylansfair in general. The wait for the next Willfred part won't be that long, because the way I have currently planned Chapter 6 requires Willfred to have a majority of his storyline in the first half of the chapter. While I don't want to reveal too much about the consequences of Kersea's choice, I can tell you that this will give her a longer storyline in this chapter, as well as a more action-packed. Clayton's new target will be revealed in her next part.
The next part will be out later today. It is going to be a Jaron part, who is … [view original content]
I start to read this fanfic during these days just for curiosity but I will never guess that a fan story about the chaotic GoT universe can be so good! I've "only" read the first Act but I can already say that I like the style of writing of the author and I'm even really impressed how he succed at write so many POV,making so many unforgettable events and put in his story so many interesting characters! (for them I obviously don't forget to thank their creators).I've not much more to say since I'm still far from where the story is now but I will continue to give my thanks to LiquidChicagoTed! Thank you very much!!
Hi and welcome to the forum! First of all, let me thank you for your kind words, I appreciate it. Hearing this really means a lot to me. I'm glad you decided to read the story and I'm even more glad that you enjoy it! If you want to submit a character, please, feel free to do so
I start to read this fanfic during these days just for curiosity but I will never guess that a fan story about the chaotic GoT universe can … morebe so good! I've "only" read the first Act but I can already say that I like the style of writing of the author and I'm even really impressed how he succed at write so many POV,making so many unforgettable events and put in his story so many interesting characters! (for them I obviously don't forget to thank their creators).I've not much more to say since I'm still far from where the story is now but I will continue to give my thanks to LiquidChicagoTed! Thank you very much!!
The Voting is closed!
Kersea will accompany Clayton
Willfred will declare for Harris
The second choice was, once again, very import… moreant. Paired with Lucas, who plans to focus on Mullendore first, Willfred's support means that Harris' position is now stronger than ever. At the same time, Hobert will be seriously pissed off for sure. It remains to be seen if this was a wise choice for Willfred and for Raylansfair in general. The wait for the next Willfred part won't be that long, because the way I have currently planned Chapter 6 requires Willfred to have a majority of his storyline in the first half of the chapter. While I don't want to reveal too much about the consequences of Kersea's choice, I can tell you that this will give her a longer storyline in this chapter, as well as a more action-packed. Clayton's new target will be revealed in her next part.
The next part will be out later today. It is going to be a Jaron part, who is … [view original content]
Jaron closed his eyes as he contemplated about his decision. He had to agree with the Burned Man. It was the only way for Harpy and perhaps for him as well to get out of this city and out of this life. At the same time, Jaron knew that it would break her heart. He sighed regretfully, before he opened his eyes again, glaring at the Burned Man. “I agree”, he said. “I'm doing it”
A thankful smile formed on the Burned Man's face, but before he could answer anything, Jaron grabbed his shoulder and narrowed his eyes. “But let this be clear”, he growled. “This will be a point of no return. Once I brought her out of this city, you will never contact us again. If you go through with this, we're done with you, you hear me?”
The Burned Man's smile faded as quickly as it came, replaced by a stern look. He seemed slightly angered, but at the same time, he looked reluctant, regretful, almost ashamed. “I hear you and I agree”, he confirmed. “A point of no return. A new beginning for both of you. I won't interfere with your new life” While the Burned Man said these words, Jaron realized that he was avoiding to look him in the eyes. “I know how hard this must be for you and I can't thank you enough for it”, he whispered. “There are days where she is all that keeps me together. The thought of loosing her might be the only thing in this world that truly scares me”
“So you're pushing her away, is that right?”, Jaron asked. The Burned Man raised his hand and on his sign, his bodyguard turned the wheelchair around, back into the direction they came from. “To save her life, yes”, he answered. “And yours as well, Jaron”
He noticed Jaron's surprised look and a sad smirk formed on his face. “You don't think there can be a victor in this war, do you?”, he asked. “Sooner or later, this city will destroy you if you stay. It will either kill you, or it will turn you into something you never wanted to be. But you still have a chance to leave” He leant forwards and his burned hand clumsily touched Jaron's forearm. “Use it”
“I will...”, Jaron promised. Deep down, he knew that the Burned Man was right. Oldtown... it had been a stupid idea to even come here. For a while, he had hoped that Oldtown would give him a chance to be a hero. That was before Butterfly happened. He knew, this might be his last chance to get out of this city before something even worse would happen.
There was one question left he had to ask. “But... where should we go? Harpy lived most of her life in this city. Is there any place in this world she'd like to be?” For a moment, the Burned Man said nothing. Then, a calm, distant smile formed on his face. The effect it had on his face made him almost appear like a new person “Lorath”, he finally answered. “The Free City of Lorath”
“Lorath”, Jaron repeated tonelessly and Arkan gave him a nod. “It has been my home, before all of this”, he explained. “When she was but a little girl, I told her stories about it. I always promised her that one day, I would leave this city with her, that I would show her my old home” His smile faded, as did the distant look on his face. In front of Jaron's eyes, Arkan Gorys turned back into the Burned Man. “Another broken promise. But perhaps one you can keep in my stead”, he stated soberly, before his voice gained sharpness. “Be good to her”
Before Jaron could answer, the wheelchair entered the entrance hall of the mansion again. Jaron saw Harpy casually talking to Martin and Keira. Her joyful laughter caused a smile to form on his face. On the other side of the hall, close to the door, Jarek and Ayden were standing. While Jarek was inspecting a long knife he was holding in his hand, Ayden was observing Jaron and the Burned Man carefully.
The first to react to their presence was Harpy. With a bright smile on her face, she walked towards them. “There you are”, she greeted them and gave Jaron a peck on the cheek. “What was that about? You talking, I mean”
“We talked about you, among other things”, the Burned Man answered and Jaron gave him a surprised look. Harpy narrowed her eyes as she glanced from one man to the other. “About me”, she repeated. “Nothing bad of course”, the Burned Man was quick to add. “I simply explained a few things to Jaron here. About today. About his role”
“And what will his role be, in your opinion?”, Harpy asked and her voice gained sharpness. Immediately, her gaze softened again, as she noticed that she had sounded a bit too harsh. “Protecting you at all costs”, the Burned Man answered and exchanged a glance with Jaron. Harpy let out a sigh and put a hand onto his shoulder. “Not at all costs”, she said softly, but firmly.
For a moment, they glared at each other and Jaron got the opinion that their looks hid wordless messages. A deep understanding showed in the Burned Man's eyes and he finally gave her a defeated nod. “Not at all costs”, he confirmed and looked at Jaron. “Don't get yourself killed”
A smirk formed on Jaron's face, even though he had to force himself. He was sure that Harpy wasn't tricked by it. “I have no intentions of dying today, Ser”, he tried to joke, before his smirk faded. “That was probably not funny”
“No, indeed not”, Harpy confirmed, but she still gave him a reassuring smile. “Remember what I said. I got you. You got me. Nothing will happen as long as we got each other” She looked back at the Burned Man, then over her shoulder towards Ayden, who rather impatiently tapped his feet. “Shall we get going?”
The Burned Man gave her a nod. “It's time”, he agreed, before he let out a long, heavy sigh. “Just...” He paused for a second and closed his eyes, sinking back into his wheelchair. “Just be careful”, he said before he opened his eyes again. The look in them was full of sorrow as he looked at Harpy. “You know I love you, right?”, he asked.
Harpy gave him a soft nod, before she reached down and pulled him into a soft hug. “You're getting oddly sentimental”, she whispered. “It's making me uncomfortable” They both glanced at each other, before Harpy cracked a smile. “I love you too”, she answered wholeheartedly.
Both separated from each other and for the first time since he met him, Jaron saw the Burned Man grinning from ear to ear, although the happy expression did not stay on his face for long. As soon as he noticed that Ayden was still glancing at them, his professional demeanour returned. “I suppose you should get going now”, he said.
Harpy gave him a short nod and Jaron saw a spark of joy in her eyes. “I guess so”, she answered. The Burned Man quickly glanced at the other sellswords, while Harpy started to walk to the door. She glanced over her shoulder, a stunning smile on her lips as she looked at Jaron and the Burned Man.
