While that is true, what really matters is that we know who support or not support in our votes. In all honesty, if Mullendore was on Team Targ, I would've helped him out in conqouering Raylainsfair. But now we know that Team Targ supporters should vote against anything that helps out Anturions and the Hoares. But there being another faction is quite ominous I must say.
Well....Yeah it is good for US to know the current factions, but Team Targ doesn't. They have no idea that Harren Hoare has this really comp… morelex scheme and I don't think they even know that the Anturions are a thing. If anything the fact that there is YET ANOTHER faction they are oblivious to is very bad for them.
Well not only was this mission for The Rock possibly a waste of time, but now we know he'll be negotiating with the bloody enemy! Wah wah wah waaaaaaaaaah. Also I have a theory regarding this if you want me to DM it to you. It's a long shot but its something I've thought about.
Also now that we know who Mullendore is sworn to, that also puts the Sherryl working against Mullendore theory down the drain. Well, maybe.
I doubt she died from her "injuries" but she better stay under cover. The bastard. (Jk)
Garthon
With a sigh of pain, Garthon switched his position from lying on his back to sitting against the post they had chained him to. Na… moreturally, his jailers hadn't given him any milk of the poppy for his wounded shoulder, but at the least they had treated his wound while he had been unconscious. That had been the first surprise he noticed when waking up. The second had been that, despite being chained to a post, he was not in a cell, but in a tent, comfortably furnished on top of that. It certainly wasn't the prison he expected himself to be thrown into after he lost consciousness during the final moments of the raid.
Torvin was the last thing on his mind before he had drifted off and the first he had to think of after waking up again, an hour ago. Ever since, he couldn't stop thinking about what happened. His brother was dead and Garthon didn't even have enough strength left to cry. It almost felt surreal. Torvin had always been there… [view original content]
Garthon
With a sigh of pain, Garthon switched his position from lying on his back to sitting against the post they had chained him to. Na… moreturally, his jailers hadn't given him any milk of the poppy for his wounded shoulder, but at the least they had treated his wound while he had been unconscious. That had been the first surprise he noticed when waking up. The second had been that, despite being chained to a post, he was not in a cell, but in a tent, comfortably furnished on top of that. It certainly wasn't the prison he expected himself to be thrown into after he lost consciousness during the final moments of the raid.
Torvin was the last thing on his mind before he had drifted off and the first he had to think of after waking up again, an hour ago. Ever since, he couldn't stop thinking about what happened. His brother was dead and Garthon didn't even have enough strength left to cry. It almost felt surreal. Torvin had always been there… [view original content]
NO! Why the hell are we helping him? Why? So what if Garthon dies? Do you really think it would be that simple and quick? I have my doubts that Garthon would just be executed and done. Maybe he'll be saved. Maybe, more importantly, he gets a chance to spread this information to the people who need to hear it.
The reason Maron and his allies arrived in Raylansfair so suspiciously timely. The reason he himself was still alive. His eyes widened. “You're working for Harren Hoare!”, Garthon managed to utter.
Damnit. I was wrong. I was hoping he was just out for himself. Damn.
This information obviously seemed to concern the other man, judging by his intense frown. “This is... new for me”, he revealed. “I don't know any man by that name. All I can tell you is, this raid was not for him, it was for me an for my ally, so that we could arrive and take the city as heroes, as saviours”
Well, I was correct about appearing as a heroes and saviors, but not knowing Anturion? I assumed he did. Very interesting. Very interesting indeed.
Maron's grin returned. “Ah, a good question”, he admitted. “Same reason me and my ally arrived in Raylansfair just in time to save the city. Though you haven't advanced as quickly as we thought you would. Our plans involved you taking the castle by then, only to be taken out when you fail to lower the portcullis”
Because it was sabotaged, obviously. Well, glad that didn't happen, although I bet it could have if we made some bad choices. Maybe.
