Jarpy! Gosh, this is so adorable Very well done, this is without a doubt among my favourite drawings of yours! I can already feel the inspiration for the remaining parts of Jaron's storyline in this chapter, of which there will be two. About the alive and somewhat well part... I can't comment on it. I can't even comment on it in the slightest, since I'm horrible at not teasing the crap out of future plot developments and I don't want to dare it in this case. I think all I can say is a very neutral mention of future parts who will give you more of an answer, followed by a very neutral emoji
Jarpy! Gosh, this is so adorable Very well done, this is without a doubt among my favourite drawings of yours! I can already feel the inspi… moreration for the remaining parts of Jaron's storyline in this chapter, of which there will be two. About the alive and somewhat well part... I can't comment on it. I can't even comment on it in the slightest, since I'm horrible at not teasing the crap out of future plot developments and I don't want to dare it in this case. I think all I can say is a very neutral mention of future parts who will give you more of an answer, followed by a very neutral emoji
Jarpy! Gosh, this is so adorable Very well done, this is without a doubt among my favourite drawings of yours! I can already feel the inspi… moreration for the remaining parts of Jaron's storyline in this chapter, of which there will be two. About the alive and somewhat well part... I can't comment on it. I can't even comment on it in the slightest, since I'm horrible at not teasing the crap out of future plot developments and I don't want to dare it in this case. I think all I can say is a very neutral mention of future parts who will give you more of an answer, followed by a very neutral emoji
Alright, it is time for a short announcement! Usually, I would have closed the voting today. However, I am afraid I will need until Monday. I'm not going to lie, this week was the most busy week of my year and I'm not even studying at the moment, since I've graduated and am now waiting for my next course of studies, which will start in Octobre. Somehow, unexplainably, every single day of the week something came up to keep me busy for half a day, with Tuesday being the only exception and having therefore been used for writing. Tomorrow will be no difference. I have started writing the next part and it is a Lucas part, but it is also likely going to be a very long part, so that needs extra time to write. I hope to finish it on Monday. Until then, we have a tie anyways. Many people have voted, though a couple of regulars still haven't, so perhaps it's going to be broken either way until Monday, without me having to do anything about it. Hopefully, I'll be able to finish the part on Monday. Sorry to keep you waiting, but I hope that the extra wait will be worth it and that you'll enjoy the next part as much as I enjoy writing it
Many people have voted, though a couple of regulars still haven't, so perhaps it's going to be broken either way until Monday, without me having to do anything about it.
hah, you tricky scoundrel, you! =p
I hope it remains a tie so we can test the new tie rule
Alright, it is time for a short announcement! Usually, I would have closed the voting today. However, I am afraid I will need until Monday. … moreI'm not going to lie, this week was the most busy week of my year and I'm not even studying at the moment, since I've graduated and am now waiting for my next course of studies, which will start in Octobre. Somehow, unexplainably, every single day of the week something came up to keep me busy for half a day, with Tuesday being the only exception and having therefore been used for writing. Tomorrow will be no difference. I have started writing the next part and it is a Lucas part, but it is also likely going to be a very long part, so that needs extra time to write. I hope to finish it on Monday. Until then, we have a tie anyways. Many people have voted, though a couple of regulars still haven't, so perhaps it's going to be broken either way until Monday, without me having to do anything about it. Hopefull… [view original content]
Ilish
Hours before the execution was supposed to take place, the town square was already crowded with people. Some of them were members o… moref the city guard, who would likely be in full force at the square today, but most were common folk, trying to get a good spot to witness the last moments of a monster. Ilish recognized some of them. Her neighbour was among them, usually a kind widow who never raised her voice, now with brooding anger engraved on her face. The man she bought her vegetables from, a proud father of three, now considering wether he should throw a half-rotten tomato or a stone at Wolfius. His eldest daughter, a girl of twelve, had already made her decision and she held both objects in her hands.
It was the first execution Ilish was present at and she already knew that she would hate watching it. It wasn't so much that she didn't want Wolfius to die. As a matter of fact, she was glad he would never hurt anyone again, but see… [view original content]
Ilish is going to suggest that they should stay together
Sadie is going to tell Sanyse the truth
While the first choice does not surprise me, I can't say I've been expecting the second choice, even though I have made plans on what is going to happen on that route. Each of the three options will lead to pretty different outcomes, though objectively there is one I see as better than the other two. Sadie's next part, or maybe the alternative choices at the end of this chapter, should tell you if you managed to pick this better option.
The next part is finally going to be out today, even though it might get a bit late. As I've mentioned before, it will be a Lucas part and to make up for the wait, it'll be extra long. In Lucas' last part, which has been a seriously long while ago, he turned against Harris and he exposed his crimes, which also inevitably strengthened the position of Argella. He decided to put his trust in her and he told her about the events that happened in Oldtown, including his own personal hardships and especially the threat Maron Mullendore poses to Raylansfair. In a rare and probably genuine gesture of kindness, Argella offered Lucas to enter her service, to remain sworn to Raylansfair even after House Durrandon would take over the city. Ultimately, Lucas accepted her offer, though this was not the last time we saw him. In following parts from Willfred and Drent, it has already been revealed that both, Leonard and Emphryus were very irritated by this choice. The reasons for their disapproval are going to get some spotlight in the next part, among other things. I finally have the time again, so I am hopeful that I manage to finish the part today. Afterwards, I will get to answer to those of you who are still waiting on a private message from me. Apologies, because I know I involuntarily kept some of you waiting for a seriously long time, but I'm finally free again this week, so expect my answer today or tomorrow
Lucas took a deep breath. What he was about to do was harder than he thought. Lord Raylan had given him a home when his own family turned against him. He had believed him where no one else had. Lord Raylan was dead. His house was gone. All Lucas could do was to make sure that his legacy would be honoured. Slowly, he went down onto one knee, right in front of the Storm Princess.
“I am yours, mylady, yours and House Durrandon's”, he swore. “I will shield your back and keep your counsel and give...” He paused, hardly pressing his lips together. “And give my life for yours if need be. I swear it by the old gods and the new”, he finished the oath. All the while, he did not break eye contact with Argella. Her expression changed subtly and an appreciative look formed on her face.
“I vow that you shall always have a place by my hearth and meat and mead at my table”, she answered. “And I pledge to ask no service of you that might bring you dishonour” She paused as well and the smile faded from her face as quickly as it came, replaced by a determined glare. “I swear that your enemies will be mine, that those who harm you will pay for it”, she added. “I swear it by the old gods and the new”
With these words, it was done and Lucas was only able to look down at the stone beneath the princess' feet. He was no longer sworn to House Raylan, no longer sworn to a dead house. It felt surreal. He was in service of Argella Durrandon now. In service of her father. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed her hand softly reaching down. He looked up and into her face. “This is a new beginning, Ser”, she promised him and his good hand grabbed hers, as she helped him up.
For a moment, Lucas paused, as he looked past her, at the city he had called his home for over a year now, the first real home he ever had. He wouldn't allow it to suffer and he knew, his new liege had the power to help him with this goal. There was something else though, something that just dawned upon him. Something the princess had to know.
“My princess”, he said, the words coming out of his mouth with hesitation. How would she react? He could keep it a secret, but not forever. And it would only be worse later on. “My princess, you should know that I cannot fight” It was something that took him a while to realize, especially with the recent events. Sure, he had beaten down Aylard, but defeating a man half-mad with grief was not the same as fighting an opponent on the battlefield. The thugs in the alleyway had been a completely different case though. Before Oldtown, he would have killed all three of them without breaking a sweat. He had seen their mistakes, they had been nothing more than untrained muscle for hire and yet he still stood no chance against them, would have been dead for sure if not for the timely intervention of Ian Shortwood.
Argella raised an eyebrow. “Pardon, Ser?”, she asked and Lucas raised his mutilated hand. “My wounds”, he said in a tone that was barely audible. Even thinking these words was painful. “Half of my sight is gone and my left hand is useless” He opened and closed what remained of his fingers. “Once it is healed, I can hold a cup with it, but little more. No shield. No greatsword” He glanced down at his healthy hand. “What use coul there be for a sworn sword who has only one hand to fight?”, he asked. “Forgive me, I... should have mentioned it earlier”
He quickly looked away, not able to withstand the piercing look in her eyes. Her sigh was still audible though. “Ser, you must think of me as a fool”, she said and in surprise, he tried to glance at her. Since she was standing at his left side, he had to turn his head considerably to get her out of his blind spot. He gave up and turned around entirely, now leaning against the balustrade. “What?”, he asked.
Now, he thought to see the hint of anger flaring up in her eyes. “You must think of me as a stupid little girl”, she stated. “I have seen the extent of your wounds and I know exactly what it means” The anger in her eyes faded quickly and she gave him a mild smirk. “My father has the greatest army of Westeros. I've seen all kinds of wounds before and believe me, yours do not make you useless”
Lucas looked at her in surprise. “Princess?”, he remarked and she grinned proudly. “Your eye is hardly a problem. I believe you have seen enough one-eyed fighters before”, she remarked and Lucas gave her a reluctant nod. Thoughts of Gutten flashed through his mind. The man was a force of nature despite his wound. “And my hand?”, he asked.
“Your hand is a problem”, she admitted. “In war, you have to wield a shield at least. You have to use both hands, or else every single man on a battlefield has an advantage over you” A smile bare of any joy formed on Lucas' face. “What, you're going to help me regrow my fingers?”, he asked.
“Don't be ridiculous now!”, Argella scolded him. “No!” She sighed and her expression softened. “No”, she repeated in a calm tone, though her stern glance remained. “Actually, your cynicism is an ever greater problem than eye and hand combined” She looked down at his maimed hand. “You will never again hold a shield on your own”, she told him and Lucas clenched his teeth. Noticing his upset expression, she gave him a gentle smile. “But you're no longer on your own”
It took Lucas a long moment to regain his composure and he almost smiled. Almost. “Why are you so eager to help?”, he asked and Argella sighed. “If I'd say I want to do something good without having a reason to do so, would you believe me?”, she asked in return and Lucas immediately shook his head.
The princess raised her eyebrows. “At least you're honest”, she chuckled, before her expression grew serious again. “Truth be told, I simply can't stand to see what you're doing to yourself” Lucas gave her a curious look and she gulped. “My mother was Myrish nobility, her family deals in craftsmanship”, she revealed. “She taught me that if I see something broken, I should never just throw it away. There can be a new purpose for anything and it can always be fixed” Once again she paused, looking down at the courtyard. By now, only the Stormlander knight was still standing there, patiently awaiting the return of his princess. “That is doubly true for people”, she added.
“Not anything can be fixed”, Lucas argued and Argella glared at him sternly. “That does not mean I shouldn't try”, she answered. “I've seen your face when you told me about what happened. You blame yourself for events that have been beyond your control. You grief for something you can never replace” He momentarily saw her clenching her fists, though she regained her composure quick enough. “I've been there and...”, she said, though she cut herself off. A mild look appeared in her eyes. “I believe people should never be broken”
Lucas looked her in the eyes and slowly, a smile formed on his face, reassuring and genuine. “I believe you have a good heart, princess”, he told her and Argella tensed up. She was standing to his side, but he still saw that she had to bite down on her lower lip to contain a grin. “I believe we kept poor Ser Emphryus waiting long enough”, she stated in a distant tone, as she started to move to the stairs. Lucas followed her, still smiling.
Ser Emphryus Dresfel awaited them at the feet of the stairs. He shot a disapproving glare at Lucas, though he saluted in front of his princess. “My princess, the castellan has been taken into custody”, he revealed. “The cells are currently blocked by the city guard and their investigation, so he has been locked in his room”
Argella seemed pleased by these news. “Very well. Did anything else happen?”, she asked. “Montclair and his men have returned”, Emphryus answered and the princess' eyes widened. “They encountered no problems?”, she asked. When the knight gave her a reassuring nod, she sighed in relief. “They all made it back fine, princess”, he told her. “Though Sergeant Montclair and this soldier, Golton, they have gone out again. I've sent them to investigate this hedge knight”
“His name is Shortwood, isn't it?”, Argella asked. “What's wrong with him?” Emphryus shrugged. “It's just a feeling, my princess”, he answered. “Montclair and Golton should be able to tell you more once they're back. They've taken the Bernile boy with them, he might be able to do something good for once”
Argella nodded slightly. “The others?”, she asked. Ser Emphryus pointed at the Great Hall. “Our allies from the Rock have gathered in there, to discuss the next step”, he revealed and Argella smirked. “Our allies from the Rock”, she repeated. “Still feels hard to believe. We've been at war a hundred years ago”
“Things are about to change”, Ser Emphryus remarked and Argella gave him a nod. “It's been about time”, she stated. “I hope that Raylansfair can lay the groundwork for future cooperation between the kingdoms. Stormlands, Rock...” She glanced over her shoulder at Lucas, who stood behind the two. “Reach”, she added.
Emphryus followed her glance and frowned. “I don't know where the others have gone off to. This Constantine knight, he does not seem to approve of what you just did”, he told her. Argella narrowed her eyes. “He's not the only one, isn't he?”, she asked.