“I'm keeping her safe”, Jaron reassured him and the Burned Man reluctantly nodded. “I know you will try”, he answered. “Jaron... what she said... Try not to get killed yourself. She couldn't cope with that”
“As I said, Ser, I have no intentions of dying today”, Jaron repeated. Unsure what to do, he put a hand onto the Burned Man's shoulder as a gesture of affection. A genuine smile appeared on Arkan Gorys' face. “Good”, he just said. A short movement of his hand signalled his bodyguard to move the wheelchair away from Jaron, ending their talk.
“You coming, Ser Bastard?”, Martin asked with a grin as he patted Jaron on the back. With a sigh, Jaron grabbed his ridiculous mask and put it on. Both men walked through the hall and out of the open door, where Harpy, Ayden, Keira and Jarek were already waiting. Without saying a word, Harpy turned towards the main street and Jaron saw that she was clenching her fists in anticipation. A nod of her head was enough for the group to start moving.
Harpy was leading them through the vespertine streets of Oldtown. Jarek was walking to her left, Keira to her right. Behind them, Ayden Blackwell walked silently. And finally, Martin and Jaron himself, who walked a bit behind the rest of the group.
“What?”, Jaron asked as he glanced at the grinning sellsword. Martin crossed his arms behind his head as he was walking. “She looks good in that dress, doesn't she?”, he remarked. Jaron raised an eyebrow. “You mean Harpy or Keira?”, he asked. Martin shrugged. “Both of course”, he answered with a sly smile. “Though... listen, friend. I don't think I ever congratulated you for actually landing a hit on her”
“I wasn't sure I need your congratulations”, Jaron retorted and Martin chuckled at this answer. “Surely you don't”, he answered. “Still, I'm proud of you” His smirk got wider and a bit more irritating. “So... what would you say. Any... details you'd like to share?”
“Details?”, Jaron asked, before he realized what Martin was hinting at. “Oh, come on!”, he exclaimed, a bit louder than necessary. His outburst immediately drew Ayden's attention. The sellsword slowed his steps down, to allow Jaron and Martin to catch up to him. “Is there a problem?”, he asked.
“Can't say so”, Martin answered with a smile. “I was just congratulating Ser Bastard for his new girl and he was just about to reveal some of the juicy stuff to his good pal Martin” He quickly realized that neither Jaron nor Ayden were smiling at him. “I see”, Ayden stated. “Perhaps you should focus on the mission”
Martin's smile faded.“Don't you think I do, Blackwell?", he mumbled. "The way I see it, tonight is going to get harsh enough already. We're about to spend an evening in the presence of Lord Hightower, the High Septon and Maron fucking Mullendore. There is no need to make things even more serious. A joke here and there can help, you know”
Instead of answering to him, Ayden glanced at Jaron. “He wasn't bothering you, was he?”, he asked and Jaron shook his head. This seemed to be enough for Ayden and his facial expression got considerably more friendly in an instant. “Good to hear”, he said.
“Come on, Blackwell. Just do it”, Martin said with a smirk. Ayden raised an eyebrow in confusion, which prompted Martin to continue. “Your plan. Tell it again. We both know you want to do it” Indeed, Ayden gave him a nod. “You know me good enough, Wilshere”, he confirmed.
By know, Ayden had slowed down enough to walk right between Martin and Jaron, close enough to lay an arm around both of them in a comradely gesture. “We have three people to keep an eye on. Lord Hightower, the High Septon and Commander Mullendore”, he started to explain. “Lady Harpy, or rather, Lady Caron for tonight, is going to stay close to Mullendore. The commander is known to be a sociable man and I think she will get along just fine with him. Keira is going to be her handmaiden and will stay close to her at all times. If things get really bad, she provides an extra dagger. Martin will be her main bodyguard”
“Martin?”, Jaron asked, sounding more surprised than he wanted to. Martin grinned at this reaction and even Ayden smirked. “Try not to sound too disappointed”, he answered. “Although you can stay close to her as well, if you want to. To be precise, you are going to be our wildcard for tonight”
He made a pause to look down the street which they had been walking down for the past minutes. While the Burned Man's headquarters were in no way located in the more shabby parts of Oldtown, Jaron now started to realize what a truly luxurious city district looked like. Each of the houses to their sides looked like small castles and they only got larger and more pompous the closer they got to the Hightower.
“Jarek volunteered to keep an eye on Hightower. I don't know him too well, but he claims to be acquainted with Hightowers bodyguard, a man who goes by the name of Arryk Bulwer”, Ayden continued. “Meanwhile, I will keep an eye on the High Septon”
“You mentioned your girl earlier, the singer...”, Jaron interjected and Ayden gave him a nod. “Indeed. Taria Templeton”, he explained and a rare smile appeared on his face. “Actually, she is the reason I'd like to stay close to the High Septon tonight”
While he said this, his facial expression shifted to slight amusement and the hint of anger. “He's actually not as holy as he likes to appear, this dirty old man. Took a liking to Taria. Not that I could blame him, but still... She's going to sing for him tonight and I'm... well, I'm going to feel better knowing that I could keep him in line in the worst case”
“Understandable”, Jaron remarked. “And... what exactly will be my role?” Ayden started to walk faster again, forcing Jaron and Martin to fasten their steps as well. “As I said, you will be our wildcard. You will switch positions, you will be wherever you're needed. If one of us gets into trouble, it is your job to help, so that the rest of us can continue to guard the other targets”
“You really put a great deal of thought into this, don't you?”, Martin chuckled and Ayden gave him a stern glare. “Someone has to”, he just answered. He pointed down the street and as Jaron followed his line of sight, he saw what was most likely their destination.
Close to Oldtown's central square stood a large mansion, illuminated brightly in an evening that rapidly grew darker. It had four stories and was surrounded by a truly massive wall, containing not only the house but also a significant part of the surrounding area. The wall had a single, large gate and Jaron saw a number of heavily armed guards standing in front of it. Even from afar, the faint sound of laughter and music was heard.
“Lord Vyrwel's estate”, Martin said, rather unnecessarily. Harpy turned around and gave Jaron an excited look, before she tucked her arm into Jaron's. For a moment, she rested her head on his shoulder, before Ayden's cough caused her to switch her attention to him.
“Remember, we have work to do”, he advised her. “I'm not saying you shouldn't enjoy the evening, just don't get carried away” Harpy gave him a short nod. “I know”, she answered and sighed. “I know. A lot is at stake. I'll do my part” Her smile returned as she outright started to pull Jaron to the gate. “Come on”, she urged him. “And remember, be as posh as possible”
The guards in front of the gate narrowed their eyes as they saw the group approaching, although none of them actually went as far as to draw their weapons. “Who goes there”, one of the guards demanded to know with a stern, gruff voice. A second guard gave him a light nudge with the elbow. “Stay polite”, he warned him and even managed to take an elegant bow in front of Harpy. “Mylady, welcome at Lord Vyrwel's estate. May we see your invitation please?”
Harpy's mouth formed a benign smile as she handed the guard a small card, which the man took with something that came close to reverence. “Lady Gwynna Caron”, he read and took a second, even deeper bow. “Lady Caron, it is a pleasure to have you with us tonight. Lord Vyrwel was already asking for you”
“Ah, the good old Leo”, Harpy answered. “It has been far too long” The moment she mentioned the name, Jaron saw an uncomfortable expression flashing over the men's faces. “So, you don't know...”, one of the guards mumbled. “Lord Leo Vyrwel is dead. A hunting accident, only a few weeks ago. His son Petyr is the new Lord Vyrwel”
Harpy's smile faded immediately. “I... I see. Then I better get inside and give him my condolences”, she said. The guards gave her an understanding nod, immediately stepping aside. One of them shot a glare at Jaron though. “You better keep your hounds in line, mylady”, he growled. “We have an eye on them”
“Of course”, Harpy assured him, before she passed through the gate. A short way lead up through a front garden, up to the impressive estate. The doors inside were open, warm air, loud laughter and music were heard from the inside. And the excited look on Harpy's face was enough for Jaron to feel excitement himself.
Clinging onto his arm, she lead him up the stairs, her smile getting wider and wider with every step she took, a childish enthusiasm in her eyes. As soon as they entered the building, her mouth opened widely and in excitement, while even Jaron himself had to contain his feelings.
The hall they had entered was huge, by far the largest room Jaron had ever seen from the inside. Floor and walls consisted entirely of white marble. Large, gilded pillars sustained the distant ceiling. Dark red carpets covered large areas of the floor. In the middle of the room, an elegant fountain was located. A black, marble wyvern stood in its centre, water pouring out of its mouth.