“How many allies do you have?”, he asked and Maron grinned. “We are numerous. The number of men unhappy with Mern's rule is greater than you probably think. Soon, the northern Reach will be under our control. The rest will be no problem for our combined might”
I just hope Lord Donnel Selwyn isn't a part of this. Long live House Selwyn! Seriously though, I imagine he hate ironborn too much to ever consider working with them,
“I was hoping for a war between Gardener and Durrandon”, he admitted. “My agent here in the city failed to reach this goal. But once Reach and Rock have submitted, the old stag won't have any choice but to kneel, or else we shall crush him”
Garthon
With a sigh of pain, Garthon switched his position from lying on his back to sitting against the post they had chained him to. Na… moreturally, his jailers hadn't given him any milk of the poppy for his wounded shoulder, but at the least they had treated his wound while he had been unconscious. That had been the first surprise he noticed when waking up. The second had been that, despite being chained to a post, he was not in a cell, but in a tent, comfortably furnished on top of that. It certainly wasn't the prison he expected himself to be thrown into after he lost consciousness during the final moments of the raid.
Torvin was the last thing on his mind before he had drifted off and the first he had to think of after waking up again, an hour ago. Ever since, he couldn't stop thinking about what happened. His brother was dead and Garthon didn't even have enough strength left to cry. It almost felt surreal. Torvin had always been there… [view original content]
Garthon
With a sigh of pain, Garthon switched his position from lying on his back to sitting against the post they had chained him to. Na… moreturally, his jailers hadn't given him any milk of the poppy for his wounded shoulder, but at the least they had treated his wound while he had been unconscious. That had been the first surprise he noticed when waking up. The second had been that, despite being chained to a post, he was not in a cell, but in a tent, comfortably furnished on top of that. It certainly wasn't the prison he expected himself to be thrown into after he lost consciousness during the final moments of the raid.
Torvin was the last thing on his mind before he had drifted off and the first he had to think of after waking up again, an hour ago. Ever since, he couldn't stop thinking about what happened. His brother was dead and Garthon didn't even have enough strength left to cry. It almost felt surreal. Torvin had always been there… [view original content]
Now we know Mullendore's true allegiance. I got to say I am surprised he wasn't working for Targaryen.
Ah, I really liked the Targaryen theory, as it made so much sense, but alas, it was too important for Mullendore to work with Harren, because frankly, without it, his timely arrival in Raylansfair wouldn't have made sense. Neither would have Saerya's rivalry with Sherryl and their heavily opposing goals of creating order versus destabilizing the entire city. By the time the Targaryen theory was brought up by one of you, the groundwork for Mullendore's alliance with Harren has already been laid out.
Now Mullendore is like the Rook of Hoare. I expected he was only working with the Targaryen's for his own personal gain, but it seems he is quite loyal to Hoare. However, once he sees the true force of Team Targ, I don't really doubt that it will take him too long to switch sides.
I can assure you, his loyalty for Harren is solely based on the fact that he sees him as the only one capable of achieving such a goal, of imposing order on the entirety of Westeros. He underestimates Aegon quite heavily. If he realizes his error, it might be possible for him to switch sides, but at the same time, he already mae quite a terrible first impression in his interaction with Orys.
But now the factions are set, for at least now, it is good to know who needs to be taken down in order for Team Targ to rule over all.
The factions are indeed laid out for now. I can promise though, this is merely the groundwork for Book 2, which is seriously going to shake up the dynamics I have built up so far. I cannot wait to read about everyone's reactions for some of the later twists that will probably mix these factions up again
[Accept the offer] Great part! Really informative. Now we know Mullendore's true allegiance. I got to say I am surprised he wasn't working f… moreor Targaryen. Now Mullendore is like the Rook of Hoare. I expected he was only working with the Targaryen's for his own personal gain, but it seems he is quite loyal to Hoare. However, once he sees the true force of Team Targ, I don't really doubt that it will take him too long to switch sides. It would've been really interesting to see him as apart of Team Targ, because how they're the ultimate point of good guys(not really) it wouldn't been interesting to see a really bad dude like Mullendore helping them out. But now the factions are set, for at least now, it is good to know who needs to be taken down in order for Team Targ to rule over all.