The knight sighed. “Am I allowed to speak freely?”, he asked. Argella gave him a nod. “Only if I'm allowed to shut you up whenever I like”, she answered. “So go ahead, say what you have to say” Emphryus pressed his lips together. “Princess, I believe you're doing a grievous mistake”, he told her. “You've just taken a cripple into your service. He's unable to fight for you”
Lucas frowned at these words and his mood darkened immediately. Argella noticed it and when she spoke, her voice was as soft as a knife covered in silk. “Emphryus, do you remember what I told you? That I can shut you up whenever I like?”, she said and the knight stopped talking. “Yes, do exactly that”, she added. “And now lead us to wherever the servants have brought our belongings”
Emphryus gave her a silent nod and started moving, with the princess next to him and Lucas behind them. “They brought our belongings to the barracks”, he revealed. “Though you and Lady Tariel have received rooms in the quarters reserved for noble guests”
“How utterly generous of them”, Argella said mockingly. “You don't happen to know where the armoury is, do you?” Immediately, the knight pointed across the courtyard, towards another, large building standing at the side of the wall. A quick, sly grin flashed across Argella's face. “Well then, excuse me”, she stated. “Ser Emphryus, make sure Ser Lucas is going to receive a new tabard. I'll have to make sure of something else”
With these words, she left them alone, quickly making her way across the courtyard. Lucas and Emphryus remained standing in front of each other. He knew, they'd never become friends. The Stormlander gave him a glare, which Lucas reciprocated with equal disapproval. Then, they continued their way to the barracks.
The moment they had passed the door, Emphryus clenched his fists. “Damn that girl and her head”, he growled, opening another door right next to the entrance, which led into a large storage room. Several crates have been put there, each of them showing the sigil of House Durrandon on them. Lucas waited next to the door, while Emphryus started to open of the crates with considerable effort. “Ser, I know you don't approve of my presence”, he tried to start a conversation in a somewhat neutral tone.
He was surprised by the glare he received, which was a mixture of anger and resignation. “This is not about me”, Emphryus growled. “I'm a knight and I would never allow my personal feelings to matter in this case. No, this is about my future queen ignoring any sort of advice from a man that would die for her. I can only imagine how they are going to judge her back home”
“They?”, Lucas asked, as Emphryus finally opened the crate. Its heavy wooden top fell upon the floor and Lucas spotted tabards on the inside, dozens of them. “Her father's lords”, the Stormlander answered. “Fell and Buckler, Caron and Cole. Rugen for sure, maybe even that bastard of Catsby. And Estermont of course, more than any other” He sighed as he noticed Lucas questioning look. “The old turtle still grieves for his daughter”, he explained. “King Argilac's first wife, Queen Leona. Strong in mind, weak in body. She died when their only son was born too early. The boy himself followed her only a few days later and with him, Lord Estermont's dream to have a Durrandon king from his bloodline”
With these words, he pulled out a tabard and handed it to Lucas. “Your size?”, he asked and Lucas immediately shook his head. “Too small”, he answered and Emphryus rolled his eyes, throwing the piece of clothing back into the crate, as he resumed his search. “They judge her because her father crushed their hopes for a Storm King from their lineage when he married her mother out of love, instead of choosing another bride from his bannermen”, he continued to explain. “Daeria of Myr. Beautiful and gentle, from a noble family across the Narrow Sea, though virtually unknown in these lands”
“An unsuitable bride?”, Lucas asked. It was a rhetorical question, though Emphryus still gave him a nod. “Like you can't imagine”, he answered. “Argilac only got away with it because he is the king and a bloody fine one on top, but even then it took him years to regain his bannermen's love. Estermont in particular never forgave him”
“You disapproved of this bond as well?”, Lucas asked and Emphryus narrowed his eyes. “Queen Daeria was one of a kind”, he answered and shook his head. “I did not hate her, I admired her. We all did in time, some of us earlier than others. King Argilac gave us a taste of past glory, but his wife gave us hope and peace and the wealth of Myr. Most importantly, she gave our king three wonderful children” He closed his eyes for a moment. “Argella, her older brother Artos... and the eldest, Davos”, he said with a sullen tone. “The Storm Prince”
History had never been high on Lucas' education, a fact he had always considered ironic, considering whom he served. Between learning how to fight and how to behave at court, there was little time for it, especially during the few years he was actually allowed to spend at his family's home of Darkdell. Never before had he noticed this particular lack of education more than now, when Emphryus looked at him as if he was a dim-witted peasant. He sighed in defeat. “What happened to them?”, he asked, his curiosity winning over his willingness to keep face in front of this man who already seemed to despise him.
“Shipbreaker Bay happened”, the Stormlander answered. “The queen and her children returned from a visit to her family across the Narrow Sea. During their return, the ship got into trouble, in sight of Storm's End. Argella was eight at the time and she was the only one who reached shore, when the Gods of Wind and Sea claimed more lives of Durran's line” He sighed and pulled out another tabard. “How about this one?”, he asked and this time, Lucas gave him a nod. “That should be large enough”, he answered.
As Lucas looked down onto his tabard, a heavy sigh left his throat. Green on gold, a crowned book, writing history. This has been his life, the most important part of it. He knew it was the right thing to do, but a part of him still felt as if he'd betray Lord Robert's memory. But he had sworn the oath and after what Princess Argella had told him up on the walls, he would follow her to the Seven Hells and back. With the city below him, he had made his decision and he stood by it.
His wounded hand made it hard to remove his old tabard while keeping it dignified and the uncomfortable presence of Ser Emphryus Dresfel did not make things any easier. “I think that's what they hold against her the most”, the Stormlander explained and Lucas felt almost thankful for the conversation, as it put away the focus from his struggles to remove a simple tabard. “That she survived while our future king died”
“You got a future queen instead”, Lucas argued and Emphryus shook his head. “We've lost our crown prince, a man who had been groomed to lead since the day he was born”, he answered. “Davos became a war hero at the age of sixteen, when he led our forces to the first victory at Bitterbridge. He had a bright mind, all the talent of his father and the tact and charm of his mother”
Lucas noticed Emphryus' upset facial expression and he realized how much the fallen prince must have meant to the knight. “Sounds like he was a good man”, he mumbled and Emphryus gave him a nod. “He would have been a good king, the best we had in a thousand years”, he agreed bitterly. “But he died in a fucking storm and we got his little sister instead, a girl that was never supposed to lead the kingdom. The spare of the spare they called her”
“So you disapprove of her?”, Lucas concluded and the full force of Emphryus Dresfel's anger hit him like a fist. “Prince Davos has been my friend”, he growled and his calm voice hid a storm. “More than a friend, he has been my brother in arms. How could I ever disapprove of his little sister? I know her since the day she was born. She's my princess, my future queen and I'm going to love her till it snows in Dorne” Slowly, he shook his head. “But with decisions like that, she's not making it easy to love her”
As the Stormlander spoke, Lucas had finally finished removing his tabard. Holding the green and golden in his hand for one last time, a sense of loss came over him. It was different than losing Lunett, or losing his eye. This time, he felt as if he had lost a part of himself. Though when he looked at the tabard Ser Emphryus was offering him, the yellow and black, he felt something else. A new beginning, as the princess had said. For the first time since Oldtown, Lucas felt hope.
“What is it then?”, he asked, as he grabbed the tabard. “You don't disapprove of the princess, so what is your problem with me?” Emphryus sighed. “I don't hate you, Ser”, he revealed. “Neither can I say I like you. But I don't hate you” With a frown, he watched Lucas trying to correctly put on the tabard. “I disapprove of your presence. I've just told you why King Argilac's lords aren't fond of our Storm Princess”, he explained. “Now imagine how much they will judge her if she brings a crippled knight back to Storm's End, useless for even the most basic knightly task. Serving House Durrandon in such a position should be the highest honour of them all and she gave it to you out of simple pity”
Lucas averted his eye from the knight's face, focussing on the floor, while he tried to put on the tabard with one and a half hand. It was a tedious task and the stings of pain that flashed through his arm whenever he accidentally used the bandaged remains of his fingers did not make things any easier. Neither did the presence of Ser Emphryus.
“Is there any way I can prove myself worthy in your eyes?”, Lucas asked. Ser Emphryus glanced back into the crate. “It's not me whom you should prove yourself to”, he growled in response and reached into it. “But at the very least you can stop looking like a vagrant. That here should be more impressive” With these words his hand pulled back from the crate and he held something in front of Lucas. It took him a moment to realize that it was an eyepatch.
With a lump in his throat, Lucas grabbed the eyepatch from Emphryus' hands and he stared at it. The bandages were useless either way by now. His wounds, though permanently aching, had closed already. A sigh came out of his throat as his good hand moved to what remained of the bandages around his eye. A slight, stinging pain flashed through his face as the bandages fell to the ground.
Putting the eyepatch on was even harder than the tabard and to his surprise, the Stormlander knight came to his aid. Harshly, but with experience, he strapped the eyepatch around Lucas' head, covering up the gruesomely damaged eye and this time, Lucas gave him a nod. “Thank you, Ser”, he said wholeheartedly.
Emphryus narrowed his eyes. “I'm doing it for her”, he answered and failed to hide a bitter streak in his voice. With a condescending look, he examined Lucas closely. “Well, at least you look better than before. Still a cripple though”, he remarked and glanced down at the green tabard with the sigil of Raylansfair on it. “You wanna keep it?”
Lucas shook his head. “It's just a piece of clothing”, he said, though it wasn't entirely true. As long as he would have it, letting go of House Raylan would be impossible and the longer he would wait with getting rid of it, the harder it would be. Emphryus shrugged. “I'll take care of it later. Come then, the princess will surely like to see the results”
Without waiting for Lucas' reaction, Emphryus moved past him, leaving him with no other choice but to follow, shortly down the hallway and the out of the door and into the courtyard again. The new eyepatch around his head was uncomfortably tight, but it gave him a better feeling than the ragged bandages before.
Princess Argella already waited for them and to Lucas' surprise, she was holding a sword in each hand, balancing the blades on her shoulders. The moment he stepped out of the door, her eyes widened and an impressed smirk formed on her face. “Mother have mercy, that's quite the change. It seems yellow is your colour”, she complimented him. “You're looking like a knight again, Ser Lucas”
She seemed to mean what she said and it boosted Lucas' confidence. He did an almost elegant bow in front of her. “You honour me, my princess”, he greeted her. “What do you plan to do with these swords?” Her smirk turned into a delicate smile. “Take a guess”, she said. Lucas' eye widened as he followed what she just implied. “You mean... me and Ser Emphryus?”
The Stormlander knight had realized what she meant as well and a severe frown appeared on his face. “That's not the opponent she had in mind”, he growled and shot a glare at Argella, who responded by raising an eyebrow. “Precisely”, the princess confirmed.
And then, Lucas finally realized what she truly meant. “That is... you?”, he stuttered and the princess chuckled. “What is it, Ser Lucas? Afraid to lose to a girl?”, she asked mockingly and Lucas shook his head. “That's not it... I mean... I... I have combat experience, I'm a trained knight. My princess, I don't wish to harm you”
“It's unlikely that you could”, Argella stated. “Any future ruler of the Stormlands knows how to handle a sword. My father is the best warrior in the world and I have trained under him for almost a decade now. I even dare to say that I am better than you” Her mocking smirk got slightly smaller. “Aside from that, just half an hour ago you told me you can't fight”, she reminded him. “Let me be the judge of that”
Emphryus took a step forwards, glancing at the blades she was holding. “Are those sharp?”, he asked sternly and Argella gave him a casual nod. “You should know I haven't touched a dull blade in years. I'm not a child anymore”, she answered, as she threw the one she held in her left towards Lucas. He caught it with long-trained reflexes. “At least that works”, Argella remarked.
“Please, my princess, don't do something reckless now”, Emphryus warned her, though Argella only mildly glanced at him. “Your concern has been noted and almost appreciated”, she told him. “It is also entirely unfounded” With these words, she looked back at Lucas. “Come on, don't stare at me like that”, she scolded him. “Sword up, be ready”
Lucas gulped and he halfheartedly rose his sword. The last thing he wanted to do was to hurt her now, but she seemed to insist on that sparring match. A quick glance at the blade confirmed to him that it was indeed sharp, perhaps not enough to be used in a real battle, but far from the dulled state a practice sword should have. A strike with it was unlikely to kill, but it would hurt.
And in that moment, the princess attacked. In the fraction of a second, she had switched from holding the blade casually, to grabbing it with both hands and firmly striking at him. Lucas just barely managed to parry, having not even expected her to attack without warning. Heavily, her blade clashed against his, but instead of pulling back, she attacked again, forcing Lucas to parry again. Only then did she take a step back, allowing him to recover from her surprisingly hard attack.
“Mediocre”, she said and Lucas stared at her. She smirked. “Your form has been all off. It wasn't even a hard attack, yet I came close to hit you”, she explained and now Lucas grimaced. “That was not a hard attack?”, he asked and she shook her head with a light smirk. Immediately, she attacked again, this time striking from below, forcing Lucas to lower his sword hastily, to parry her blade.
“Unimpressive”, Argella whispered, as her sword slid across his blade and spun upwards. This time, Lucas was faster than her, or else she would have landed a hit. He rose his sword, cutting through the air, before crashing it down at her own, only inches away from his face and her own. Both of them remained that way for a second, holding their swords with one hand.