The room itself was crowded. Noblewomen in fancy dresses, masked lords and ladies, laughing, drinking, eating, enjoying the atmosphere. “There she is”, Ayden remarked with a smile and subtly moved his head to his left, signalizing Jaron to do the same. On a small podium, a young woman stood. She was a bit shorter than Ayden, with a pretty face, bright blue eyes and very long, blonde hair that went down to her waist. In front of her sat a small, stout man, wearing a dark, elegant robe and a mask shaped like a wolf's head, whom Jaron would have barely recognized for the High Septon, if it weren't for the large golden necklace he was wearing, depicting each aspect of the Seven.
“Excuse me”, Ayden said, before he separated from the group to assume his position near the High Septon. A grin formed on Jarek's face as he glanced at the opposite end of the room, towards a large, muscular man who was wearing dark, heavy armour that concealed his entire body. The helmet was shaped like a bull, with long, pointy horns.
“That man over there is Arryk Bulwer”, Jarek explained. “One hell of a fighter. Never leaves Hightower's side, so I guess the lord is close” With these words, he separated from the main group too, leaving Jaron alone with Harpy, Martin and Keira.
“Lady Caron!”, a voice sounded and as Jaron shifted his attention to the caller, he saw a man approaching them, wearing black and red garments. His mask, shaped like a wyvern's head, was concealing his entire face, although Jaron saw that he had dark blonde hair and piercing, green eyes.
He took a deep bow in front of Harpy and gave her a kiss on the back of her hand. Jaron narrowed his eyes as he saw Harpy blushing underneath her mask. “Lord Vyrwel”, she greeted him with a curtsey. “Petyr, Mylady, I insist”, Vyrwel said as he pulled her into a hug. “It is a pleasure to have you here tonight. You look radiant!”
“So do you... Petyr”, Harpy answered and the lord let out a chuckle. “My... my condolences for your father”, she added and the chuckle died down immediately. “Father was a good man”, Vyrwel explained. “It is a shame that he died so young. But, let us not speak of the dead tonight. This evening is for the living!” He pointed at a group of people standing near the fountain. “Come on, my dear. I have to introduce you to a number of people. You see the man over there? That is Maron Mullendore, a real sweetheart. You're going to love him...”
With these words, he pulled Harpy away from Jaron and towards the group. According to the plan, Martin and Keira followed, leaving Jaron behind. He sighed as he glanced at Harpy and at Lord Vyrwel. Now it was up to him to decide whom he should keep an eye on first. To his left, Ayden had taken his position close to the High Septon. Even from afar, Jaron could see that his gaze was fixed on the pretty singer. To his right, Jarek had approached the armoured man, Hightowers bodyguard, and immediately gave him a warm handshake. Then, there was Harpy herself, who was apparently approaching Commander Mullendore. Jaron had no doubt that somewhere among these masked guests, the Tom was waiting to strike. The only thing he was unsure of was, whom he would target first.
[Keep an eye on Harpy, Mullendore and Vyrwel][Keep an eye on Ayden and the High Septon][Keep an eye on Jarek and Lord Hightower]
Yes. Jaron's storyline is a bit longer than others in this chapter, so he will get more frequent parts. But don't you worry, the other storylines will get a fair amount of screentime as well
Jaron
Jaron closed his eyes as he contemplated about his decision. He had to agree with the Burned Man. It was the only way for Harpy and… more perhaps for him as well to get out of this city and out of this life. At the same time, Jaron knew that it would break her heart. He sighed regretfully, before he opened his eyes again, glaring at the Burned Man. “I agree”, he said. “I'm doing it”
A thankful smile formed on the Burned Man's face, but before he could answer anything, Jaron grabbed his shoulder and narrowed his eyes. “But let this be clear”, he growled. “This will be a point of no return. Once I brought her out of this city, you will never contact us again. If you go through with this, we're done with you, you hear me?”
The Burned Man's smile faded as quickly as it came, replaced by a stern look. He seemed slightly angered, but at the same time, he looked reluctant, regretful, almost ashamed. “I hear you and I agree”, he confirmed. “… [view original content]
Jaron
Jaron closed his eyes as he contemplated about his decision. He had to agree with the Burned Man. It was the only way for Harpy and… more perhaps for him as well to get out of this city and out of this life. At the same time, Jaron knew that it would break her heart. He sighed regretfully, before he opened his eyes again, glaring at the Burned Man. “I agree”, he said. “I'm doing it”
A thankful smile formed on the Burned Man's face, but before he could answer anything, Jaron grabbed his shoulder and narrowed his eyes. “But let this be clear”, he growled. “This will be a point of no return. Once I brought her out of this city, you will never contact us again. If you go through with this, we're done with you, you hear me?”
The Burned Man's smile faded as quickly as it came, replaced by a stern look. He seemed slightly angered, but at the same time, he looked reluctant, regretful, almost ashamed. “I hear you and I agree”, he confirmed. “… [view original content]
Jaron
Jaron closed his eyes as he contemplated about his decision. He had to agree with the Burned Man. It was the only way for Harpy and… more perhaps for him as well to get out of this city and out of this life. At the same time, Jaron knew that it would break her heart. He sighed regretfully, before he opened his eyes again, glaring at the Burned Man. “I agree”, he said. “I'm doing it”
A thankful smile formed on the Burned Man's face, but before he could answer anything, Jaron grabbed his shoulder and narrowed his eyes. “But let this be clear”, he growled. “This will be a point of no return. Once I brought her out of this city, you will never contact us again. If you go through with this, we're done with you, you hear me?”
The Burned Man's smile faded as quickly as it came, replaced by a stern look. He seemed slightly angered, but at the same time, he looked reluctant, regretful, almost ashamed. “I hear you and I agree”, he confirmed. “… [view original content]
Jaron
Jaron closed his eyes as he contemplated about his decision. He had to agree with the Burned Man. It was the only way for Harpy and… more perhaps for him as well to get out of this city and out of this life. At the same time, Jaron knew that it would break her heart. He sighed regretfully, before he opened his eyes again, glaring at the Burned Man. “I agree”, he said. “I'm doing it”
A thankful smile formed on the Burned Man's face, but before he could answer anything, Jaron grabbed his shoulder and narrowed his eyes. “But let this be clear”, he growled. “This will be a point of no return. Once I brought her out of this city, you will never contact us again. If you go through with this, we're done with you, you hear me?”
The Burned Man's smile faded as quickly as it came, replaced by a stern look. He seemed slightly angered, but at the same time, he looked reluctant, regretful, almost ashamed. “I hear you and I agree”, he confirmed. “… [view original content]
[Keep an eye on Ayden and the High Septon] Ayden will most likely need an extra pair of eyes the most as he's clearly distracted by the singer. I'm confident the rest will be able to handle themselves.
Jaron
Jaron closed his eyes as he contemplated about his decision. He had to agree with the Burned Man. It was the only way for Harpy and… more perhaps for him as well to get out of this city and out of this life. At the same time, Jaron knew that it would break her heart. He sighed regretfully, before he opened his eyes again, glaring at the Burned Man. “I agree”, he said. “I'm doing it”
A thankful smile formed on the Burned Man's face, but before he could answer anything, Jaron grabbed his shoulder and narrowed his eyes. “But let this be clear”, he growled. “This will be a point of no return. Once I brought her out of this city, you will never contact us again. If you go through with this, we're done with you, you hear me?”
The Burned Man's smile faded as quickly as it came, replaced by a stern look. He seemed slightly angered, but at the same time, he looked reluctant, regretful, almost ashamed. “I hear you and I agree”, he confirmed. “… [view original content]
Comments
YAY! First part this year
Ill vote on it soon, just gotta find time to read it
[Keep her with you] I know Samantha is paying Sasha but they are also friends now so she should listen to her wishes.
[Allow Wulvren to take a sample of your blood] Hmm, interesting.
Oops, forgot to reply to this. Anturion made my list due to my suspicions of him being a schemer, I don't think we've yet found out what sort of dealings he has going on with Harren Hoare, but I'm assuming they're shady. So while I don't really have a lot of proof to backup my thoughts on him, it's just a gut feeling I have.
(Order Sasha to accompany Lucas and Leonard)
(Allow Wulvren to take a small sanmppe)
[Keep her with you] You can't break up Lucas and Leonard, and you can't break up Samantha and Sasha. And no one wants a third wheel.