That is very much the thing there. You have a more complete picture of the factions now, but in the story itself, everyone is unerestimating everyone else. Arguably, House Targaryen has the most realistic view on the situation, but even they lack information about Mullendore's true goals and it is doubtful Aegon has any intel on Anturion. Edward meanwhile is unlikely to outright expect the approaching WoQ. And Harren and Mullendore, well, they see themselves as absolutely superior to any other faction in this power struggle. And there are still other player, unaffiliated with any of the ones you know about, which are going to play a role as well in the things to come. Damn it, things are getting complicated
Well....Yeah it is good for US to know the current factions, but Team Targ doesn't. They have no idea that Harren Hoare has this really comp… morelex scheme and I don't think they even know that the Anturions are a thing. If anything the fact that there is YET ANOTHER faction they are oblivious to is very bad for them.
Well not only was this mission for The Rock possibly a waste of time, but now we know he'll be negotiating with the bloody enemy! Wah wah wah waaaaaaaaaah. Also I have a theory regarding this if you want me to DM it to you. It's a long shot but its something I've thought about.
Willfred's mission has indeed been heavily put at risk right now, with Mullendore having a personal interest in the Rock falling to the Ironborn. Things could have been different, but with Mullendore at the top, they will get seriously hard. It's a shame Willfred doesn't even know about this yet. As for your theory, you can surely send it to me, or you could post it here, whatever you prefer
Also now that we know who Mullendore is sworn to, that also puts the Sherryl working against Mullendore theory down the drain. Well, maybe.
I doubt she died from her "injuries" but she better stay under cover. The bastard. (Jk)
Well, her whereabouts are currently more or less unknown. She has served loyally, so there has to be a reason she hasn't been seen near Mullendore since the chapter started. At the same time, it is certainly not impossible that she follows her own agenda. Someone like her would need a very good reason to stay loyal to anyone but herself. That said, a lot of questions about Sherryl will be answered in this chapter. With her failure to start a war between Reach and Stormlands, it might indeed be a good thing for her if she remains in hiding.
[Accept the offer]
Well not only was this mission for The Rock possibly a waste of time, but now we know he'll be negotiating with the bl… moreoody enemy! Wah wah wah waaaaaaaaaah. Also I have a theory regarding this if you want me to DM it to you. It's a long shot but its something I've thought about.
Also now that we know who Mullendore is sworn to, that also puts the Sherryl working against Mullendore theory down the drain. Well, maybe.
I doubt she died from her "injuries" but she better stay under cover. The bastard. (Jk)
Damnit. I was wrong. I was hoping he was just out for himself. Damn.
Well, there is this king whom he has mentioned several times, the one he considers the strongest and most rightful king in Westeros. That said, it is still very much a possibility that Harren is just a tool for Maron to increase his own power and that he ultimately truly is only out for himself.
Well, I was correct about appearing as a heroes and saviors, but not knowing Anturion? I assumed he did. Very interesting. Very interesting indeed.
At least he claims not to know anything about Anturion. Similarly, Anturion himself was very convinced that this raid has been all for him to get into the archive, as part of an earlier, still relatively mysterious deal he made with Harren Hoare. He realized that he has been played and it's safe to say that he is not happy about it.
Because it was sabotaged, obviously. Well, glad that didn't happen, although I bet it could have if we made some bad choices. Maybe.
Aye, this is another important thing Mullendore revealed in this part. Sabotaging the gate was not to screw over the people of Raylansfair, it was to screw over the Ironborn. That part of the plan ended up as more or less unnecessary, as they never even got that far, save for the vanguard, which was stopped by the castle guard and Emphryus. Of course, screwing over the people of Raylansfair was something Mullendore was not terribly opposed to, really.