Argella's smile grew excited. “Better”, she said, grabbing her sword with both hands. Though Lucas was stronger than her, his grip around the weapon was weaker, being limited to just a single hand. Though he managed to hold off the blade, the princess succeeded in pushing the hilt of her weapon closer to his face. Still, he held his own and it filled him with pride.
“It appears, I'm...”, he started to say with an optimistic tone, just as she pushed her sword along the edge of his blade in a swift motion, slamming the crossguard right against his lower jaw with a brutality he would have expected from a seasoned knight at most. Coming out of his blind spot, he was unable to evade the attack. The force of the blow was terrible enough to send him staggering backwards, as he raised his wounded hand to his chin in reflex, ignoring the thumping pain that flashed through his forearm. “Fuck!”, he exclaimed in pain. “Fuck, that hurts!”
“Not good enough”, Argella told him sternly. “Though not bad either” Lucas frowned. “You used my blind spot to move the crossguard closer!”, he protested. “That's not chivalrous!” Argella raised her eyebrows, as her hand softly moved across the edge of her blade. “Excuse me, do you want a chivalrous fight, or a fight where you actually learn something?”, she asked. “I merely did what all of your future opponents will do. And unlike me, they will do things far worse” She took a few steps back and sighed. “Besides, you have no reason to complain”, she said in a frustrated tone, glancing down at her clothing. “Try to fight in a dress”
As the pain in his jaw slowly died down, a chuckle came out of Lucas' throat. Perhaps it was just the adrenaline, but it seemed as if there was something else. A feeling he hadn't felt since Oldtown came upon him. He felt alive. He felt light-hearted. Despite the pain in his jaw, there was little that pained him otherwise, at least in this moment. Mullendore, the Sphynx, Lunett... Right now, the only thing that mattered was that he wanted to win.
“Gods, I'd love to get changed”, Argella said. “This thing looks great on me, but if I'd be wearing something a little more practical, you'd be done for” Lucas raised an eyebrow, as he smirked at her. “You know, I don't really mind the dress”, he chuckled playfully and Argella grinned. “Clever boy”, she complimented him. “Eyes up here now” As she said these words, she raised her blade. “Or... you know what I mean”
Lucas' smirk turned into a grin. “Watch this”, he pressed through clenched teeth, as he attacked. Argella rose her blade to parry and she did so without effort. “You flail around like a little boy with a stick”, she mocked him. “Perhaps you should try actual swordfighting for a change, I'm sure you're not half bad”
Her mockery fuelled Lucas' anger, but it was different than before. It wasn't the uncontrollable rage he had felt when he fought against Aylard, it was more of an enlivening anger. “That's quite enough”, he growled as he attacked. Feeling stronger with any passing second, he noticed that she had to parry his strike.
“Not bad!”, she said in surprise and Lucas continued to strike at her, in rapid succession. Though he was limited to one hand, he attacked fast and she had to parry hard. “Better!”, the princess exclaimed, as she parried two more strikes aimed for her head. Her movements were graceful, she made every step with talent and experience, as Lucas had to admit. Perhaps she truly was better than him, but at the same time, she was a girl, probably even younger than himself. He couldn't lose against her.
As he attacked again, Argella took a step to the side, before she slammed her blade down into his own, nearly knocking it out of his hand. “Don't get cocky!”, she warned him, as she struck at him, using the hilt of her pommel. Though Lucas tried to turn around, he wasn't fast enough and the hilt of the sword hit the back of his head, finally causing him to stagger forwards.
He did not fall though. Instead, he spun around, just as Argella was sure that she had knocked him down. His sword followed a high curve, stopping just inches away from her neck. “Don't get cocky”, he told her with a grin. In turn, she smiled and glanced down. As Lucas followed her stare, he saw her own blade, the tip stopping just inches away from his stomach.
His grin faded. “Let's call it a draw then?”, he remarked and still smiling, Argella shook her head. “I never settle for a draw, Ser, not when I am so close to winning”, she answered. Lucas raised the eyebrow over his new eyepatch. “You have a sword at your throat”, he told her and Argella glanced down again. “You have a sword at your stomach”, she responded. Lucas shook his head. “I'm sure I can survive longer if you were to stab me. Technically, I win”
“Well I can still do that”, Argella said confidently. Before Lucas could react, her blade moved upwards, clashing at his and pushing it away from her throat. At the same time, she dashed forwards, trying to strike at Lucas, though he saw it coming this time. The dull, broad side of his sword heavily hit her at the temple, just as the pommel of her sword hit his forehead.
Both, Lucas and Argella, staggered backwards and they sluggishly rose their blades, pointing it at each other. “So... you said something about a draw?”, Argella asked, panting heavily. Equally out of breath, Lucas gave her a nod. “Draw”, he confirmed.
“You're standing taller than before”, the princess complimented him. “Looking me in the eye. You're even making jokes again” A triumphant smile appeared on her face. “Called it”, she said. “I knew you were not broken”
Lucas took a deep breath. “It's... different now”, he admitted. Argella's smile faded. “It'll come back”, she told him. “The guilt. The shame. The fury. It won't be long until it returns and trust me, it'll be tempting to give in to it. It'll be comforting to hide from the world and to have the person to blame right there with you. It'll be the easy way” She gave him a wink. “But we're not doing easy, right?”
“Princess Argella!”, a voice echoed from across the courtyard. As Lucas looked into the direction the shout came from, he saw a young man walking towards them. He was very handsome, with a boyish face and long blonde hair. The rose on his armour gave him away as a knight in Lord Tyrell's service. And he was holding a bottle in his hand, filled with a golden liquid.
“Elias”, Argella greeted him and the knight frowned. “Ser Elias”, he corrected her, a sentence she completely ignored. He rose the bottle. “It took me a while, but I found the Arbor Gold”, he said, not without pride. A smirk full of pity appeared on Argella's face. “You're telling me you've been searching for the bottle the entire day?”, she asked in disbelief, before she started to laugh.
Elias frowned at her words, though he kept his composure, his glare hitting Lucas and a visibly amused Emphryus. “Forgive me, forgive me!”, Argella gasped between her laughter. “It's just... I've literally seen dogs who were better at finding things” Elias' frown got even stronger. “I shall deliver the bottle to your chambers, as wished”, he growled. “Aside from that, my uncle demands your presence at Lord Raylan's study, together with Lord Hobert Lowther, Ser Willfred Reyne, Lady Helenys Bellward and Lady Sherryl Flowers”
Argella gave him a nod. “Well, appears I've got to go then”, she said. “Tell your uncle, I'll be on my way. But first, be a good boy and bring the Arbor Gold to my chambers. It's for a friend” Elias gave her a wordless nod. With another glare at Lucas and Emphryus, he turned around, leaving behind a smirking Argella. “Emphryus, you take care of the swords”, she ordered. “And if you see the blacksmith, tell him he really needs to sharpen them. Give him one of our whetstones, they should be better than whatever they use here”
Ser Emphryus saluted in front of his princess. “As you wish!”, he confirmed, as she handed him her sword. With a neutral expression, he turned towards Lucas. “That was... better than expected”, he admitted and Argella flashed him a smile. “See? Wasn't that hard, was it?”, she said, before she looked down at her dress. “Though I'm afraid I have to keep Harlen waiting a little longer. Can't go to an important meeting like this” She shook her head and smiled. “No, I think I'll have to change. The light blue dress should be fine, shouldn't it, Emphryus?”
“You look lovely in any dress”, Emphryus confirmed and Argella playfully sighed. “That I know. But the light blue one should really highlight my smile”, she said and Lucas gave her a nod. “I think your smile is truly beautiful”, he agreed before he fully realized what he just said.
A playful smile formed on Argella's face. “How unexpected”, she remarked. “It appears clumsy compliments are one of your strengths” Lucas raised an eyebrow. “Clumsy?”, he asked. “What was wrong with it? I mean, I just... Forgive me, I did not want to...”
The Storm Princess sighed. “Trust me, if I'd be angry at you for philandering with me, you'd know it”, she calmed him down. “And technically, nothing was wrong with your compliment. It's just... I have heard it so many times before. Yes, thank you, I know my smile looks good on me, it's mine after all” She shrugged. “You could have complimented my fighting skills, for example. After all, I just gave you a sound beating”
“It was a draw!”, Lucas protested and the princess smirked playfully. “But only because I have such a good heart”, she teased him. “Anyways, if you expect me to swoon over you, then you're doing it wrong, quite starkly so” She took a step closer and Lucas gulped as he felt heat crawling up inside of him. “But honestly, you can swoon all day if you've got nothing else to do”, she said with a narrow smile. “Perhaps I wouldn't even mind”
Just as Lucas wanted to answer, his glance fell upon someone else, who stood at the far end of the courtyard, glaring at him with anger. His smile and good mood were gone as he recognized Leonard.
Argella followed his stare and her facial expression got serious in an instant. “Ser Leonard Constantine”, she remembered. “Is he your friend?” Lucas gave her a nod. “It appears he disapproved of my decision”, he stated tonelessly. Leonard... Lucas hadn't even considered how this would affect his best friend.
“You should go and talk to him”, Argella stated and Lucas threw a surprised glance at her. “But... you could need my help at the meeting”, he stuttered, to which she gave him a simple, honest nod. “There's no doubt about it”, she confirmed. “At the same time, I believe this friendship is of utmost importance to you, isn't it?” Lucas hesitated, before he nodded in agreement. Argella's mouth formed a friendly smile, as she put a hand onto his left upper arm. “Then go and fix it”, she whispered.
She turned around and started to walk towards the Great Hall, leaving a surprised Lucas behind. His princess, his new liege... A brief smile appeared on Lucas' face, though the moment of happiness was gone the moment he looked at Leonard. With a sting of guilt, he started to approach his friend.
Leonard had his arms crossed and a frown on his face as Lucas came closer. “Look at you”, he growled. “Walking tall, with that smile of yours and brand new colours. Are you happy about your new master? Saw the way you mustered her. She looks good from behind, doesn't she? Or, from any direction really”
Lucas sighed. “What do you want, Leonard?”, he stated and tried to say it without sounding cold. Leonard clenched his teeth. “You were supposed to ally with her, not to shag her!”, he barked and Lucas' eye narrowed. “I did ally with her!”, he claimed and Leonard shook his head. “You knelt in front of her. You renounced your loyalty to House Raylan”, he hissed.
“A dead house”, Lucas argued. Once again, Leonard shook his head. “Is that true?”, he asked. “Is that how you feel? The captain is dead, so it's okay to leave the ship like a rat?” He put a hand onto his tabard, green and golden as Lucas' used to be. “This means more to me than names in a history book!”, he snarled. “This means Raylansfair. People, our friends! This means the world to me” A mournful sigh left his throat. “And I... Flowers, I thought it meant the same to you”
“It does!”, Lucas claimed and Leonard raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”, he asked, clearly unconvinced. “It damn sure doesn't look that way to me. You knelt in front of Argella fucking Durrandon!” Lucas clenched his good fist. “Look, I know you don't like her, but what she told me today... Leonard, I am convinced that she is a good person”
“Like you were convinced with Mullendore?”, Leonard growled, though he immediately noticed that he took it too far with that. “Listen, maybe she is”, he added sheepishly. “Maybe she is the person you think she is. But can you reasonably claim the same thing about her father? Are you really so sure that helping the Storm King will be good for Raylansfair?”
Lucas took a deep breath. “Where are you going with this, Leonard?”, he asked in a defeated tone. The prospect of loosing his friend, it terrified him. “Do you just want to rant at me, or are you actually going somewhere with this?”
Leonard still glared at him, though not with anger, but with disappointment. “I want to know everything”, he stated. “How you think our friendship can continue. How you think you can still serve Raylansfair. I want to hear your reasons for kneeling to that girl. I want to hear your reasons for switching your fucking kingdom just like that” He gulped and Lucas noticed how distraught his friend truly was. “Anything really, that shows me that you're still... that you're still on my side, Flowers”
[Apologize to Leonard][Defend your decision][Refuse to justify your actions]
With a lump in his throat, Lucas grabbed the eyepatch from Emphryus' hands and he stared at it. The bandages were useless either way by now.… more His wounds, though permanently aching, had closed already. A sigh came out of his throat as his good hand moved to what remained of the bandages around his eye. A slight, stinging pain flashed through his face as the bandages fell to the ground.
Putting the eyepatch on was even harder than the tabard and to his surprise, the Stormlander knight came to his aid. Harshly, but with experience, he strapped the eyepatch around Lucas' head, covering up the gruesomely damaged eye and this time, Lucas gave him a nod. “Thank you, Ser”, he said wholeheartedly.
Emphryus narrowed his eyes. “I'm doing it for her”, he answered and failed to hide a bitter streak in his voice. With a condescending look, he examined Lucas closely. “Well, at least you look better than before. Still a cripple though”, he remarked and … [view original content]
The Voting is closed!
Ilish is going to suggest that they should stay together
Sadie is going to tell Sanyse the truth
While the fi… morerst choice does not surprise me, I can't say I've been expecting the second choice, even though I have made plans on what is going to happen on that route. Each of the three options will lead to pretty different outcomes, though objectively there is one I see as better than the other two. Sadie's next part, or maybe the alternative choices at the end of this chapter, should tell you if you managed to pick this better option.