[Don't allow it]A small chance for Marak to act on his free will and not under the control of Noelle.
I'm back! Happy new year everyone!
[Order Sasha to accompany Lucas and Leonard] Lucas must be save!
[Allow Wulvren to take a sample of your blood] I'm just curious o.o
The Voting is closed!
Samantha is going to keep Sasha with her
Marak is going to allow Wulvren to take a sample of his blood
At least the first choice will obviously have consequences for Samantha's and Lucas' storyline in this chapter. The second choice... well, you will see in time. Marak is definitely going to have a lot more to do than last chapter and this choice made it easier for me to write his next part. The wait for either storylines next part won't be long, but first I'm going to concentrate on some of the characters who haven't been seen in a while.
The next part should be out later today and it will include PoV's from Kersea and Willfred. Since especially Willfred's storyline has been some time ago, here's a very small recap for him: The last time we saw Willfred, he had a meeting with Hobert, during which he agreed to ally with him. The consequences of this choice will be very important in this chapter and possibly, depending on your choices, even in the following chapters.
[Keep her with you]
[Allow Wulvren to take a sample of your blood] This is BLOOD MAGIC Inquisitor
[Cullen greatly approve]
Sorry too much dragon age...
Kersea
Alysanne cringed as the cold, wet towel touched the red burn marks on her shoulder. She was currently sitting on a chair, looking out of the small window that gave her a limited view on the street below, with Kersea behind her, cleaning her wounds and changing the bandages.
“Sorry”, Kersea mumbled, as she attempted to remove the towel. Alysanne's hand quickly grabbed hers, pressing it back onto her shoulder instead. For a moment, she shivered in clear pain, but an dissonantly cheerful smirk appeared on her face. “Don't apologize. It's fine”, she answered and her cracking voice revealed that she was lying. “I'm fine. It does not feel bad...” She glanced out of the window and Kersea simultaneously glanced at the door.
“He's been gone for hours now...”, Alysanne finally said, taking the words right out of Kersea's mouth. “Maybe he got caught”, she answered. Alysanne's smirk got slightly smaller and she shook her head. “I know Clayton for half a decade now”, she explained. “Trust me, men like him never get caught” She chuckled, although it sounded slightly forced as Kersea applied the burn ointment to her wounds. “Proves how unfair our world is”
“Preach it”, Kersea answered, as she reached for the bandages. She softly put a hand onto her friends good shoulder. “Just one more minute and I'll be done”, she assured her. Alysanne rolled her eyes, putting up a brave smile. “Until tomorrow at least”, she answered. “Stupid me just had to play in the burning warehouse, huh?” She chuckled in a way that made Kersea uncomfortable, before she suddenly stopped and looked at her
“Puppy, can I ask you a question?”, she asked. Kersea gave her a quick nod and raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”, she asked in return. A surprisingly sheepish smile appeared on Alysanne's face and her green eyes sparked with genuine curiosity. “I think I never asked you before, but... what was your family like?”, she finally managed to ask.
The question caught Kersea off guard and for a moment, she accidentally applied too much pressure onto Alysanne's burn wounds, causing the other woman to sigh in pain. “My family...?”, she stuttered. “Why... why do you want to know?”
“No need to get all defensive”, Alysanne chuckled. “I'm just interested. Figured, I know so little about you. At the same time, your the best friend I have” A calm smile formed on her mouth and for a moment, Kersea saw a deep-seated pain in her friends eyes. “You came back for me. Against his orders, despite the danger”, she explained. “No one ever did this for me and I... I started to wonder, where does it come from? Your compassion, I mean. Your bravery”
“Bravery?”, Kersea stuttered and every hint of joy faded from her gaze. “My mother was the brave one. You remember the man I killed, the one Butterfly send to kill my family?” She softly continued to bandage Alysanne's left shoulder and her upper arm while she said this, although she grounded her teeth in anger as she said this.
“Aye... His name was Gar. No sense of humour, but a bloody fine killer. Probably deserved what he got”, Alysanne remarked. The last statement caused Kersea to nod in agreement. “I only managed to kill him because my mother put an axe to his gut first. When I arrived back at out hut, he barely managed to stand. He was trying to crawl away from the corpse of my mother, with his entrails slowly sliding out of his belly. She even left him too weak to simply open the door to the room Briar was hiding in”, she explained and gave Alysanne a stern glare. “What I gave him was a mercy kill. Clayton called me a born killer, but truth be told, my mother did all the hard work”
Her voice broke at these last words and Alysanne turned around, smiling in a supposedly reassuring way. “Gar had always been a retard. Everyone knows to never get between a she-wolf and her pups, right?”, she grinned, before she noticed Kersea's expression. “Sorry... You don't have to talk about how they died”, she offered. “I mean... I suppose it hurts you to think about it. I'm more interested in how they were, back when they were still alive”
Kersea let out a sigh, as she glanced at the door once again. “I already told you, my mother was a brave woman. The bravest I knew and the best”, she explained with a stuttering voice. She wasn't even exactly sure why she was revealing this. Perhaps, as much as it pained her, it wasn't a bad thing to talk about them. For five years, Kersea had only her memories. Having someone to share them with felt good.
“My father was no coward either, but he wasn't a fighter. He was too soft for violence”, she explained and a genuine smile appeared on her face as a happy memory flashed through her mind. “But he had a good heart. I remember winter, when I lay in bed with a nasty fever. He never left my side, held my hand even while I was sleeping, all the way until I felt better again”
“Sounds beautiful...”, Alysanne remarked slowly and tonelessly, her curiosity seemingly gone in an instant. Kersea immediately noticed her changing mood and refrained from talking for a moment. Instead, she gave her friend a worried glance. “Is everything alright?”, she asked.
A joyless smirk appeared on Alysanne's face, before she shook her head. “Nothing is alright”, she stated firmly “You are the one telling me about your dead parents. If anything, I should be the one asking you if everything is alright” She let out a sigh. “It's just... sometimes I wonder what could have been. Perhaps that could have been my life”
Kersea furrowed her brows at this statement. “What do you mean?”, she asked slowly. Alysanne sighed again, before a somewhat absent-minded look appeared on her face. “Sometimes I wonder what could have been if my parents cared as much as yours”, she finally answered and a bitter smirk appeared on her face. “I barely remember them, you see... the only thing I know is that they got a good price when they sold me”
“Your parents... wait, your parents sold you?”, Kersea asked, her voice shivering with disgust. Alysanne gave her a nod. “To a fighting pit in Astapor, to be precise. They pay good money for children, the younger the better”, she answered. Kersea put a hand onto her friends good shoulder, the closest thing resembling a hug she could give her at the moment, considering the burn wounds.
“I... fuck, I don't know what to say. I am sorry, Alysanne”, she said wholeheartedly. “But... why have they done this?” For the first time in all the years she knew Alysanne, the woman seemed genuinely sad. “I'll be damned if I know”, she admitted in a defeated tone. Her gaze hardened as she continued to speak and the tone in her voice sent a shiver down Kersea's spine. “But if I ever meet them again, I will kill them”
For a moment, uncomfortable silence engulfed them. Kersea had always wondered how Alysanne ended up being... well, being the person she ended up as. This explained more than she actually wanted to know and it only made her feel even more pity.
Before she could break the silence, Alysanne grabbed her forearm. “He's back”, she hissed and Kersea let out a sigh. “Puppy, there's one thing... what you just told me...” Alysanne pressed her lips together. “Never tell him. He'll use it against you. He'll only hurt you more”
Just as she said this, the door was opened and Clayton walked into the room, a curious grin on his face. He held his left hand behind his back, probably hiding something, but Kersea couldn't care less for his games at the moment. “Speaking of the Stranger?”, he asked.