I just hope Lord Donnel Selwyn isn't a part of this. Long live House Selwyn! Seriously though, I imagine he hate ironborn too much to ever consider working with them,
Well, Donnel is a lord of the northern Reach, which is of special importance to Mullendore, as the key to controlling the entirety of the Reach. It can be assumed that he is going to have a look at him and at the potential options he would have for an alliance. At the same time, Donnel's hatred towards Ironborn and his "Selwyn Tower first" approach is going to make things hard. Mullendore would have to bring up some serious benefits there.
Sherryl, oh yes she did. Very good.
Oh yes, she failed to kill Argella. She at least succeeded at making things very rocky between the kingdoms, something Mullendore himself made only worse with his little show in Drent's parts. However, at the core, Sherryl failed at her most important objective, which might just be one of the reasons she is currently not by his side.
[Decline the offer]
NO! Why the hell are we helping him? Why? So what if Garthon dies? Do you really think it would be that simple and qu… moreick? I have my doubts that Garthon would just be executed and done. Maybe he'll be saved. Maybe, more importantly, he gets a chance to spread this information to the people who need to hear it.
The reason Maron and his allies arrived in Raylansfair so suspiciously timely. The reason he himself was still alive. His eyes widened. “You're working for Harren Hoare!”, Garthon managed to utter.
Damnit. I was wrong. I was hoping he was just out for himself. Damn.
This information obviously seemed to concern the other man, judging by his intense frown. “This is... new for me”, he revealed. “I don't know any man by that name. All I can tell you is, this raid was not for him, it was for me an for my ally, so that we could arrive and take the city as heroes, as saviours”
Well, I was corre… [view original content]
As a matter of fact, someone indeed killed his father The character itself is not having all that many similarities though. He will first be seen in the early Book 2, as part of a new storyline which will be set in the Vale of Arryn and which is going to introduce a great number of interesting new characters who are related to this Montoya.
As a matter of fact, someone indeed killed his father The character itself is not having all that many similarities though. He will first b… moree seen in the early Book 2, as part of a new storyline which will be set in the Vale of Arryn and which is going to introduce a great number of interesting new characters who are related to this Montoya.
Garthon
With a sigh of pain, Garthon switched his position from lying on his back to sitting against the post they had chained him to. Na… moreturally, his jailers hadn't given him any milk of the poppy for his wounded shoulder, but at the least they had treated his wound while he had been unconscious. That had been the first surprise he noticed when waking up. The second had been that, despite being chained to a post, he was not in a cell, but in a tent, comfortably furnished on top of that. It certainly wasn't the prison he expected himself to be thrown into after he lost consciousness during the final moments of the raid.
Torvin was the last thing on his mind before he had drifted off and the first he had to think of after waking up again, an hour ago. Ever since, he couldn't stop thinking about what happened. His brother was dead and Garthon didn't even have enough strength left to cry. It almost felt surreal. Torvin had always been there… [view original content]
[Accept the offer]
I'm certain there will come a point where we can betray him. And knowing what he knows now, we can't afford for Garthon to die.
"No trait is more justified than revenge at the right time and place."
Meir Kahane
Ah, and there shall be something to look forward for indeed! I am always a bit off with my prognosis on when to expect a character, but I think in case of yours, I have been inexcusably wrong, due to Book 1 taking so much longer to finish than I thought. It's not the only case where I was forced to keep a reader waiting for much longer than I thought at first, but one of the longest. Be assured, I will make it up to you with a very nice storyline and the wait is as good as over
Sorry for missing the past two parts, I've been on spring break and I'm not even lying when I say that I've probably only been home for about two hours throughout this entire week and weekend. I've been able to catch up and awesome parts they were
I must say, Mullendore has always been one of my most hated characters but he might even be number one now. He has no likeable traits whatsoever and I just want him dead.
[Accept the offer] Well, this choice seems kind of obvious in my opinion. I don't want another character, let alone a major one, getting killed by this piece of shit.