The next part is finally going to be out today, even though it might get a bit late. As I've mentioned before, it will be a Lucas part and to make up for the wait, it'll be extra long. In Lucas' last part, which has been a seriously long while ago, he turned against Harris and he exposed his crimes, which also inevitably strengthened the position of Argella. He decided to put his t… [view original content]
Lucas
Lucas took a deep breath. What he was about to do was harder than he thought. Lord Raylan had given him a home when his own family … moreturned against him. He had believed him where no one else had. Lord Raylan was dead. His house was gone. All Lucas could do was to make sure that his legacy would be honoured. Slowly, he went down onto one knee, right in front of the Storm Princess.
“I am yours, mylady, yours and House Durrandon's”, he swore. “I will shield your back and keep your counsel and give...” He paused, hardly pressing his lips together. “And give my life for yours if need be. I swear it by the old gods and the new”, he finished the oath. All the while, he did not break eye contact with Argella. Her expression changed subtly and an appreciative look formed on her face.
“I vow that you shall always have a place by my hearth and meat and mead at my table”, she answered. “And I pledge to ask no service of you that might bring … [view original content]
With a lump in his throat, Lucas grabbed the eyepatch from Emphryus' hands and he stared at it. The bandages were useless either way by now.… more His wounds, though permanently aching, had closed already. A sigh came out of his throat as his good hand moved to what remained of the bandages around his eye. A slight, stinging pain flashed through his face as the bandages fell to the ground.
Putting the eyepatch on was even harder than the tabard and to his surprise, the Stormlander knight came to his aid. Harshly, but with experience, he strapped the eyepatch around Lucas' head, covering up the gruesomely damaged eye and this time, Lucas gave him a nod. “Thank you, Ser”, he said wholeheartedly.
Emphryus narrowed his eyes. “I'm doing it for her”, he answered and failed to hide a bitter streak in his voice. With a condescending look, he examined Lucas closely. “Well, at least you look better than before. Still a cripple though”, he remarked and … [view original content]
With a lump in his throat, Lucas grabbed the eyepatch from Emphryus' hands and he stared at it. The bandages were useless either way by now.… more His wounds, though permanently aching, had closed already. A sigh came out of his throat as his good hand moved to what remained of the bandages around his eye. A slight, stinging pain flashed through his face as the bandages fell to the ground.
Putting the eyepatch on was even harder than the tabard and to his surprise, the Stormlander knight came to his aid. Harshly, but with experience, he strapped the eyepatch around Lucas' head, covering up the gruesomely damaged eye and this time, Lucas gave him a nod. “Thank you, Ser”, he said wholeheartedly.
Emphryus narrowed his eyes. “I'm doing it for her”, he answered and failed to hide a bitter streak in his voice. With a condescending look, he examined Lucas closely. “Well, at least you look better than before. Still a cripple though”, he remarked and … [view original content]
With a lump in his throat, Lucas grabbed the eyepatch from Emphryus' hands and he stared at it. The bandages were useless either way by now.… more His wounds, though permanently aching, had closed already. A sigh came out of his throat as his good hand moved to what remained of the bandages around his eye. A slight, stinging pain flashed through his face as the bandages fell to the ground.
Putting the eyepatch on was even harder than the tabard and to his surprise, the Stormlander knight came to his aid. Harshly, but with experience, he strapped the eyepatch around Lucas' head, covering up the gruesomely damaged eye and this time, Lucas gave him a nod. “Thank you, Ser”, he said wholeheartedly.
Emphryus narrowed his eyes. “I'm doing it for her”, he answered and failed to hide a bitter streak in his voice. With a condescending look, he examined Lucas closely. “Well, at least you look better than before. Still a cripple though”, he remarked and … [view original content]
With a lump in his throat, Lucas grabbed the eyepatch from Emphryus' hands and he stared at it. The bandages were useless either way by now.… more His wounds, though permanently aching, had closed already. A sigh came out of his throat as his good hand moved to what remained of the bandages around his eye. A slight, stinging pain flashed through his face as the bandages fell to the ground.
Putting the eyepatch on was even harder than the tabard and to his surprise, the Stormlander knight came to his aid. Harshly, but with experience, he strapped the eyepatch around Lucas' head, covering up the gruesomely damaged eye and this time, Lucas gave him a nod. “Thank you, Ser”, he said wholeheartedly.
Emphryus narrowed his eyes. “I'm doing it for her”, he answered and failed to hide a bitter streak in his voice. With a condescending look, he examined Lucas closely. “Well, at least you look better than before. Still a cripple though”, he remarked and … [view original content]
[Apologize to Leonard] Well,it's kinda obvious to me that an apology will make Leonard more inclined to understand our decision
RT:
Lucas has finally become a stag!Let's hope that this life choice will be a good one!
I like that you give more space to Ser Emphryus not only giving us his opinion about the decision of the princess but even making him the first to explain (inside the fic) the story of the Durrandon family
Poor Elias!He,the knight member of the house that will rule Highgarden, reduced to a poor waiter!XD
I must admit that I'm curious to read the part where Lucas and Drent will met each other
With a lump in his throat, Lucas grabbed the eyepatch from Emphryus' hands and he stared at it. The bandages were useless either way by now.… more His wounds, though permanently aching, had closed already. A sigh came out of his throat as his good hand moved to what remained of the bandages around his eye. A slight, stinging pain flashed through his face as the bandages fell to the ground.
Putting the eyepatch on was even harder than the tabard and to his surprise, the Stormlander knight came to his aid. Harshly, but with experience, he strapped the eyepatch around Lucas' head, covering up the gruesomely damaged eye and this time, Lucas gave him a nod. “Thank you, Ser”, he said wholeheartedly.
Emphryus narrowed his eyes. “I'm doing it for her”, he answered and failed to hide a bitter streak in his voice. With a condescending look, he examined Lucas closely. “Well, at least you look better than before. Still a cripple though”, he remarked and … [view original content]
[Defend your decision] He wanted an explanation, not an apology, aye? So let's give him an explanation. Great part! Everything from the interaction between Lucas and Argella, to getting some backstory for Durrandons, to Emphryus ranting, to confrontation of Leonard at the end - all of it was great!
With a lump in his throat, Lucas grabbed the eyepatch from Emphryus' hands and he stared at it. The bandages were useless either way by now.… more His wounds, though permanently aching, had closed already. A sigh came out of his throat as his good hand moved to what remained of the bandages around his eye. A slight, stinging pain flashed through his face as the bandages fell to the ground.
Putting the eyepatch on was even harder than the tabard and to his surprise, the Stormlander knight came to his aid. Harshly, but with experience, he strapped the eyepatch around Lucas' head, covering up the gruesomely damaged eye and this time, Lucas gave him a nod. “Thank you, Ser”, he said wholeheartedly.
Emphryus narrowed his eyes. “I'm doing it for her”, he answered and failed to hide a bitter streak in his voice. With a condescending look, he examined Lucas closely. “Well, at least you look better than before. Still a cripple though”, he remarked and … [view original content]
I'm glad to see that Emphryus got some character development. Oh and Argella's combat skills are quite effective. It seems that criticizing her opponents is her biggest strength.
With a lump in his throat, Lucas grabbed the eyepatch from Emphryus' hands and he stared at it. The bandages were useless either way by now.… more His wounds, though permanently aching, had closed already. A sigh came out of his throat as his good hand moved to what remained of the bandages around his eye. A slight, stinging pain flashed through his face as the bandages fell to the ground.
Putting the eyepatch on was even harder than the tabard and to his surprise, the Stormlander knight came to his aid. Harshly, but with experience, he strapped the eyepatch around Lucas' head, covering up the gruesomely damaged eye and this time, Lucas gave him a nod. “Thank you, Ser”, he said wholeheartedly.
Emphryus narrowed his eyes. “I'm doing it for her”, he answered and failed to hide a bitter streak in his voice. With a condescending look, he examined Lucas closely. “Well, at least you look better than before. Still a cripple though”, he remarked and … [view original content]
[Defend your decision] Lucas doesn't regret it so I won't choose to apologize. Leonard deserves an explanation however.
I love Argella! I'm all for a love triangle between her, Lucas and Drent
With a lump in his throat, Lucas grabbed the eyepatch from Emphryus' hands and he stared at it. The bandages were useless either way by now.… more His wounds, though permanently aching, had closed already. A sigh came out of his throat as his good hand moved to what remained of the bandages around his eye. A slight, stinging pain flashed through his face as the bandages fell to the ground.
Putting the eyepatch on was even harder than the tabard and to his surprise, the Stormlander knight came to his aid. Harshly, but with experience, he strapped the eyepatch around Lucas' head, covering up the gruesomely damaged eye and this time, Lucas gave him a nod. “Thank you, Ser”, he said wholeheartedly.
Emphryus narrowed his eyes. “I'm doing it for her”, he answered and failed to hide a bitter streak in his voice. With a condescending look, he examined Lucas closely. “Well, at least you look better than before. Still a cripple though”, he remarked and … [view original content]
[Defend your decision] Time to make Lucas and Leonard the worst of enemies and to eventually have them dual on the Field of Fire. All we need to do is get Leonard to team up with Team Targaryen. If this dual happens it will be amazing.
With a lump in his throat, Lucas grabbed the eyepatch from Emphryus' hands and he stared at it. The bandages were useless either way by now.… more His wounds, though permanently aching, had closed already. A sigh came out of his throat as his good hand moved to what remained of the bandages around his eye. A slight, stinging pain flashed through his face as the bandages fell to the ground.
Putting the eyepatch on was even harder than the tabard and to his surprise, the Stormlander knight came to his aid. Harshly, but with experience, he strapped the eyepatch around Lucas' head, covering up the gruesomely damaged eye and this time, Lucas gave him a nod. “Thank you, Ser”, he said wholeheartedly.
Emphryus narrowed his eyes. “I'm doing it for her”, he answered and failed to hide a bitter streak in his voice. With a condescending look, he examined Lucas closely. “Well, at least you look better than before. Still a cripple though”, he remarked and … [view original content]
Welp since i'm bored out of my mind and still haven't finished the other half of the part I promised how about another round of questions? What do you say liquid , are you up for it?
Welp since i'm bored out of my mind and still haven't finished the other half of the part I promised how about another round of questions? What do you say liquid , are you up for it?
The Stormlands have been heavily hinted with Argella taking the most powerful role so far. Will that be the next big location to explore?
How do you know when to end a characters P.O.V till the next chapter?
Is Argella aware of Ser Rodrick and his merry band of sociopaths? that seems like something they should have warned her about.
With Argella know to be in Raylandsfair by so many, should we be concerned that Dorne may be informed and try to capture her?
Why did Anturion request an alliance with Bear if all he was going to do was raid coasts? Wasn't his main goal to get to Raylandsfair?
How do you schedule when to write a part? I know from experience that it's very time consuming and requires focus, how do you schedule it without it affecting your life?
I have tried my best to avoid asking but...................Why do you like writing Lucas so much? I think he is the most constantly written in this entire chapter. Lucas, someone else, Lucas, someone else, Lucas. Don't get me wrong I like him, but to be honest its starting to make me feel like you'll kill him soon.................. but he has too much plot for that to be true........I think..........I hope :0
Who would you say so far is (or is believed) the best swordsman (or woman) in Raylandsfair? (So far revealed)
How far is this chapter to it's completion?
What is Argella's strategy to deal with Mullendore? Does she currently plan an open confrontation or a more elaborate scheme?
Emphryus's dialougue suggests Argella plans to return with him and Lucas to the Stormlands Court. If so how could she hope to remain in control of Raylandsfair?
In the fictional scenario in which Argella is suddenly murdered (God forbid) Who would take charge of Raylandsfair?
Has news of Argella reached the stormlands yet?
And FINALLY (for now) the most obvious question who do you plan as the next P.O.V's?
Here comes my question avalanche:
The Stormlands have been heavily hinted with Argella taking the most powerful role so far. Will that be… more the next big location to explore?
How do you know when to end a characters P.O.V till the next chapter?
Is Argella aware of Ser Rodrick and his merry band of sociopaths? that seems like something they should have warned her about.
With Argella know to be in Raylandsfair by so many, should we be concerned that Dorne may be informed and try to capture her?
Why did Anturion request an alliance with Bear if all he was going to do was raid coasts? Wasn't his main goal to get to Raylandsfair?
How do you schedule when to write a part? I know from experience that it's very time consuming and requires focus, how do you schedule it without it affecting your life?
I have tried my best to avoid asking but...................Why do you like writing Lucas so much? I think he is the most constantly w… [view original content]
I think it gives quite the charm to not have spoiler tags if it isn't spoilers. Either way, it isn't that long, I mean, I read bigger responses on the dilemma of choosing a choice.
I think it gives quite the charm to not have spoiler tags if it isn't spoilers. Either way, it isn't that long, I mean, I read bigger responses on the dilemma of choosing a choice.
And that is the charm, it's also quite relaxing at times to see that these kind of things is here and there to take a bit of to the intense parts. I love it anyhow.
The Stormlands have been heavily hinted with Argella taking the most powerful role so far. Will that be the next big location to explore?