“You're back”, Kersea answered coldly, while Alysanne managed to forcibly smile at him. “Hello, Clayton”, she greeted him. “Have you killed the target?” Clayton shook his head, obviously displeased at her words. “Not yet”, he answered. “And it could be harder than I thought. They are guarding him pretty well” He glanced at Kersea. “I have scouted the location though. I can do it on my own, but I thought I gather some backup first”
“Do I have a choice?”, Kersea asked and to her surprise, Clayton gave her a nod. “This time, yes, but only because I am torn about how useful you can actually be”, he explained and his voice got colder for a brief moment. “The target is important, more important than the servicemaid you failed to kill. He must die” He narrowed his eyes, but his mouth formed a relaxed, mocking smirk. “Considering your track record, I am not sure if your presence is going to help me, or if you are going to screw up this mission. Since I am torn about this, I'm going to let you decide”
“I still don't see a reason to come with you, not as long as I have the choice”, Kersea growled. Clayton shook his head. “Predictable, but consider this...”, he whispered. “It has been forever since we have spent some time together. A mission, just you and me. We could talk” His left hand moved into her sight and she finally saw what he was hiding behind his back. It was a single, beautiful red rose. “And I believe there is a lot to talk about”, he whispered as he placed the rose in her hand. Kersea, too stunned to protest, accepted the gesture. A pleased smile appeared on Claytons face.
“As I said, the choice is yours. If you change your mind, I'll be waiting on the outside”, he said as he turned around and started to walk towards the door. Before he reached it, he turned around again, the look in his eyes an odd mixture of warmth and coldness “Always keep in mind, should this mission fail, I'll be holding you responsible, regardless of your decision”
[Accompany Clayton] [Stay with Alysanne]
Willfred
“Ser Willfred Reyne, heir of Lord Darren Reyne of Castamere, knight of the Rock. His uncle, Ser Roger Hill, knight of the Rock, two times winner of Highgarden's archery competition, four times winner of Lannisport's archery competition. Ser Vashord Tallian, military commander of the Crag, knight of the Rock”
Willfred suppressed to tap his feet in an impatient way as the herald announced him and his companions in a monotone, but far too loud voice. For a little over an hour, Lord Tyrell kept them waiting and now that he was finally ready to talk to them, he insisted on this ridiculous announcer. It wasn't as if they were about to enter a Great Hall, under the watchful eyes of dozens of noblemen. They were in Lord Raylan's audience room, a small chamber that was barely able to comfortably hold all of them. There were just Willfred and his companions, Lord Harlen Tyrell and his nephew Elias, as well as the lords Hobert and Harris with their entourage.
Hobert took his captain of the guard with him, a bald, but big-bearded man who went by the name of Malkolm Sternhelm. Next to Harris sat his master-at-arms, Ser Darren Tallwood as well as his new 'advisor', who only introduced herself as Lady Sherryl. As the two groups took place on opposite sides of the table, she shot Hobert a cold glare. In contrast, the looks she sent to Willfred were surprisingly interested and not cold at all.
“Thank you, Jarvis”, Lord Tyrell said. “I think we shall begin now” The steward of Highgarden was an old man, in his early sixties at best. His good looks had long since faded and he had gained some weight in recent years, as well as a reputation of getting soft. His nephew on the other hand was a handsome young man, perhaps in Willfred's age, with long, blonde hair and a haughty expression in his green eyes. While Harlen Tyrell never achieved anything remarkable in his life, Elias was a renowned knight already, someone whom Willfred would love to joust against. That the young knight had accompanied his uncle came as a pleasant surprise.
“First of all, let me greet you. Lord Hobert, Ser Harris”, Tyrell continued and Sherryl narrowed her eyes as he addressed Harris. “Harris is a lord”, she insisted. “The acting lord of Raylansfair, until further notice”
“He will address Ser Harris as it pleases him, Flowers”, Elias snarled. “My uncle is the king's steward. Don't start an argument you can't win” Sherryl's glare got utterly murderous for a moment, while Darren Tallwood visibly suppressed a chuckle. Harris on the other hand remained calm at this brief argument, only looking from Sherryl to Elias. “Are you both done?”, he asked. “There are more important matters to deal with than your petty arguments”
Without waiting for an answer, he raised from his chair and put both of his hands onto the table. “First and foremost, we have to decide who is going to inherit House Raylan and the city of Raylansfair”, he growled and looked at Hobert, his face not giving away any emotion, although his way of speaking seemed almost forced in Willfred's opinion, hinting at the anger that was raging inside of him.
“Isn't that clear already?”, Hobert asked, a smug expression on his face as he leant back on his chair. For a moment, Willfred was sure that he would put his boots onto the table, but the lord surprised him by retaining a tiny bit of suavity at least. “I have called Lord Tyrell here. I have a claim and I have the men to back it up”
“Was that a threat?”, Darren growled, while he and Malkolm exchanged angry glares. Hobert shook his head. “Just a statement”, he chuckled. “Do with it what you like. Fact is, we should end this farce. I have the right to rule Raylansfair”
“You have nothing”, Harris responded. “Your claim is watered-down at best, entirely fabricated at worst. In fact, may I ask where your much-awaited proof is?” Hobert leant forwards, putting both of his hands onto the table, a wide smirk appearing on his face. “In my archive, Harris. Right here in the city”
Before Harris could answer anything, an impatient knock on the door caused everyone to shift their attention. Without waiting for an answer, the door was opened, revealing a young man in the uniform of Raylansfairs city guard. “M'lady Sherryl!”, he exclaimed. “M'lady, they are here!”
Sherryl let out a sigh as Harris gave her a questioning look. “Who is here, Sherryl?”, he asked. In return, she gave him a stunning, wide smile, before she raised from her chair. “Someone I have been waiting for. I'll explain it later, now you have more important matters to discuss”, she chirped. “For now, please excuse me. I have to deal with this immediately” With these words, she gave Lord Tyrell a respectful bow, before she stormed out of the room in a sudden hurry, leaving a visibly confused Harris behind.
“Looks like even your girl keeps secrets from you, Harris”, Hobert said in a mocking tone, but he immediately stopped as Harlen Tyrell narrowed his eyes. Usually, a kind, soft, perhaps even weak expression was in them, but right now, Willfred knew for sure why King Gardener had appointed this man to be his steward. “You're out of line, Hobert”, he warned him in a low tone. “Harris is correct. None of us has seen your proof. Naturally, this will be something we have to talk about today”
Finally, his stern gaze faded, replaced by a friendly smile as he looked at Willfred. “And then there are our guests from the Rock. Ser Willfred, perhaps you'd like to explain why exactly you are here? Hobert assured me that your presence will be vital for our negotiations”
Willfred and his uncle exchanged a glance and Roger gave him a reassuring nod. “Lord Tyrell, I am here on behalf of my kingdom and I speak with King Loren's authority”, he started to explain. “The late Lord Robert Raylan gave a promise, to help us in our war against the Ironborn. He offered five hundred men to support our borders” He looked at Harris, who had closed his eyes by now. “This man refused to help, which prompted me to travel to Raylansfair on King Loren's behalf, in order to deal with this matter”, he continued and looked back at Tyrell. “Lord Tyrell, I am here to take what was promised. The future lord of Raylansfair should stay true to his predecessors words”
“True”, Harris agreed, to Willfred's surprise. “Usually, I would be bound by honour to uphold Lord Robert's wish. In this case though, I think my refusal to send half of my city to their death shouldn't be held against me”
“I see your point”, Tyrell interjected. “Robert was a good lord and both, King Mern and myself considered him a friend. Yet we all know, his views about the Ironborn have been... extreme to say the least” Before Willfred could protest, Tyrell swiftly continued. “Unfortunately, we are not here to discuss this decision. Robert gave his word. The word a lord should be worth something”, he explained. “Which is why I think that the future Lord Raylan should honour this promise”
“Actually, I have already talked about this with Ser Willfred”, Hobert said with an obnoxious smile. “We agreed on a bargain. My support, in exchange for the Rock's support” He smiled at Tyrell and Harris. “As you can see, there is nothing to discuss. Even the Kingdom of the Rock wants to see me as the new Lord Raylan” Tyrell raised an eyebrow at this remark. “Is that so? That, my dear Hobert, would indeed change a lot”
“If I may say so, I don't think a neighbouring kingdom should get any saying in our internal politics”, Harris growled, before he glared at Willfred. “Do you really want to support this man?” Willfred shrugged as an answer. This argument in general, it started to bore him. Raylansfair meant nothing to him, not as long as his kingdom was in danger. He honestly couldn't care less about the future lord of Raylansfair, as long as said lord would uphold his end of the bargain. “I support the one who promised help in defending my home”, he answered.