Garthon
With a sigh of pain, Garthon switched his position from lying on his back to sitting against the post they had chained him to. Na… moreturally, his jailers hadn't given him any milk of the poppy for his wounded shoulder, but at the least they had treated his wound while he had been unconscious. That had been the first surprise he noticed when waking up. The second had been that, despite being chained to a post, he was not in a cell, but in a tent, comfortably furnished on top of that. It certainly wasn't the prison he expected himself to be thrown into after he lost consciousness during the final moments of the raid.
Torvin was the last thing on his mind before he had drifted off and the first he had to think of after waking up again, an hour ago. Ever since, he couldn't stop thinking about what happened. His brother was dead and Garthon didn't even have enough strength left to cry. It almost felt surreal. Torvin had always been there… [view original content]
Hm, this is a good thought. I will, naturally, neither confirm nor deny that things go down that way, though to play devil's advocate here, if Harren truly is behind Torvin's death at the hands of Anturion, then he could be willing to dispose of the threat Garthon still poses as well. He is cruel, but as you said, he is also smart and perhaps it would be the smarter thing to kill him instead of risking any danger from him. But as said, this is merely me playing devil's advocate. You shall see the truth soon enough
One would think Harren would keep a good eye on him. I don't think he would let Garthon just run anywhere he want anylonger, to meet fishlords or fuckin' Freys.
Also, a friendly reminder, sent you a PM a couple o' days ago with some question. It's fine though, no rush if you feel like you have to much on your plate right now.
And even though Harren doesn't exactly love Garthon, I highly doubt he would kill Garthon. Harren is cruel, but also smart. He can probably … moresee that it's crueller (is that a word?) to let Garthon live by now.
Hm, this is a good thought. I will, naturally, neither confirm nor deny that things go down that way, though to play devil's advocate here, if Harren truly is behind Torvin's death at the hands of Anturion, then he could be willing to dispose of the threat Garthon still poses as well. He is cruel, but as you said, he is also smart and perhaps it would be the smarter thing to kill him instead of risking any danger from him. But as said, this is merely me playing devil's advocate. You shall see the truth soon enough
Really cool part. Can't believe Torvin's gone though, really sad, indeed.
Glad you enjoyed the part! But yeah, Torvin's death was so far the biggest in the story. It surely wasn't easy to kill him off, th… [view original content]
Sorry for missing the past two parts, I've been on spring break and I'm not even lying when I say that I've probably only been home for about two hours throughout this entire week and weekend. I've been able to catch up and awesome parts they were
Ah welcome back, this is awesome Glad you enjoyed the last couple of parts!
I must say, Mullendore has always been one of my most hated characters but he might even be number one now. He has no likeable traits whatsoever and I just want him dead.
Well, there's his arguably good intentions. At least he seems to believe that they are good intentions. With the reveal that he is serving Harren Hoare and Aegon Targaryen, your mileage is likely going to vary heavily there, but he's certainly not seeing himself as the villain here. There's also his interaction with Briar Catelins, though as it has been stated before, this could also be seen as making him only more creepy, considering how little restraint he shows with the children who worked for the Burned Man. All in all, he is surely not only a villain, but also a grade-A asshole, which makes for a hateable combination. Ah, I am glad he's causing such strong reactions, this is exactly what I have hoped for
Sorry for missing the past two parts, I've been on spring break and I'm not even lying when I say that I've probably only been home for abou… moret two hours throughout this entire week and weekend. I've been able to catch up and awesome parts they were
I must say, Mullendore has always been one of my most hated characters but he might even be number one now. He has no likeable traits whatsoever and I just want him dead.
[Accept the offer] Well, this choice seems kind of obvious in my opinion. I don't want another character, let alone a major one, getting killed by this piece of shit.