Well, they have been featured in Chapter 4 and 5 of the story, though always only from Drent's PoV. I can reveal, there will be a lot more for the Stormlands in Book 2, especially for one particular region.
How do you know when to end a characters P.O.V till the next chapter?
I always know where I want the characters to be at the beginning of the next chapters, so I put them into the right position at the end of the previous chapters. For example, I knew I wanted Ellena as Noelle's captive in Chapter 7, so her storyline in Chapter 6 had to end with her getting captured.
Is Argella aware of Ser Rodrick and his merry band of sociopaths? that seems like something they should have warned her about.
No, she is completely unaware of his presence. The only one who knows for sure is Maya, and Sherryl's manipulation have made her unable to warn anyone of note. John knows about Rodrik's existence, but thinks that he likely perished in the Wildfire explosion at the end of his Chapter 5 storyline. And Samantha currently has problems of her own, namely Ser Rodrik, which prevent her from warning anyone.
With Argella know to be in Raylandsfair by so many, should we be concerned that Dorne may be informed and try to capture her?
That is of course a possibility. However, Dorne is at war with the Reach as well, so it's not as if a group of dornish killers could just sneak into Raylansfair. Argella is guarded well and no slouch on her own, so capturing her would be very hard.
Why did Anturion request an alliance with Bear if all he was going to do was raid coasts? Wasn't his main goal to get to Raylandsfair?
Hehe, just wait and see. Anturion indeed wanted to get to Raylansfair and he will do so, together with three ships, each holding a hundred Ironborn raiders. Bear and his men... well, they serve a purpose in his plan and we haven't seen the last of them
How do you schedule when to write a part? I know from experience that it's very time consuming and requires focus, how do you schedule it without it affecting your life?
Basically, I write whenever I have the time. Sometimes it is harder to focus, but when it flows well, it flows really well and I get to write a full part in four to five hours. Over the course of three days, that is nothing. Though, ever since I have started writing FoT, I have cut back on the gaming a little bit. Sometimes, I write on the train when I return from university, or I even write during breaks in my university as well and I plan to continue that with my new course of studies, starting in October.
I have tried my best to avoid asking but...................Why do you like writing Lucas so much? I think he is the most constantly written in this entire chapter. Lucas, someone else, Lucas, someone else, Lucas. Don't get me wrong I like him, but to be honest its starting to make me feel like you'll kill him soon.................. but he has too much plot for that to be true........I think..........I hope :0
He actually is far from constant in this chapter. He hadn't had a part at all in June and July, only two parts in rapid succession at the beginning of this chapter, because I needed him to reach a certain point to which other PoV's had to react to. But it's true, Lucas generally has more stuff to do than other PoV characters. That is because he is one of the most important PoV's at the moment, kind of like how Tyrion gets more chapters than Davos in the books. Though do not worry, the other PoV's are in no way irrelevant because they get less to do and in certain chapters, other PoV's will take the spotlight. For example, Jaron clearly had the most important storyline in Chapter 6, while Lucas had far less to do there. Lucas has also been the first PoV character, which means his journey in the story has been the longest and his parts have been among the most emotional ones. Does it mean I'm going to kill him soon? The answer is a decisive maybe
Who would you say so far is (or is believed) the best swordsman (or woman) in Raylandsfair? (So far revealed)
That is a hard question. All in all, it would probably go down to one of the knightly characters. Daghan Oxus has a fearsome reputation and is definitely among the biggest badass swordsmen in the city. Another possibility would be Emphryus, who is one of the best knights at the Storm King's court. Alysanne is definitely the best killer, though she is not limited to swords. And Federico Snow of course, the rarely featured guardsman who never gets any screentime because the votes are constantly decided against him and who is secretly a total badass
How far is this chapter to it's completion?
I'd say about 80%, give or take a few. Most PoV's are going to have one more part in the story, with some having two parts left.
What is Argella's strategy to deal with Mullendore? Does she currently plan an open confrontation or a more elaborate scheme?
Argella does not see Mullendore as a genuine threat, which is not entirely unfounded, considering that she is the daughter of the most powerful man in Westeros. She is legitimately furious at him though and her plan is to openly confront him after taking control of Raylansfair, most likely by asking her father for a small loan of a million soldiers. In all seriousness, she plans to use her contacts to the highest nobility of the Reach to expose Mullendore's crimes and she is pretty sure that she is going to succeed against him.
Emphryus's dialougue suggests Argella plans to return with him and Lucas to the Stormlands Court. If so how could she hope to remain in control of Raylandsfair?
She does not plan to remain in Raylansfair forever. She is the Storm Princess after all and her seat is at Storm's End, not at Raylansfair. She's going to claim it for her father and then she's going to return, after naming a skilled castellan in her absence, most likely someone of her own men or someone else whom she is willing to trust.
In the fictional scenario in which Argella is suddenly murdered (God forbid) Who would take charge of Raylandsfair?
It should be noted that she is not in charge of Raylansfair. Legally, the current lord of Raylansfair is Mern Gardener, King of the Reach and in his name, Lord Harlen Tyrell, until a new lord is appointed. If Argella is murdered, Ser Emphryus would take control over the remaining Stormlanders in the city. Ultimately, Argilac Durrandon would take control over Raylansfair if his daughter gets murdered, but only after he took bloody revenge on every man, woman or child between the Reach-Stormlands border and Raylansfair. It can be said he would not react kindly if anything is going to happen to Argella and it is very likely that hewould take control not only of Raylansfair, but of the entire Reach.
Has news of Argella reached the stormlands yet?
You mean news of her presence in Raylansfair? I surely hope so, considering that her father has been the one to send her. Or do you mean if she wrote any sort of letter to her father, to update him of the situation after she arrived in Raylansfair? In that case, no, she hasn't sent a letter, since she has been in Raylansfair for less than a day.
And FINALLY (for now) the most obvious question who do you plan as the next P.O.V's?
With this, do you mean who will get the next parts? In that case, I haven't yet decided. Kersea is very likely, or maybe Willfred, or both. I also want to write Samantha's next part very urgently, but think this has to wait for another part or two. Or do you mean who will be the next new PoV character? In that case, I can't confirm too much, but some of the existing characters will become new PoV's in Book 2. Two whom I can confirm will be Kyra Greyjoy and Gabin Strad from the Harrenhal storyline. There will be more of course, both old and new characters, who will assume the prestigious role of a PoV character in Book 2.
Here comes my question avalanche:
The Stormlands have been heavily hinted with Argella taking the most powerful role so far. Will that be… more the next big location to explore?
How do you know when to end a characters P.O.V till the next chapter?
Is Argella aware of Ser Rodrick and his merry band of sociopaths? that seems like something they should have warned her about.
With Argella know to be in Raylandsfair by so many, should we be concerned that Dorne may be informed and try to capture her?
Why did Anturion request an alliance with Bear if all he was going to do was raid coasts? Wasn't his main goal to get to Raylandsfair?
How do you schedule when to write a part? I know from experience that it's very time consuming and requires focus, how do you schedule it without it affecting your life?
I have tried my best to avoid asking but...................Why do you like writing Lucas so much? I think he is the most constantly w… [view original content]
I agree with you on this. I generally think that spoiler tags should be used mostly for spoilers or for very image-heavy posts, since they tend to slow down PC's with a weak internet connection or weak hardware. And personally, I like to immediately read what others have to say without having to click on some spoiler tag first, even if it is a longer response.
And that is the charm, it's also quite relaxing at times to see that these kind of things is here and there to take a bit of to the intense parts. I love it anyhow.
Comments
If you are asking, no, I have no idea if/when they are going to die
It's just that the situation they are in isn't very promising.
Jarpy! Gosh, this is so adorable
Very well done, this is without a doubt among my favourite drawings of yours! I can already feel the inspiration for the remaining parts of Jaron's storyline in this chapter, of which there will be two. About the alive and somewhat well part... I can't comment on it. I can't even comment on it in the slightest, since I'm horrible at not teasing the crap out of future plot developments and I don't want to dare it in this case. I think all I can say is a very neutral mention of future parts who will give you more of an answer, followed by a very neutral emoji 
Hehe, thanks! I've planned to do something like this for a while and now I finally got it done.
And if I was worried about them before, that "neutral" emoji made me even more worried
I bet this is going to be a Richard Jenna choice where either Jaron or Harpy die with a tiny chance of both surviving.
Alright, it is time for a short announcement! Usually, I would have closed the voting today. However, I am afraid I will need until Monday. I'm not going to lie, this week was the most busy week of my year and I'm not even studying at the moment, since I've graduated and am now waiting for my next course of studies, which will start in Octobre. Somehow, unexplainably, every single day of the week something came up to keep me busy for half a day, with Tuesday being the only exception and having therefore been used for writing. Tomorrow will be no difference. I have started writing the next part and it is a Lucas part, but it is also likely going to be a very long part, so that needs extra time to write. I hope to finish it on Monday. Until then, we have a tie anyways. Many people have voted, though a couple of regulars still haven't, so perhaps it's going to be broken either way until Monday, without me having to do anything about it. Hopefully, I'll be able to finish the part on Monday. Sorry to keep you waiting, but I hope that the extra wait will be worth it and that you'll enjoy the next part as much as I enjoy writing it
hah, you tricky scoundrel, you! =p
I hope it remains a tie so we can test the new tie rule
Time for me to swoop in and break the tie!
[Split up] Better to cover more ground
[Tell Sansye the truth] She will find out anyway
your bold is broken
Oh damn, didn't even notice it. The new interface looks really awful. Thanks for the heads up!
Awww, that's so adorable. Please make more of that :-)
The Voting is closed!
Ilish is going to suggest that they should stay together
Sadie is going to tell Sanyse the truth
While the first choice does not surprise me, I can't say I've been expecting the second choice, even though I have made plans on what is going to happen on that route. Each of the three options will lead to pretty different outcomes, though objectively there is one I see as better than the other two. Sadie's next part, or maybe the alternative choices at the end of this chapter, should tell you if you managed to pick this better option.
The next part is finally going to be out today, even though it might get a bit late. As I've mentioned before, it will be a Lucas part and to make up for the wait, it'll be extra long. In Lucas' last part, which has been a seriously long while ago, he turned against Harris and he exposed his crimes, which also inevitably strengthened the position of Argella. He decided to put his trust in her and he told her about the events that happened in Oldtown, including his own personal hardships and especially the threat Maron Mullendore poses to Raylansfair. In a rare and probably genuine gesture of kindness, Argella offered Lucas to enter her service, to remain sworn to Raylansfair even after House Durrandon would take over the city. Ultimately, Lucas accepted her offer, though this was not the last time we saw him. In following parts from Willfred and Drent, it has already been revealed that both, Leonard and Emphryus were very irritated by this choice. The reasons for their disapproval are going to get some spotlight in the next part, among other things. I finally have the time again, so I am hopeful that I manage to finish the part today. Afterwards, I will get to answer to those of you who are still waiting on a private message from me. Apologies, because I know I involuntarily kept some of you waiting for a seriously long time, but I'm finally free again this week, so expect my answer today or tomorrow
Lucas
Lucas took a deep breath. What he was about to do was harder than he thought. Lord Raylan had given him a home when his own family turned against him. He had believed him where no one else had. Lord Raylan was dead. His house was gone. All Lucas could do was to make sure that his legacy would be honoured. Slowly, he went down onto one knee, right in front of the Storm Princess.
“I am yours, mylady, yours and House Durrandon's”, he swore. “I will shield your back and keep your counsel and give...” He paused, hardly pressing his lips together. “And give my life for yours if need be. I swear it by the old gods and the new”, he finished the oath. All the while, he did not break eye contact with Argella. Her expression changed subtly and an appreciative look formed on her face.
“I vow that you shall always have a place by my hearth and meat and mead at my table”, she answered. “And I pledge to ask no service of you that might bring you dishonour” She paused as well and the smile faded from her face as quickly as it came, replaced by a determined glare. “I swear that your enemies will be mine, that those who harm you will pay for it”, she added. “I swear it by the old gods and the new”
With these words, it was done and Lucas was only able to look down at the stone beneath the princess' feet. He was no longer sworn to House Raylan, no longer sworn to a dead house. It felt surreal. He was in service of Argella Durrandon now. In service of her father. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed her hand softly reaching down. He looked up and into her face. “This is a new beginning, Ser”, she promised him and his good hand grabbed hers, as she helped him up.
For a moment, Lucas paused, as he looked past her, at the city he had called his home for over a year now, the first real home he ever had. He wouldn't allow it to suffer and he knew, his new liege had the power to help him with this goal. There was something else though, something that just dawned upon him. Something the princess had to know.
“My princess”, he said, the words coming out of his mouth with hesitation. How would she react? He could keep it a secret, but not forever. And it would only be worse later on. “My princess, you should know that I cannot fight” It was something that took him a while to realize, especially with the recent events. Sure, he had beaten down Aylard, but defeating a man half-mad with grief was not the same as fighting an opponent on the battlefield. The thugs in the alleyway had been a completely different case though. Before Oldtown, he would have killed all three of them without breaking a sweat. He had seen their mistakes, they had been nothing more than untrained muscle for hire and yet he still stood no chance against them, would have been dead for sure if not for the timely intervention of Ian Shortwood.