Harris threw his arms up in the air, a gesture of defeat. “Fine”, he growled. “So be it. Ser Willfred, you'll get your troops if you support me. If sending some of my men into a war that is not theirs is necessary to keep the rest of them save from this...” He glared at Hobert. “This half-wit schemer, then so be it”
Hobert chuckled at the insult, but he put a hand onto Malkolm's upper arm, to prevent him from retorting anything. “Play nice, bastard”, he warned him. “Will here... I can call you 'Will', right? Will here already made his decision. Soon, I am going to be Lord of Mander's Mouth and Raylansfair. Perhaps, in the future, another title will be added to this list, once I marry a suitable bride”
Before the acting lord answered, he and Darren exchanged a glance. “This is all a game for you, isn't it?”, he asked, his voice barely audible. “Collecting titles, playing your games on the back of my people...” He looked at Willfred. “Ser Willfred, I can only urge you to reconsider your choice. I doubt Raylansfairs suffering means anything to you, so I can only... Seven Hells, I can only beg you, don't declare for Hobert. He is going to be a terrible lord”
“Then whom should he declare for in your opinion? You?”, Hobert growled. “Boy... Will, we had a deal. Now declare your support for my claim!” Before Willfred could answer anything, Lord Tyrell raised his hand. “Perhaps we should allow him to make his own decision”, he said calmly. “Ser Willfred, please. Your support won't decide the future lord of Raylansfair of course, but I have to admit, it is going to be a factor I have to consider before making a decision. Who should it be in your opinion?”
Willfred let out a sigh. This was likely his last chance to change his decision. True, he made a deal with Hobert. Yet at the same time, the lord's arrogance started to get on his nerves. He would deserve to be brought down a peg or two. And given his current position, Harris surely would be grateful for the support. Though, to be honest, he would rather declare for no one and let them fight their own battle, regardless of wether or not this would be a wise choice.
[Declare for Hobert] [Declare for Harris] [Declare for no one]
[Stay with Alysanne] Are we going to help him kill someone in the second POV? Hell no. As much as I hate Alysanne, this will hopefully screw Clayton. Has Clayton actually dropped a name for his target? Or is it just implied to be Harris?
[Declare for Harris] Well, not only we will piss Hobert (kind of like in Episode 1 of GoT where you tell one person they'll be your Sentinel but give the Bracer to the other) these Westermen can help against the assassins.
I really don't like that Sherryl left. I really, really don't like it. I mean it's obvious that's the guard that saw Lucas and Leonard, just look at the descriptions
I don't know what she's planning but "they are here" and it probably will end badly.
[Accompany Clayton]
[Declare for Hobert]
[Stay with Alysanne] I have no idea will this be better for the target or not, so it's really a gamble that I take assuming that Kersea won't sabotage Clayton again, it's too much to hope for.
[Declare for Harris] I don't think Hobart would be a good lord. I don't want Harris either but he is better lord (Most likely) and we need him as a lord if we want to follow the plan that Leonard and Lucas made against Butterfly
[Stay with Alysanne]
[Declare for Harris]
[Accompany Clayton]
[Declare for Harris]
[Stay with Alysanne] seems legit..
Hobert " is going to be a terrible lord”, Harris look like a beggar as much I don't care about any of them I will still go with
[Declare for Harris]
is just seems unwise for him to stand aside...
[Accompany Clayton] Kersea's been a lot of trouble for Clayton lately, I think she needs to prove that she's worth the trouble. Plus I'm interested to see what he wants to talk about.
[Declare for Harris] This won't put Wilfred in the best light, but Harris is a better man and the better choice. It made sense to support Hobert before because his support was guaranteed, Harris' was not. Now that it is, I think it makes sense to support him.
[Accompany Clayton]
[Declare for Harris]
[Accompany Clayton]
[Declare for Hobert]
[Stay with Alysanne]
[Declare for Harris]
[keep her with you]
[allow wulvren to take sample of your blood]
[accompany clayton]
[declare for hobert]
[Accompany Clayton] I like this badass^^ Give him what he wants yay ;D
[Declare for Harris] just made more sense to me
[Accompany Clayton] Another opportunity to foil Clayton's plans. Need to buy John and Richard some time so they can finally devise a plan to counter Clayton.
[Declare for Harris] There are a few reasons why Harris should be lord:
1) He has experience running the city of Raylansfair
2) He is generally well liked by the people
3) Unlike Hobert, he actually wants the best for Raylansfair by any means necessary. He doesn't seek glory or fame
4) Watching Hobert's reaction to Wilfred's betrayal would be hilarious
[Accompany Clayton] [Declare for no one]
[Accompany Clayton] Better be there to ruin his plans.
As someone who just watched the Jessica Jones season during the holidays (yeah I know, I'm late to the party), Kersea and Clayton remind me of Jessica and Kilgrave
[Declare for Harris] Now that Harris also promised the troops he is the better option.
(Stay with Alysanne)
(Declare for no one)
[Stay with Alysanne]
[Declare for Harris]
The Voting is closed!
Kersea will accompany Clayton
Willfred will declare for Harris
The second choice was, once again, very important. Paired with Lucas, who plans to focus on Mullendore first, Willfred's support means that Harris' position is now stronger than ever. At the same time, Hobert will be seriously pissed off for sure. It remains to be seen if this was a wise choice for Willfred and for Raylansfair in general. The wait for the next Willfred part won't be that long, because the way I have currently planned Chapter 6 requires Willfred to have a majority of his storyline in the first half of the chapter. While I don't want to reveal too much about the consequences of Kersea's choice, I can tell you that this will give her a longer storyline in this chapter, as well as a more action-packed. Clayton's new target will be revealed in her next part.
The next part will be out later today. It is going to be a Jaron part, who is going to have one of the longest storylines in this chapter. Since he already had a part in this chapter, I guess it can't hurt to give you a short recap: The last time we saw Jaron, he was preparing for the masquerade he is about to attend, together with Harpy, Martin, Ayden, Keira and Jarek. However, the Burned Man wanted to have a word in private with him as well. During their following talk, the Burned Man expressed his desire to force Harpy out of the city, in order to keep her safe from the war. He also offered Jaron a chance to get out of the city together with her. While Jaron considered the Burned Man's wishes, he remained slightly hesitating at the same time, since he is rightfully afraid that the Burned Man sending her away could completely crush Harpy. In the end though, he agreed to follow the Burned Man's wishes, albeit reluctantly.
"4) Watching Hobert's reaction to Wilfred's betrayal would be hilarious" +1
Hell yea a Jaron part and sorry I've been a bit inactive lately.
I start to read this fanfic during these days just for curiosity but I will never guess that a fan story about the chaotic GoT universe can be so good! I've "only" read the first Act but I can already say that I like the style of writing of the author and I'm even really impressed how he succed at write so many POV,making so many unforgettable events and put in his story so many interesting characters! (for them I obviously don't forget to thank their creators).I've not much more to say since I'm still far from where the story is now but I will continue to give my thanks to LiquidChicagoTed! Thank you very much!!
Hi and welcome to the forum! First of all, let me thank you for your kind words, I appreciate it. Hearing this really means a lot to me. I'm glad you decided to read the story and I'm even more glad that you enjoy it! If you want to submit a character, please, feel free to do so
Hu? Jaron again? Dont get me wrong I like Jaron^^
Jaron
Jaron closed his eyes as he contemplated about his decision. He had to agree with the Burned Man. It was the only way for Harpy and perhaps for him as well to get out of this city and out of this life. At the same time, Jaron knew that it would break her heart. He sighed regretfully, before he opened his eyes again, glaring at the Burned Man. “I agree”, he said. “I'm doing it”
A thankful smile formed on the Burned Man's face, but before he could answer anything, Jaron grabbed his shoulder and narrowed his eyes. “But let this be clear”, he growled. “This will be a point of no return. Once I brought her out of this city, you will never contact us again. If you go through with this, we're done with you, you hear me?”
The Burned Man's smile faded as quickly as it came, replaced by a stern look. He seemed slightly angered, but at the same time, he looked reluctant, regretful, almost ashamed. “I hear you and I agree”, he confirmed. “A point of no return. A new beginning for both of you. I won't interfere with your new life” While the Burned Man said these words, Jaron realized that he was avoiding to look him in the eyes. “I know how hard this must be for you and I can't thank you enough for it”, he whispered. “There are days where she is all that keeps me together. The thought of loosing her might be the only thing in this world that truly scares me”
“So you're pushing her away, is that right?”, Jaron asked. The Burned Man raised his hand and on his sign, his bodyguard turned the wheelchair around, back into the direction they came from. “To save her life, yes”, he answered. “And yours as well, Jaron”
He noticed Jaron's surprised look and a sad smirk formed on his face. “You don't think there can be a victor in this war, do you?”, he asked. “Sooner or later, this city will destroy you if you stay. It will either kill you, or it will turn you into something you never wanted to be. But you still have a chance to leave” He leant forwards and his burned hand clumsily touched Jaron's forearm. “Use it”
“I will...”, Jaron promised. Deep down, he knew that the Burned Man was right. Oldtown... it had been a stupid idea to even come here. For a while, he had hoped that Oldtown would give him a chance to be a hero. That was before Butterfly happened. He knew, this might be his last chance to get out of this city before something even worse would happen.