Ah, a very active voting, which makes me very happy I was pretty sure that a majority of you would pick this, especially as I doubted that you'd value resistance against Mullendore as more important than Garthon's life. At the same time, that much I can tell you now, the other choice wouldn't have led to his inevitable death. There would have still been a chance for him. For now, he is going to work for Mullendore though, which is going to be beneficial in the short run, because it certainly beats a public execution. This choice however also means that this was likely Garthon's only part in this chapter, although I might include another short part if I have the room later in this chapter. It won't hold that many twists though and would likely only serve the purpose to establish some things about his next steps. Yeah, it sounds likely that I'm going to do this. We'll see where it will lead us to
The next part should be out today. It is going to be a Jenna part, her second in this chapter. I have written quite a bit for it, but there is a tiny chance I will get to include another PoV as well, which should be either Ilish or Willfred. But we'll see about that. There is going to be a Jenna part for sure. The last time we saw her, she and Saerya discussed the aftermath of the raid, where Saerya expressed concern over the arrival of Mullendore and Petyr, whom she knew nothing about. I guess her confusion makes a lot more sense with the recent reveals. Their discussion was interrupted by the arrival of Leonard Constantine, who was currently trying to hide from Mullendore's men, after not having made it out of the castle before it was occupied. He was indeed discovered, by one of the Vyrwel knights, a man name Hugo Farnham, who was already acquainted with Leonard from an earlier visit to Darkdell. Despite being far from convinced about his guilt, Hugo saw it as his duty to take Leonard into custody, something the knight obviously wouldn't just allow to happen. Before a fight could break out, Jenna decided to intervene, with intentions of distracting Hugo long enough to ensure Leonard's escape.
At the same time, that much I can tell you now, the other choice wouldn't have led to his inevitable death. There would have still been a chance for him.
NO! Why the hell are we helping him? Why? So what if Garthon dies? Do you really think it would be that simple and quick? I have my doubts that Garthon would just be executed and done. Maybe he'll be saved. Maybe, more importantly, he gets a chance to spread this information to the people who need to hear it.
I was right! The only one! Agh! You people will rue the day you did not vote with me, the only person who saw it. Once we see the alternate choices, I shall hope that mine leads to a better outcome.
The Voting is closed!
Garthon is going to accept the offer
Ah, a very active voting, which makes me very happy I was pretty sure that… more a majority of you would pick this, especially as I doubted that you'd value resistance against Mullendore as more important than Garthon's life. At the same time, that much I can tell you now, the other choice wouldn't have led to his inevitable death. There would have still been a chance for him. For now, he is going to work for Mullendore though, which is going to be beneficial in the short run, because it certainly beats a public execution. This choice however also means that this was likely Garthon's only part in this chapter, although I might include another short part if I have the room later in this chapter. It won't hold that many twists though and would likely only serve the purpose to establish some things about his next steps. Yeah, it sounds likely that I'm going to do this. We'll see where i… [view original content]
You were sort of right, indeed! However, certain choices in this alternative route could have lead to his death, though not in this chapter, but in the next. So, declining the offer was still very much a risk, even if it was by no means a certain death sentence, whereas accepting it was the safer choice, if not necessarily the better one. A lot of it would have depended on the choices you would have made after declining the offer.
At the same time, that much I can tell you now, the other choice wouldn't have led to his inevitable death. There would have still been a ch… moreance for him.
NO! Why the hell are we helping him? Why? So what if Garthon dies? Do you really think it would be that simple and quick? I have my doubts that Garthon would just be executed and done. Maybe he'll be saved. Maybe, more importantly, he gets a chance to spread this information to the people who need to hear it.
I was right! The only one! Agh! You people will rue the day you did not vote with me, the only person who saw it. Once we see the alternate choices, I shall hope that mine leads to a better outcome.
Just wanna somewhat tell how I thought. I didn't think he was gonna die by such a simple choice, but I knew that he basically could be free if he accept, where he just can run away if he desire, and not even head back Harrenhal. Now, he'll probably do that anyways, but who knows, aye?
At the same time, that much I can tell you now, the other choice wouldn't have led to his inevitable death. There would have still been a ch… moreance for him.
NO! Why the hell are we helping him? Why? So what if Garthon dies? Do you really think it would be that simple and quick? I have my doubts that Garthon would just be executed and done. Maybe he'll be saved. Maybe, more importantly, he gets a chance to spread this information to the people who need to hear it.