Argella raised an eyebrow. “Pardon, Ser?”, she asked and Lucas raised his mutilated hand. “My wounds”, he said in a tone that was barely audible. Even thinking these words was painful. “Half of my sight is gone and my left hand is useless” He opened and closed what remained of his fingers. “Once it is healed, I can hold a cup with it, but little more. No shield. No greatsword” He glanced down at his healthy hand. “What use coul there be for a sworn sword who has only one hand to fight?”, he asked. “Forgive me, I... should have mentioned it earlier”
He quickly looked away, not able to withstand the piercing look in her eyes. Her sigh was still audible though. “Ser, you must think of me as a fool”, she said and in surprise, he tried to glance at her. Since she was standing at his left side, he had to turn his head considerably to get her out of his blind spot. He gave up and turned around entirely, now leaning against the balustrade. “What?”, he asked.
Now, he thought to see the hint of anger flaring up in her eyes. “You must think of me as a stupid little girl”, she stated. “I have seen the extent of your wounds and I know exactly what it means” The anger in her eyes faded quickly and she gave him a mild smirk. “My father has the greatest army of Westeros. I've seen all kinds of wounds before and believe me, yours do not make you useless”
Lucas looked at her in surprise. “Princess?”, he remarked and she grinned proudly. “Your eye is hardly a problem. I believe you have seen enough one-eyed fighters before”, she remarked and Lucas gave her a reluctant nod. Thoughts of Gutten flashed through his mind. The man was a force of nature despite his wound. “And my hand?”, he asked.
“Your hand is a problem”, she admitted. “In war, you have to wield a shield at least. You have to use both hands, or else every single man on a battlefield has an advantage over you” A smile bare of any joy formed on Lucas' face. “What, you're going to help me regrow my fingers?”, he asked.
“Don't be ridiculous now!”, Argella scolded him. “No!” She sighed and her expression softened. “No”, she repeated in a calm tone, though her stern glance remained. “Actually, your cynicism is an ever greater problem than eye and hand combined” She looked down at his maimed hand. “You will never again hold a shield on your own”, she told him and Lucas clenched his teeth. Noticing his upset expression, she gave him a gentle smile. “But you're no longer on your own”
It took Lucas a long moment to regain his composure and he almost smiled. Almost. “Why are you so eager to help?”, he asked and Argella sighed. “If I'd say I want to do something good without having a reason to do so, would you believe me?”, she asked in return and Lucas immediately shook his head.
The princess raised her eyebrows. “At least you're honest”, she chuckled, before her expression grew serious again. “Truth be told, I simply can't stand to see what you're doing to yourself” Lucas gave her a curious look and she gulped. “My mother was Myrish nobility, her family deals in craftsmanship”, she revealed. “She taught me that if I see something broken, I should never just throw it away. There can be a new purpose for anything and it can always be fixed” Once again she paused, looking down at the courtyard. By now, only the Stormlander knight was still standing there, patiently awaiting the return of his princess. “That is doubly true for people”, she added.
“Not anything can be fixed”, Lucas argued and Argella glared at him sternly. “That does not mean I shouldn't try”, she answered. “I've seen your face when you told me about what happened. You blame yourself for events that have been beyond your control. You grief for something you can never replace” He momentarily saw her clenching her fists, though she regained her composure quick enough. “I've been there and...”, she said, though she cut herself off. A mild look appeared in her eyes. “I believe people should never be broken”
Lucas looked her in the eyes and slowly, a smile formed on his face, reassuring and genuine. “I believe you have a good heart, princess”, he told her and Argella tensed up. She was standing to his side, but he still saw that she had to bite down on her lower lip to contain a grin. “I believe we kept poor Ser Emphryus waiting long enough”, she stated in a distant tone, as she started to move to the stairs. Lucas followed her, still smiling.
Ser Emphryus Dresfel awaited them at the feet of the stairs. He shot a disapproving glare at Lucas, though he saluted in front of his princess. “My princess, the castellan has been taken into custody”, he revealed. “The cells are currently blocked by the city guard and their investigation, so he has been locked in his room”
Argella seemed pleased by these news. “Very well. Did anything else happen?”, she asked. “Montclair and his men have returned”, Emphryus answered and the princess' eyes widened. “They encountered no problems?”, she asked. When the knight gave her a reassuring nod, she sighed in relief. “They all made it back fine, princess”, he told her. “Though Sergeant Montclair and this soldier, Golton, they have gone out again. I've sent them to investigate this hedge knight”
“His name is Shortwood, isn't it?”, Argella asked. “What's wrong with him?” Emphryus shrugged. “It's just a feeling, my princess”, he answered. “Montclair and Golton should be able to tell you more once they're back. They've taken the Bernile boy with them, he might be able to do something good for once”
Argella nodded slightly. “The others?”, she asked. Ser Emphryus pointed at the Great Hall. “Our allies from the Rock have gathered in there, to discuss the next step”, he revealed and Argella smirked. “Our allies from the Rock”, she repeated. “Still feels hard to believe. We've been at war a hundred years ago”
“Things are about to change”, Ser Emphryus remarked and Argella gave him a nod. “It's been about time”, she stated. “I hope that Raylansfair can lay the groundwork for future cooperation between the kingdoms. Stormlands, Rock...” She glanced over her shoulder at Lucas, who stood behind the two. “Reach”, she added.
Emphryus followed her glance and frowned. “I don't know where the others have gone off to. This Constantine knight, he does not seem to approve of what you just did”, he told her. Argella narrowed her eyes. “He's not the only one, isn't he?”, she asked.
The knight sighed. “Am I allowed to speak freely?”, he asked. Argella gave him a nod. “Only if I'm allowed to shut you up whenever I like”, she answered. “So go ahead, say what you have to say” Emphryus pressed his lips together. “Princess, I believe you're doing a grievous mistake”, he told her. “You've just taken a cripple into your service. He's unable to fight for you”
Lucas frowned at these words and his mood darkened immediately. Argella noticed it and when she spoke, her voice was as soft as a knife covered in silk. “Emphryus, do you remember what I told you? That I can shut you up whenever I like?”, she said and the knight stopped talking. “Yes, do exactly that”, she added. “And now lead us to wherever the servants have brought our belongings”
Emphryus gave her a silent nod and started moving, with the princess next to him and Lucas behind them. “They brought our belongings to the barracks”, he revealed. “Though you and Lady Tariel have received rooms in the quarters reserved for noble guests”
“How utterly generous of them”, Argella said mockingly. “You don't happen to know where the armoury is, do you?” Immediately, the knight pointed across the courtyard, towards another, large building standing at the side of the wall. A quick, sly grin flashed across Argella's face. “Well then, excuse me”, she stated. “Ser Emphryus, make sure Ser Lucas is going to receive a new tabard. I'll have to make sure of something else”
With these words, she left them alone, quickly making her way across the courtyard. Lucas and Emphryus remained standing in front of each other. He knew, they'd never become friends. The Stormlander gave him a glare, which Lucas reciprocated with equal disapproval. Then, they continued their way to the barracks.
The moment they had passed the door, Emphryus clenched his fists. “Damn that girl and her head”, he growled, opening another door right next to the entrance, which led into a large storage room. Several crates have been put there, each of them showing the sigil of House Durrandon on them. Lucas waited next to the door, while Emphryus started to open of the crates with considerable effort. “Ser, I know you don't approve of my presence”, he tried to start a conversation in a somewhat neutral tone.
He was surprised by the glare he received, which was a mixture of anger and resignation. “This is not about me”, Emphryus growled. “I'm a knight and I would never allow my personal feelings to matter in this case. No, this is about my future queen ignoring any sort of advice from a man that would die for her. I can only imagine how they are going to judge her back home”
“They?”, Lucas asked, as Emphryus finally opened the crate. Its heavy wooden top fell upon the floor and Lucas spotted tabards on the inside, dozens of them. “Her father's lords”, the Stormlander answered. “Fell and Buckler, Caron and Cole. Rugen for sure, maybe even that bastard of Catsby. And Estermont of course, more than any other” He sighed as he noticed Lucas questioning look. “The old turtle still grieves for his daughter”, he explained. “King Argilac's first wife, Queen Leona. Strong in mind, weak in body. She died when their only son was born too early. The boy himself followed her only a few days later and with him, Lord Estermont's dream to have a Durrandon king from his bloodline”
With these words, he pulled out a tabard and handed it to Lucas. “Your size?”, he asked and Lucas immediately shook his head. “Too small”, he answered and Emphryus rolled his eyes, throwing the piece of clothing back into the crate, as he resumed his search. “They judge her because her father crushed their hopes for a Storm King from their lineage when he married her mother out of love, instead of choosing another bride from his bannermen”, he continued to explain. “Daeria of Myr. Beautiful and gentle, from a noble family across the Narrow Sea, though virtually unknown in these lands”
“An unsuitable bride?”, Lucas asked. It was a rhetorical question, though Emphryus still gave him a nod. “Like you can't imagine”, he answered. “Argilac only got away with it because he is the king and a bloody fine one on top, but even then it took him years to regain his bannermen's love. Estermont in particular never forgave him”
“You disapproved of this bond as well?”, Lucas asked and Emphryus narrowed his eyes. “Queen Daeria was one of a kind”, he answered and shook his head. “I did not hate her, I admired her. We all did in time, some of us earlier than others. King Argilac gave us a taste of past glory, but his wife gave us hope and peace and the wealth of Myr. Most importantly, she gave our king three wonderful children” He closed his eyes for a moment. “Argella, her older brother Artos... and the eldest, Davos”, he said with a sullen tone. “The Storm Prince”
History had never been high on Lucas' education, a fact he had always considered ironic, considering whom he served. Between learning how to fight and how to behave at court, there was little time for it, especially during the few years he was actually allowed to spend at his family's home of Darkdell. Never before had he noticed this particular lack of education more than now, when Emphryus looked at him as if he was a dim-witted peasant. He sighed in defeat. “What happened to them?”, he asked, his curiosity winning over his willingness to keep face in front of this man who already seemed to despise him.
“Shipbreaker Bay happened”, the Stormlander answered. “The queen and her children returned from a visit to her family across the Narrow Sea. During their return, the ship got into trouble, in sight of Storm's End. Argella was eight at the time and she was the only one who reached shore, when the Gods of Wind and Sea claimed more lives of Durran's line” He sighed and pulled out another tabard. “How about this one?”, he asked and this time, Lucas gave him a nod. “That should be large enough”, he answered.
As Lucas looked down onto his tabard, a heavy sigh left his throat. Green on gold, a crowned book, writing history. This has been his life, the most important part of it. He knew it was the right thing to do, but a part of him still felt as if he'd betray Lord Robert's memory. But he had sworn the oath and after what Princess Argella had told him up on the walls, he would follow her to the Seven Hells and back. With the city below him, he had made his decision and he stood by it.
His wounded hand made it hard to remove his old tabard while keeping it dignified and the uncomfortable presence of Ser Emphryus Dresfel did not make things any easier. “I think that's what they hold against her the most”, the Stormlander explained and Lucas felt almost thankful for the conversation, as it put away the focus from his struggles to remove a simple tabard. “That she survived while our future king died”
“You got a future queen instead”, Lucas argued and Emphryus shook his head. “We've lost our crown prince, a man who had been groomed to lead since the day he was born”, he answered. “Davos became a war hero at the age of sixteen, when he led our forces to the first victory at Bitterbridge. He had a bright mind, all the talent of his father and the tact and charm of his mother”
Lucas noticed Emphryus' upset facial expression and he realized how much the fallen prince must have meant to the knight. “Sounds like he was a good man”, he mumbled and Emphryus gave him a nod. “He would have been a good king, the best we had in a thousand years”, he agreed bitterly. “But he died in a fucking storm and we got his little sister instead, a girl that was never supposed to lead the kingdom. The spare of the spare they called her”
“So you disapprove of her?”, Lucas concluded and the full force of Emphryus Dresfel's anger hit him like a fist. “Prince Davos has been my friend”, he growled and his calm voice hid a storm. “More than a friend, he has been my brother in arms. How could I ever disapprove of his little sister? I know her since the day she was born. She's my princess, my future queen and I'm going to love her till it snows in Dorne” Slowly, he shook his head. “But with decisions like that, she's not making it easy to love her”
As the Stormlander spoke, Lucas had finally finished removing his tabard. Holding the green and golden in his hand for one last time, a sense of loss came over him. It was different than losing Lunett, or losing his eye. This time, he felt as if he had lost a part of himself. Though when he looked at the tabard Ser Emphryus was offering him, the yellow and black, he felt something else. A new beginning, as the princess had said. For the first time since Oldtown, Lucas felt hope.
“What is it then?”, he asked, as he grabbed the tabard. “You don't disapprove of the princess, so what is your problem with me?” Emphryus sighed. “I don't hate you, Ser”, he revealed. “Neither can I say I like you. But I don't hate you” With a frown, he watched Lucas trying to correctly put on the tabard. “I disapprove of your presence. I've just told you why King Argilac's lords aren't fond of our Storm Princess”, he explained. “Now imagine how much they will judge her if she brings a crippled knight back to Storm's End, useless for even the most basic knightly task. Serving House Durrandon in such a position should be the highest honour of them all and she gave it to you out of simple pity”
Lucas averted his eye from the knight's face, focussing on the floor, while he tried to put on the tabard with one and a half hand. It was a tedious task and the stings of pain that flashed through his arm whenever he accidentally used the bandaged remains of his fingers did not make things any easier. Neither did the presence of Ser Emphryus.