There was one question left he had to ask. “But... where should we go? Harpy lived most of her life in this city. Is there any place in this world she'd like to be?” For a moment, the Burned Man said nothing. Then, a calm, distant smile formed on his face. The effect it had on his face made him almost appear like a new person “Lorath”, he finally answered. “The Free City of Lorath”
“Lorath”, Jaron repeated tonelessly and Arkan gave him a nod. “It has been my home, before all of this”, he explained. “When she was but a little girl, I told her stories about it. I always promised her that one day, I would leave this city with her, that I would show her my old home” His smile faded, as did the distant look on his face. In front of Jaron's eyes, Arkan Gorys turned back into the Burned Man. “Another broken promise. But perhaps one you can keep in my stead”, he stated soberly, before his voice gained sharpness. “Be good to her”
Before Jaron could answer, the wheelchair entered the entrance hall of the mansion again. Jaron saw Harpy casually talking to Martin and Keira. Her joyful laughter caused a smile to form on his face. On the other side of the hall, close to the door, Jarek and Ayden were standing. While Jarek was inspecting a long knife he was holding in his hand, Ayden was observing Jaron and the Burned Man carefully.
The first to react to their presence was Harpy. With a bright smile on her face, she walked towards them. “There you are”, she greeted them and gave Jaron a peck on the cheek. “What was that about? You talking, I mean”
“We talked about you, among other things”, the Burned Man answered and Jaron gave him a surprised look. Harpy narrowed her eyes as she glanced from one man to the other. “About me”, she repeated. “Nothing bad of course”, the Burned Man was quick to add. “I simply explained a few things to Jaron here. About today. About his role”
“And what will his role be, in your opinion?”, Harpy asked and her voice gained sharpness. Immediately, her gaze softened again, as she noticed that she had sounded a bit too harsh. “Protecting you at all costs”, the Burned Man answered and exchanged a glance with Jaron. Harpy let out a sigh and put a hand onto his shoulder. “Not at all costs”, she said softly, but firmly.
For a moment, they glared at each other and Jaron got the opinion that their looks hid wordless messages. A deep understanding showed in the Burned Man's eyes and he finally gave her a defeated nod. “Not at all costs”, he confirmed and looked at Jaron. “Don't get yourself killed”
A smirk formed on Jaron's face, even though he had to force himself. He was sure that Harpy wasn't tricked by it. “I have no intentions of dying today, Ser”, he tried to joke, before his smirk faded. “That was probably not funny”
“No, indeed not”, Harpy confirmed, but she still gave him a reassuring smile. “Remember what I said. I got you. You got me. Nothing will happen as long as we got each other” She looked back at the Burned Man, then over her shoulder towards Ayden, who rather impatiently tapped his feet. “Shall we get going?”
The Burned Man gave her a nod. “It's time”, he agreed, before he let out a long, heavy sigh. “Just...” He paused for a second and closed his eyes, sinking back into his wheelchair. “Just be careful”, he said before he opened his eyes again. The look in them was full of sorrow as he looked at Harpy. “You know I love you, right?”, he asked.
Harpy gave him a soft nod, before she reached down and pulled him into a soft hug. “You're getting oddly sentimental”, she whispered. “It's making me uncomfortable” They both glanced at each other, before Harpy cracked a smile. “I love you too”, she answered wholeheartedly.
Both separated from each other and for the first time since he met him, Jaron saw the Burned Man grinning from ear to ear, although the happy expression did not stay on his face for long. As soon as he noticed that Ayden was still glancing at them, his professional demeanour returned. “I suppose you should get going now”, he said.
Harpy gave him a short nod and Jaron saw a spark of joy in her eyes. “I guess so”, she answered. The Burned Man quickly glanced at the other sellswords, while Harpy started to walk to the door. She glanced over her shoulder, a stunning smile on her lips as she looked at Jaron and the Burned Man.
“I'm keeping her safe”, Jaron reassured him and the Burned Man reluctantly nodded. “I know you will try”, he answered. “Jaron... what she said... Try not to get killed yourself. She couldn't cope with that”
“As I said, Ser, I have no intentions of dying today”, Jaron repeated. Unsure what to do, he put a hand onto the Burned Man's shoulder as a gesture of affection. A genuine smile appeared on Arkan Gorys' face. “Good”, he just said. A short movement of his hand signalled his bodyguard to move the wheelchair away from Jaron, ending their talk.
“You coming, Ser Bastard?”, Martin asked with a grin as he patted Jaron on the back. With a sigh, Jaron grabbed his ridiculous mask and put it on. Both men walked through the hall and out of the open door, where Harpy, Ayden, Keira and Jarek were already waiting. Without saying a word, Harpy turned towards the main street and Jaron saw that she was clenching her fists in anticipation. A nod of her head was enough for the group to start moving.
Harpy was leading them through the vespertine streets of Oldtown. Jarek was walking to her left, Keira to her right. Behind them, Ayden Blackwell walked silently. And finally, Martin and Jaron himself, who walked a bit behind the rest of the group.
“What?”, Jaron asked as he glanced at the grinning sellsword. Martin crossed his arms behind his head as he was walking. “She looks good in that dress, doesn't she?”, he remarked. Jaron raised an eyebrow. “You mean Harpy or Keira?”, he asked. Martin shrugged. “Both of course”, he answered with a sly smile. “Though... listen, friend. I don't think I ever congratulated you for actually landing a hit on her”
“I wasn't sure I need your congratulations”, Jaron retorted and Martin chuckled at this answer. “Surely you don't”, he answered. “Still, I'm proud of you” His smirk got wider and a bit more irritating. “So... what would you say. Any... details you'd like to share?”
“Details?”, Jaron asked, before he realized what Martin was hinting at. “Oh, come on!”, he exclaimed, a bit louder than necessary. His outburst immediately drew Ayden's attention. The sellsword slowed his steps down, to allow Jaron and Martin to catch up to him. “Is there a problem?”, he asked.
“Can't say so”, Martin answered with a smile. “I was just congratulating Ser Bastard for his new girl and he was just about to reveal some of the juicy stuff to his good pal Martin” He quickly realized that neither Jaron nor Ayden were smiling at him. “I see”, Ayden stated. “Perhaps you should focus on the mission”
Martin's smile faded.“Don't you think I do, Blackwell?", he mumbled. "The way I see it, tonight is going to get harsh enough already. We're about to spend an evening in the presence of Lord Hightower, the High Septon and Maron fucking Mullendore. There is no need to make things even more serious. A joke here and there can help, you know”
Instead of answering to him, Ayden glanced at Jaron. “He wasn't bothering you, was he?”, he asked and Jaron shook his head. This seemed to be enough for Ayden and his facial expression got considerably more friendly in an instant. “Good to hear”, he said.
“Come on, Blackwell. Just do it”, Martin said with a smirk. Ayden raised an eyebrow in confusion, which prompted Martin to continue. “Your plan. Tell it again. We both know you want to do it” Indeed, Ayden gave him a nod. “You know me good enough, Wilshere”, he confirmed.
By know, Ayden had slowed down enough to walk right between Martin and Jaron, close enough to lay an arm around both of them in a comradely gesture. “We have three people to keep an eye on. Lord Hightower, the High Septon and Commander Mullendore”, he started to explain. “Lady Harpy, or rather, Lady Caron for tonight, is going to stay close to Mullendore. The commander is known to be a sociable man and I think she will get along just fine with him. Keira is going to be her handmaiden and will stay close to her at all times. If things get really bad, she provides an extra dagger. Martin will be her main bodyguard”
“Martin?”, Jaron asked, sounding more surprised than he wanted to. Martin grinned at this reaction and even Ayden smirked. “Try not to sound too disappointed”, he answered. “Although you can stay close to her as well, if you want to. To be precise, you are going to be our wildcard for tonight”
He made a pause to look down the street which they had been walking down for the past minutes. While the Burned Man's headquarters were in no way located in the more shabby parts of Oldtown, Jaron now started to realize what a truly luxurious city district looked like. Each of the houses to their sides looked like small castles and they only got larger and more pompous the closer they got to the Hightower.