“Is there any way I can prove myself worthy in your eyes?”, Lucas asked. Ser Emphryus glanced back into the crate. “It's not me whom you should prove yourself to”, he growled in response and reached into it. “But at the very least you can stop looking like a vagrant. That here should be more impressive” With these words his hand pulled back from the crate and he held something in front of Lucas. It took him a moment to realize that it was an eyepatch.
With a lump in his throat, Lucas grabbed the eyepatch from Emphryus' hands and he stared at it. The bandages were useless either way by now. His wounds, though permanently aching, had closed already. A sigh came out of his throat as his good hand moved to what remained of the bandages around his eye. A slight, stinging pain flashed through his face as the bandages fell to the ground.
Putting the eyepatch on was even harder than the tabard and to his surprise, the Stormlander knight came to his aid. Harshly, but with experience, he strapped the eyepatch around Lucas' head, covering up the gruesomely damaged eye and this time, Lucas gave him a nod. “Thank you, Ser”, he said wholeheartedly.
Emphryus narrowed his eyes. “I'm doing it for her”, he answered and failed to hide a bitter streak in his voice. With a condescending look, he examined Lucas closely. “Well, at least you look better than before. Still a cripple though”, he remarked and glanced down at the green tabard with the sigil of Raylansfair on it. “You wanna keep it?”
Lucas shook his head. “It's just a piece of clothing”, he said, though it wasn't entirely true. As long as he would have it, letting go of House Raylan would be impossible and the longer he would wait with getting rid of it, the harder it would be. Emphryus shrugged. “I'll take care of it later. Come then, the princess will surely like to see the results”
Without waiting for Lucas' reaction, Emphryus moved past him, leaving him with no other choice but to follow, shortly down the hallway and the out of the door and into the courtyard again. The new eyepatch around his head was uncomfortably tight, but it gave him a better feeling than the ragged bandages before.
Princess Argella already waited for them and to Lucas' surprise, she was holding a sword in each hand, balancing the blades on her shoulders. The moment he stepped out of the door, her eyes widened and an impressed smirk formed on her face. “Mother have mercy, that's quite the change. It seems yellow is your colour”, she complimented him. “You're looking like a knight again, Ser Lucas”
She seemed to mean what she said and it boosted Lucas' confidence. He did an almost elegant bow in front of her. “You honour me, my princess”, he greeted her. “What do you plan to do with these swords?” Her smirk turned into a delicate smile. “Take a guess”, she said. Lucas' eye widened as he followed what she just implied. “You mean... me and Ser Emphryus?”
The Stormlander knight had realized what she meant as well and a severe frown appeared on his face. “That's not the opponent she had in mind”, he growled and shot a glare at Argella, who responded by raising an eyebrow. “Precisely”, the princess confirmed.
And then, Lucas finally realized what she truly meant. “That is... you?”, he stuttered and the princess chuckled. “What is it, Ser Lucas? Afraid to lose to a girl?”, she asked mockingly and Lucas shook his head. “That's not it... I mean... I... I have combat experience, I'm a trained knight. My princess, I don't wish to harm you”
“It's unlikely that you could”, Argella stated. “Any future ruler of the Stormlands knows how to handle a sword. My father is the best warrior in the world and I have trained under him for almost a decade now. I even dare to say that I am better than you” Her mocking smirk got slightly smaller. “Aside from that, just half an hour ago you told me you can't fight”, she reminded him. “Let me be the judge of that”
Emphryus took a step forwards, glancing at the blades she was holding. “Are those sharp?”, he asked sternly and Argella gave him a casual nod. “You should know I haven't touched a dull blade in years. I'm not a child anymore”, she answered, as she threw the one she held in her left towards Lucas. He caught it with long-trained reflexes. “At least that works”, Argella remarked.
“Please, my princess, don't do something reckless now”, Emphryus warned her, though Argella only mildly glanced at him. “Your concern has been noted and almost appreciated”, she told him. “It is also entirely unfounded” With these words, she looked back at Lucas. “Come on, don't stare at me like that”, she scolded him. “Sword up, be ready”
Lucas gulped and he halfheartedly rose his sword. The last thing he wanted to do was to hurt her now, but she seemed to insist on that sparring match. A quick glance at the blade confirmed to him that it was indeed sharp, perhaps not enough to be used in a real battle, but far from the dulled state a practice sword should have. A strike with it was unlikely to kill, but it would hurt.
And in that moment, the princess attacked. In the fraction of a second, she had switched from holding the blade casually, to grabbing it with both hands and firmly striking at him. Lucas just barely managed to parry, having not even expected her to attack without warning. Heavily, her blade clashed against his, but instead of pulling back, she attacked again, forcing Lucas to parry again. Only then did she take a step back, allowing him to recover from her surprisingly hard attack.
“Mediocre”, she said and Lucas stared at her. She smirked. “Your form has been all off. It wasn't even a hard attack, yet I came close to hit you”, she explained and now Lucas grimaced. “That was not a hard attack?”, he asked and she shook her head with a light smirk. Immediately, she attacked again, this time striking from below, forcing Lucas to lower his sword hastily, to parry her blade.
“Unimpressive”, Argella whispered, as her sword slid across his blade and spun upwards. This time, Lucas was faster than her, or else she would have landed a hit. He rose his sword, cutting through the air, before crashing it down at her own, only inches away from his face and her own. Both of them remained that way for a second, holding their swords with one hand.
Argella's smile grew excited. “Better”, she said, grabbing her sword with both hands. Though Lucas was stronger than her, his grip around the weapon was weaker, being limited to just a single hand. Though he managed to hold off the blade, the princess succeeded in pushing the hilt of her weapon closer to his face. Still, he held his own and it filled him with pride.
“It appears, I'm...”, he started to say with an optimistic tone, just as she pushed her sword along the edge of his blade in a swift motion, slamming the crossguard right against his lower jaw with a brutality he would have expected from a seasoned knight at most. Coming out of his blind spot, he was unable to evade the attack. The force of the blow was terrible enough to send him staggering backwards, as he raised his wounded hand to his chin in reflex, ignoring the thumping pain that flashed through his forearm. “Fuck!”, he exclaimed in pain. “Fuck, that hurts!”
“Not good enough”, Argella told him sternly. “Though not bad either” Lucas frowned. “You used my blind spot to move the crossguard closer!”, he protested. “That's not chivalrous!” Argella raised her eyebrows, as her hand softly moved across the edge of her blade. “Excuse me, do you want a chivalrous fight, or a fight where you actually learn something?”, she asked. “I merely did what all of your future opponents will do. And unlike me, they will do things far worse” She took a few steps back and sighed. “Besides, you have no reason to complain”, she said in a frustrated tone, glancing down at her clothing. “Try to fight in a dress”
As the pain in his jaw slowly died down, a chuckle came out of Lucas' throat. Perhaps it was just the adrenaline, but it seemed as if there was something else. A feeling he hadn't felt since Oldtown came upon him. He felt alive. He felt light-hearted. Despite the pain in his jaw, there was little that pained him otherwise, at least in this moment. Mullendore, the Sphynx, Lunett... Right now, the only thing that mattered was that he wanted to win.
“Gods, I'd love to get changed”, Argella said. “This thing looks great on me, but if I'd be wearing something a little more practical, you'd be done for” Lucas raised an eyebrow, as he smirked at her. “You know, I don't really mind the dress”, he chuckled playfully and Argella grinned. “Clever boy”, she complimented him. “Eyes up here now” As she said these words, she raised her blade. “Or... you know what I mean”
Lucas' smirk turned into a grin. “Watch this”, he pressed through clenched teeth, as he attacked. Argella rose her blade to parry and she did so without effort. “You flail around like a little boy with a stick”, she mocked him. “Perhaps you should try actual swordfighting for a change, I'm sure you're not half bad”
Her mockery fuelled Lucas' anger, but it was different than before. It wasn't the uncontrollable rage he had felt when he fought against Aylard, it was more of an enlivening anger. “That's quite enough”, he growled as he attacked. Feeling stronger with any passing second, he noticed that she had to parry his strike.
“Not bad!”, she said in surprise and Lucas continued to strike at her, in rapid succession. Though he was limited to one hand, he attacked fast and she had to parry hard. “Better!”, the princess exclaimed, as she parried two more strikes aimed for her head. Her movements were graceful, she made every step with talent and experience, as Lucas had to admit. Perhaps she truly was better than him, but at the same time, she was a girl, probably even younger than himself. He couldn't lose against her.
As he attacked again, Argella took a step to the side, before she slammed her blade down into his own, nearly knocking it out of his hand. “Don't get cocky!”, she warned him, as she struck at him, using the hilt of her pommel. Though Lucas tried to turn around, he wasn't fast enough and the hilt of the sword hit the back of his head, finally causing him to stagger forwards.
He did not fall though. Instead, he spun around, just as Argella was sure that she had knocked him down. His sword followed a high curve, stopping just inches away from her neck. “Don't get cocky”, he told her with a grin. In turn, she smiled and glanced down. As Lucas followed her stare, he saw her own blade, the tip stopping just inches away from his stomach.
His grin faded. “Let's call it a draw then?”, he remarked and still smiling, Argella shook her head. “I never settle for a draw, Ser, not when I am so close to winning”, she answered. Lucas raised the eyebrow over his new eyepatch. “You have a sword at your throat”, he told her and Argella glanced down again. “You have a sword at your stomach”, she responded. Lucas shook his head. “I'm sure I can survive longer if you were to stab me. Technically, I win”
“Well I can still do that”, Argella said confidently. Before Lucas could react, her blade moved upwards, clashing at his and pushing it away from her throat. At the same time, she dashed forwards, trying to strike at Lucas, though he saw it coming this time. The dull, broad side of his sword heavily hit her at the temple, just as the pommel of her sword hit his forehead.
Both, Lucas and Argella, staggered backwards and they sluggishly rose their blades, pointing it at each other. “So... you said something about a draw?”, Argella asked, panting heavily. Equally out of breath, Lucas gave her a nod. “Draw”, he confirmed.
“You're standing taller than before”, the princess complimented him. “Looking me in the eye. You're even making jokes again” A triumphant smile appeared on her face. “Called it”, she said. “I knew you were not broken”
Lucas took a deep breath. “It's... different now”, he admitted. Argella's smile faded. “It'll come back”, she told him. “The guilt. The shame. The fury. It won't be long until it returns and trust me, it'll be tempting to give in to it. It'll be comforting to hide from the world and to have the person to blame right there with you. It'll be the easy way” She gave him a wink. “But we're not doing easy, right?”
“Princess Argella!”, a voice echoed from across the courtyard. As Lucas looked into the direction the shout came from, he saw a young man walking towards them. He was very handsome, with a boyish face and long blonde hair. The rose on his armour gave him away as a knight in Lord Tyrell's service. And he was holding a bottle in his hand, filled with a golden liquid.
“Elias”, Argella greeted him and the knight frowned. “Ser Elias”, he corrected her, a sentence she completely ignored. He rose the bottle. “It took me a while, but I found the Arbor Gold”, he said, not without pride. A smirk full of pity appeared on Argella's face. “You're telling me you've been searching for the bottle the entire day?”, she asked in disbelief, before she started to laugh.
Elias frowned at her words, though he kept his composure, his glare hitting Lucas and a visibly amused Emphryus. “Forgive me, forgive me!”, Argella gasped between her laughter. “It's just... I've literally seen dogs who were better at finding things” Elias' frown got even stronger. “I shall deliver the bottle to your chambers, as wished”, he growled. “Aside from that, my uncle demands your presence at Lord Raylan's study, together with Lord Hobert Lowther, Ser Willfred Reyne, Lady Helenys Bellward and Lady Sherryl Flowers”
Argella gave him a nod. “Well, appears I've got to go then”, she said. “Tell your uncle, I'll be on my way. But first, be a good boy and bring the Arbor Gold to my chambers. It's for a friend” Elias gave her a wordless nod. With another glare at Lucas and Emphryus, he turned around, leaving behind a smirking Argella. “Emphryus, you take care of the swords”, she ordered. “And if you see the blacksmith, tell him he really needs to sharpen them. Give him one of our whetstones, they should be better than whatever they use here”
Ser Emphryus saluted in front of his princess. “As you wish!”, he confirmed, as she handed him her sword. With a neutral expression, he turned towards Lucas. “That was... better than expected”, he admitted and Argella flashed him a smile. “See? Wasn't that hard, was it?”, she said, before she looked down at her dress. “Though I'm afraid I have to keep Harlen waiting a little longer. Can't go to an important meeting like this” She shook her head and smiled. “No, I think I'll have to change. The light blue dress should be fine, shouldn't it, Emphryus?”
“You look lovely in any dress”, Emphryus confirmed and Argella playfully sighed. “That I know. But the light blue one should really highlight my smile”, she said and Lucas gave her a nod. “I think your smile is truly beautiful”, he agreed before he fully realized what he just said.
A playful smile formed on Argella's face. “How unexpected”, she remarked. “It appears clumsy compliments are one of your strengths” Lucas raised an eyebrow. “Clumsy?”, he asked. “What was wrong with it? I mean, I just... Forgive me, I did not want to...”
The Storm Princess sighed. “Trust me, if I'd be angry at you for philandering with me, you'd know it”, she calmed him down. “And technically, nothing was wrong with your compliment. It's just... I have heard it so many times before. Yes, thank you, I know my smile looks good on me, it's mine after all” She shrugged. “You could have complimented my fighting skills, for example. After all, I just gave you a sound beating”
“It was a draw!”, Lucas protested and the princess smirked playfully. “But only because I have such a good heart”, she teased him. “Anyways, if you expect me to swoon over you, then you're doing it wrong, quite starkly so” She took a step closer and Lucas gulped as he felt heat crawling up inside of him. “But honestly, you can swoon all day if you've got nothing else to do”, she said with a narrow smile. “Perhaps I wouldn't even mind”
Just as Lucas wanted to answer, his glance fell upon someone else, who stood at the far end of the courtyard, glaring at him with anger. His smile and good mood were gone as he recognized Leonard.
Argella followed his stare and her facial expression got serious in an instant. “Ser Leonard Constantine”, she remembered. “Is he your friend?” Lucas gave her a nod. “It appears he disapproved of my decision”, he stated tonelessly. Leonard... Lucas hadn't even considered how this would affect his best friend.
“You should go and talk to him”, Argella stated and Lucas threw a surprised glance at her. “But... you could need my help at the meeting”, he stuttered, to which she gave him a simple, honest nod. “There's no doubt about it”, she confirmed. “At the same time, I believe this friendship is of utmost importance to you, isn't it?” Lucas hesitated, before he nodded in agreement. Argella's mouth formed a friendly smile, as she put a hand onto his left upper arm. “Then go and fix it”, she whispered.
She turned around and started to walk towards the Great Hall, leaving a surprised Lucas behind. His princess, his new liege... A brief smile appeared on Lucas' face, though the moment of happiness was gone the moment he looked at Leonard. With a sting of guilt, he started to approach his friend.
Leonard had his arms crossed and a frown on his face as Lucas came closer. “Look at you”, he growled. “Walking tall, with that smile of yours and brand new colours. Are you happy about your new master? Saw the way you mustered her. She looks good from behind, doesn't she? Or, from any direction really”
Lucas sighed. “What do you want, Leonard?”, he stated and tried to say it without sounding cold. Leonard clenched his teeth. “You were supposed to ally with her, not to shag her!”, he barked and Lucas' eye narrowed. “I did ally with her!”, he claimed and Leonard shook his head. “You knelt in front of her. You renounced your loyalty to House Raylan”, he hissed.
“A dead house”, Lucas argued. Once again, Leonard shook his head. “Is that true?”, he asked. “Is that how you feel? The captain is dead, so it's okay to leave the ship like a rat?” He put a hand onto his tabard, green and golden as Lucas' used to be. “This means more to me than names in a history book!”, he snarled. “This means Raylansfair. People, our friends! This means the world to me” A mournful sigh left his throat. “And I... Flowers, I thought it meant the same to you”
“It does!”, Lucas claimed and Leonard raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”, he asked, clearly unconvinced. “It damn sure doesn't look that way to me. You knelt in front of Argella fucking Durrandon!” Lucas clenched his good fist. “Look, I know you don't like her, but what she told me today... Leonard, I am convinced that she is a good person”
“Like you were convinced with Mullendore?”, Leonard growled, though he immediately noticed that he took it too far with that. “Listen, maybe she is”, he added sheepishly. “Maybe she is the person you think she is. But can you reasonably claim the same thing about her father? Are you really so sure that helping the Storm King will be good for Raylansfair?”
Lucas took a deep breath. “Where are you going with this, Leonard?”, he asked in a defeated tone. The prospect of loosing his friend, it terrified him. “Do you just want to rant at me, or are you actually going somewhere with this?”
Leonard still glared at him, though not with anger, but with disappointment. “I want to know everything”, he stated. “How you think our friendship can continue. How you think you can still serve Raylansfair. I want to hear your reasons for kneeling to that girl. I want to hear your reasons for switching your fucking kingdom just like that” He gulped and Lucas noticed how distraught his friend truly was. “Anything really, that shows me that you're still... that you're still on my side, Flowers”
[Apologize to Leonard] [Defend your decision] [Refuse to justify your actions]
[Defend your decision]
Don't worry Liquid. Considering how long I've made you guys wait for my parts this is justified Karma. Take all the time you need.
Green on gold, a crowned book
gold on green & white, no?
[Apologize to Leonard]
edit: The question here is: Do you want to turn a friend into an enemy or not?
Defend your decision
(defend your decision)
[Defend your decision] Lucas doesn't regret it so I won't choose to apologize. Leonard deserves an explanation however.
I love Argella! I'm all for a love triangle between her, Lucas and Drent
After a long time finally a Lucas PoV!
[Apologize to Leonard] Well,it's kinda obvious to me that an apology will make Leonard more inclined to understand our decision
RT:
[Defend your decision] He wanted an explanation, not an apology, aye? So let's give him an explanation. Great part! Everything from the interaction between Lucas and Argella, to getting some backstory for Durrandons, to Emphryus ranting, to confrontation of Leonard at the end - all of it was great!
[Apologize to Leonard]
I'm glad to see that Emphryus got some character development. Oh and Argella's combat skills are quite effective. It seems that criticizing her opponents is her biggest strength.
Extremely unlikely knowing what is to happen with her
[Apologize to Leonard]
I don't think he'll really accept it any other way.
[Defend your decision] Time to make Lucas and Leonard the worst of enemies and to eventually have them dual on the Field of Fire. All we need to do is get Leonard to team up with Team Targaryen. If this dual happens it will be amazing.
Welp since i'm bored out of my mind and still haven't finished the other half of the part I promised how about another round of questions? What do you say liquid , are you up for it?
This is literally me when I hear the word "Questions":
So yes, please keep them coming
Okay, get ready.
Here comes my question avalanche:
The Stormlands have been heavily hinted with Argella taking the most powerful role so far. Will that be the next big location to explore?
How do you know when to end a characters P.O.V till the next chapter?
Is Argella aware of Ser Rodrick and his merry band of sociopaths? that seems like something they should have warned her about.
With Argella know to be in Raylandsfair by so many, should we be concerned that Dorne may be informed and try to capture her?
Why did Anturion request an alliance with Bear if all he was going to do was raid coasts? Wasn't his main goal to get to Raylandsfair?
How do you schedule when to write a part? I know from experience that it's very time consuming and requires focus, how do you schedule it without it affecting your life?
I have tried my best to avoid asking but...................Why do you like writing Lucas so much? I think he is the most constantly written in this entire chapter. Lucas, someone else, Lucas, someone else, Lucas. Don't get me wrong I like him, but to be honest its starting to make me feel like you'll kill him soon.................. but he has too much plot for that to be true........I think..........I hope :0
Who would you say so far is (or is believed) the best swordsman (or woman) in Raylandsfair? (So far revealed)
How far is this chapter to it's completion?
What is Argella's strategy to deal with Mullendore? Does she currently plan an open confrontation or a more elaborate scheme?
Emphryus's dialougue suggests Argella plans to return with him and Lucas to the Stormlands Court. If so how could she hope to remain in control of Raylandsfair?
In the fictional scenario in which Argella is suddenly murdered (God forbid) Who would take charge of Raylandsfair?
Has news of Argella reached the stormlands yet?
And FINALLY (for now) the most obvious question who do you plan as the next P.O.V's?
I suggest stuff like this to be put under spoiler tags
Like? I didn't ask for any spoilers.
I mean your list of questions is quite long, you should put the post of yours under spoilers tag, so this and the reply won't take up too much space.
Maybe.....lets just see how big the response is. But thank you for the suggestion
.
I think it gives quite the charm to not have spoiler tags if it isn't spoilers. Either way, it isn't that long, I mean, I read bigger responses on the dilemma of choosing a choice.
Well, just wait till Liquid also writes his response, and this turns into a discussion
And that is the charm, it's also quite relaxing at times to see that these kind of things is here and there to take a bit of to the intense parts. I love it anyhow.
Well, they have been featured in Chapter 4 and 5 of the story, though always only from Drent's PoV. I can reveal, there will be a lot more for the Stormlands in Book 2, especially for one particular region.
I always know where I want the characters to be at the beginning of the next chapters, so I put them into the right position at the end of the previous chapters. For example, I knew I wanted Ellena as Noelle's captive in Chapter 7, so her storyline in Chapter 6 had to end with her getting captured.
No, she is completely unaware of his presence. The only one who knows for sure is Maya, and Sherryl's manipulation have made her unable to warn anyone of note. John knows about Rodrik's existence, but thinks that he likely perished in the Wildfire explosion at the end of his Chapter 5 storyline. And Samantha currently has problems of her own, namely Ser Rodrik, which prevent her from warning anyone.
That is of course a possibility. However, Dorne is at war with the Reach as well, so it's not as if a group of dornish killers could just sneak into Raylansfair. Argella is guarded well and no slouch on her own, so capturing her would be very hard.
Hehe, just wait and see. Anturion indeed wanted to get to Raylansfair and he will do so, together with three ships, each holding a hundred Ironborn raiders. Bear and his men... well, they serve a purpose in his plan and we haven't seen the last of them
Basically, I write whenever I have the time. Sometimes it is harder to focus, but when it flows well, it flows really well and I get to write a full part in four to five hours. Over the course of three days, that is nothing. Though, ever since I have started writing FoT, I have cut back on the gaming a little bit. Sometimes, I write on the train when I return from university, or I even write during breaks in my university as well and I plan to continue that with my new course of studies, starting in October.
He actually is far from constant in this chapter. He hadn't had a part at all in June and July, only two parts in rapid succession at the beginning of this chapter, because I needed him to reach a certain point to which other PoV's had to react to. But it's true, Lucas generally has more stuff to do than other PoV characters. That is because he is one of the most important PoV's at the moment, kind of like how Tyrion gets more chapters than Davos in the books. Though do not worry, the other PoV's are in no way irrelevant because they get less to do and in certain chapters, other PoV's will take the spotlight. For example, Jaron clearly had the most important storyline in Chapter 6, while Lucas had far less to do there. Lucas has also been the first PoV character, which means his journey in the story has been the longest and his parts have been among the most emotional ones. Does it mean I'm going to kill him soon? The answer is a decisive maybe
That is a hard question. All in all, it would probably go down to one of the knightly characters. Daghan Oxus has a fearsome reputation and is definitely among the biggest badass swordsmen in the city. Another possibility would be Emphryus, who is one of the best knights at the Storm King's court. Alysanne is definitely the best killer, though she is not limited to swords. And Federico Snow of course, the rarely featured guardsman who never gets any screentime because the votes are constantly decided against him and who is secretly a total badass
I'd say about 80%, give or take a few. Most PoV's are going to have one more part in the story, with some having two parts left.
Argella does not see Mullendore as a genuine threat, which is not entirely unfounded, considering that she is the daughter of the most powerful man in Westeros. She is legitimately furious at him though and her plan is to openly confront him after taking control of Raylansfair, most likely by asking her father for a small loan of a million soldiers. In all seriousness, she plans to use her contacts to the highest nobility of the Reach to expose Mullendore's crimes and she is pretty sure that she is going to succeed against him.
She does not plan to remain in Raylansfair forever. She is the Storm Princess after all and her seat is at Storm's End, not at Raylansfair. She's going to claim it for her father and then she's going to return, after naming a skilled castellan in her absence, most likely someone of her own men or someone else whom she is willing to trust.
It should be noted that she is not in charge of Raylansfair. Legally, the current lord of Raylansfair is Mern Gardener, King of the Reach and in his name, Lord Harlen Tyrell, until a new lord is appointed. If Argella is murdered, Ser Emphryus would take control over the remaining Stormlanders in the city. Ultimately, Argilac Durrandon would take control over Raylansfair if his daughter gets murdered, but only after he took bloody revenge on every man, woman or child between the Reach-Stormlands border and Raylansfair. It can be said he would not react kindly if anything is going to happen to Argella and it is very likely that hewould take control not only of Raylansfair, but of the entire Reach.
You mean news of her presence in Raylansfair? I surely hope so, considering that her father has been the one to send her. Or do you mean if she wrote any sort of letter to her father, to update him of the situation after she arrived in Raylansfair? In that case, no, she hasn't sent a letter, since she has been in Raylansfair for less than a day.
With this, do you mean who will get the next parts? In that case, I haven't yet decided. Kersea is very likely, or maybe Willfred, or both. I also want to write Samantha's next part very urgently, but think this has to wait for another part or two. Or do you mean who will be the next new PoV character? In that case, I can't confirm too much, but some of the existing characters will become new PoV's in Book 2. Two whom I can confirm will be Kyra Greyjoy and Gabin Strad from the Harrenhal storyline. There will be more of course, both old and new characters, who will assume the prestigious role of a PoV character in Book 2.
I agree with you on this. I generally think that spoiler tags should be used mostly for spoilers or for very image-heavy posts, since they tend to slow down PC's with a weak internet connection or weak hardware. And personally, I like to immediately read what others have to say without having to click on some spoiler tag first, even if it is a longer response.