“Jarek volunteered to keep an eye on Hightower. I don't know him too well, but he claims to be acquainted with Hightowers bodyguard, a man who goes by the name of Arryk Bulwer”, Ayden continued. “Meanwhile, I will keep an eye on the High Septon”
“You mentioned your girl earlier, the singer...”, Jaron interjected and Ayden gave him a nod. “Indeed. Taria Templeton”, he explained and a rare smile appeared on his face. “Actually, she is the reason I'd like to stay close to the High Septon tonight”
While he said this, his facial expression shifted to slight amusement and the hint of anger. “He's actually not as holy as he likes to appear, this dirty old man. Took a liking to Taria. Not that I could blame him, but still... She's going to sing for him tonight and I'm... well, I'm going to feel better knowing that I could keep him in line in the worst case”
“Understandable”, Jaron remarked. “And... what exactly will be my role?” Ayden started to walk faster again, forcing Jaron and Martin to fasten their steps as well. “As I said, you will be our wildcard. You will switch positions, you will be wherever you're needed. If one of us gets into trouble, it is your job to help, so that the rest of us can continue to guard the other targets”
“You really put a great deal of thought into this, don't you?”, Martin chuckled and Ayden gave him a stern glare. “Someone has to”, he just answered. He pointed down the street and as Jaron followed his line of sight, he saw what was most likely their destination.
Close to Oldtown's central square stood a large mansion, illuminated brightly in an evening that rapidly grew darker. It had four stories and was surrounded by a truly massive wall, containing not only the house but also a significant part of the surrounding area. The wall had a single, large gate and Jaron saw a number of heavily armed guards standing in front of it. Even from afar, the faint sound of laughter and music was heard.
“Lord Vyrwel's estate”, Martin said, rather unnecessarily. Harpy turned around and gave Jaron an excited look, before she tucked her arm into Jaron's. For a moment, she rested her head on his shoulder, before Ayden's cough caused her to switch her attention to him.
“Remember, we have work to do”, he advised her. “I'm not saying you shouldn't enjoy the evening, just don't get carried away” Harpy gave him a short nod. “I know”, she answered and sighed. “I know. A lot is at stake. I'll do my part” Her smile returned as she outright started to pull Jaron to the gate. “Come on”, she urged him. “And remember, be as posh as possible”
The guards in front of the gate narrowed their eyes as they saw the group approaching, although none of them actually went as far as to draw their weapons. “Who goes there”, one of the guards demanded to know with a stern, gruff voice. A second guard gave him a light nudge with the elbow. “Stay polite”, he warned him and even managed to take an elegant bow in front of Harpy. “Mylady, welcome at Lord Vyrwel's estate. May we see your invitation please?”
Harpy's mouth formed a benign smile as she handed the guard a small card, which the man took with something that came close to reverence. “Lady Gwynna Caron”, he read and took a second, even deeper bow. “Lady Caron, it is a pleasure to have you with us tonight. Lord Vyrwel was already asking for you”
“Ah, the good old Leo”, Harpy answered. “It has been far too long” The moment she mentioned the name, Jaron saw an uncomfortable expression flashing over the men's faces. “So, you don't know...”, one of the guards mumbled. “Lord Leo Vyrwel is dead. A hunting accident, only a few weeks ago. His son Petyr is the new Lord Vyrwel”
Harpy's smile faded immediately. “I... I see. Then I better get inside and give him my condolences”, she said. The guards gave her an understanding nod, immediately stepping aside. One of them shot a glare at Jaron though. “You better keep your hounds in line, mylady”, he growled. “We have an eye on them”
“Of course”, Harpy assured him, before she passed through the gate. A short way lead up through a front garden, up to the impressive estate. The doors inside were open, warm air, loud laughter and music were heard from the inside. And the excited look on Harpy's face was enough for Jaron to feel excitement himself.
Clinging onto his arm, she lead him up the stairs, her smile getting wider and wider with every step she took, a childish enthusiasm in her eyes. As soon as they entered the building, her mouth opened widely and in excitement, while even Jaron himself had to contain his feelings.
The hall they had entered was huge, by far the largest room Jaron had ever seen from the inside. Floor and walls consisted entirely of white marble. Large, gilded pillars sustained the distant ceiling. Dark red carpets covered large areas of the floor. In the middle of the room, an elegant fountain was located. A black, marble wyvern stood in its centre, water pouring out of its mouth.
The room itself was crowded. Noblewomen in fancy dresses, masked lords and ladies, laughing, drinking, eating, enjoying the atmosphere. “There she is”, Ayden remarked with a smile and subtly moved his head to his left, signalizing Jaron to do the same. On a small podium, a young woman stood. She was a bit shorter than Ayden, with a pretty face, bright blue eyes and very long, blonde hair that went down to her waist. In front of her sat a small, stout man, wearing a dark, elegant robe and a mask shaped like a wolf's head, whom Jaron would have barely recognized for the High Septon, if it weren't for the large golden necklace he was wearing, depicting each aspect of the Seven.
“Excuse me”, Ayden said, before he separated from the group to assume his position near the High Septon. A grin formed on Jarek's face as he glanced at the opposite end of the room, towards a large, muscular man who was wearing dark, heavy armour that concealed his entire body. The helmet was shaped like a bull, with long, pointy horns.
“That man over there is Arryk Bulwer”, Jarek explained. “One hell of a fighter. Never leaves Hightower's side, so I guess the lord is close” With these words, he separated from the main group too, leaving Jaron alone with Harpy, Martin and Keira.
“Lady Caron!”, a voice sounded and as Jaron shifted his attention to the caller, he saw a man approaching them, wearing black and red garments. His mask, shaped like a wyvern's head, was concealing his entire face, although Jaron saw that he had dark blonde hair and piercing, green eyes.
He took a deep bow in front of Harpy and gave her a kiss on the back of her hand. Jaron narrowed his eyes as he saw Harpy blushing underneath her mask. “Lord Vyrwel”, she greeted him with a curtsey. “Petyr, Mylady, I insist”, Vyrwel said as he pulled her into a hug. “It is a pleasure to have you here tonight. You look radiant!”
“So do you... Petyr”, Harpy answered and the lord let out a chuckle. “My... my condolences for your father”, she added and the chuckle died down immediately. “Father was a good man”, Vyrwel explained. “It is a shame that he died so young. But, let us not speak of the dead tonight. This evening is for the living!” He pointed at a group of people standing near the fountain. “Come on, my dear. I have to introduce you to a number of people. You see the man over there? That is Maron Mullendore, a real sweetheart. You're going to love him...”
With these words, he pulled Harpy away from Jaron and towards the group. According to the plan, Martin and Keira followed, leaving Jaron behind. He sighed as he glanced at Harpy and at Lord Vyrwel. Now it was up to him to decide whom he should keep an eye on first. To his left, Ayden had taken his position close to the High Septon. Even from afar, Jaron could see that his gaze was fixed on the pretty singer. To his right, Jarek had approached the armoured man, Hightowers bodyguard, and immediately gave him a warm handshake. Then, there was Harpy herself, who was apparently approaching Commander Mullendore. Jaron had no doubt that somewhere among these masked guests, the Tom was waiting to strike. The only thing he was unsure of was, whom he would target first.
[Keep an eye on Harpy, Mullendore and Vyrwel] [Keep an eye on Ayden and the High Septon] [Keep an eye on Jarek and Lord Hightower]
Yes. Jaron's storyline is a bit longer than others in this chapter, so he will get more frequent parts. But don't you worry, the other storylines will get a fair amount of screentime as well
[Keep an eye on Jarek and Lord Hightower]
[Keep an eye on Ayden and the High Septon]
[Keep an eye on Harpy, Mullendore and Vyrwel] dont u dare...!
[Keep an eye on Jarek and Lord Hightower]
[Keep an eye on Ayden and the High Septon] Ayden will most likely need an extra pair of eyes the most as he's clearly distracted by the singer. I'm confident the rest will be able to handle themselves.