I was right! The only one! Agh! You people will rue the day you did not vote with me, the only person who saw it. Once we see the alternate choices, I shall hope that mine leads to a better outcome.
Oh man, these are amazing! I am glad you could still make it in time before the next part. Naturally, I was really looking forward for these. One thing I am always surprised of is how you manage to give every character their own unique look, despite the similarities that have to happen in a cast of hundreds. I think you've drawn over a hundred characters now and there is no doubt that they all look unique. For me, this is best shown not in the way you draw the already unique characters, but the ones who look more common. In this set, there is Hugo, who looks relatively normal and Keat, who is outright required to look as ordinary and common as possible and yet you still gave them their own visual identity and I'm loving that! Now, Tedyn is seriously great, because he is the one that looks the most uncannily as I have imagined him to look. There's one of these in each set and this time, it's him. I love details such as the Hoare sigil on his chest. Keat was one I was really unsure what you'd make of him, due to my description basically narrowing down to "A guy with brown hair, a nose, two eyes, a mouth and so on...", but you did great with making him look so different, yet at the same time absolutely ordinary. I love this! Connor, well, there is one detail about him I cannot even comment on, but I love this drawing, because of how perfect he is. I especially like the clear similarities to Alphyn in sheer appearance, but how you still made him feel different. Hugo, I already mentioned, is another one who doesn't really stand out through looks alone, so I don't know if he was all that easy to draw, but you did outstanding job with him! And finally, Petyr... I must say, I only now realize that my description of him does give him similarities to a certain other Petyr and your drawing clearly seems to have drawn inspiration from that. And I love it He's going to be a very complex character to write in the future and this drawing of him made me only more eager to write down some of the scenes I have planned for him. As always, thanks a lot for drawing these
Huh, this is a hard question. It mostly depends how many parts with one and how many with two PoV's I am able to write, which is something I cannot always plan in advance. I'd say anything between 15 and 25 parts, really, including Jenna's almost finished part. This chapter is supposed to be one of the shorter ones, especially compared to Masquerade, which holds the record at 48 parts, but it is still likely to be over 30 parts in total, including the ones I have already written for it so far. I plan to have it finished until my birthday in mid-June, which I consider to be a realistic assumption. I have a total of 25 PoV's left, or maybe 27 at most, but several of these will be written in parts that include two PoV's.
Huh, this is a hard question. It mostly depends how many parts with one and how many with two PoV's I am able to write, which is something I… more cannot always plan in advance. I'd say anything between 15 and 25 parts, really, including Jenna's almost finished part. This chapter is supposed to be one of the shorter ones, especially compared to Masquerade, which holds the record at 48 parts, but it is still likely to be over 30 parts in total, including the ones I have already written for it so far. I plan to have it finished until my birthday in mid-June, which I consider to be a realistic assumption. I have a total of 25 PoV's left, or maybe 27 at most, but several of these will be written in parts that include two PoV's.
But you can always ask me questions Really, you're not interrupting anything. If there's anything you would like to know, ask right ahead. It might take me a couple of hours to answer, maybe even until the next day, but I am always happy to answer to any question you or anyone else has!
But you can always ask me questions Really, you're not interrupting anything. If there's anything you would like to know, ask right ahead. … moreIt might take me a couple of hours to answer, maybe even until the next day, but I am always happy to answer to any question you or anyone else has!
Jenna closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. “Okay...”, she mumbled. “Okay, I can do this” She couldn't, she knew it, but she had to try. As she opened her eyes again, she clenched her fists. With a gasp, she tensed up, as she felt Saerya's hand on her shoulder. “Breath easy”, the woman advised her. “Show them that you're afraid and they will underestimate you, but don't let fear guide your actions”
With a heavily beating heart, Jenna gave her a nod. Then, she slipped through the door. One good thing about being her was that she was used to being nearly invisible for others. And as expected, in the dimly lit hallway, no knight paid any attention to the willowy figure that left her room at the other end of the hallway.
She blinked for a moment and for the first time in her life, she was glad about the tears that came so easily for her when she was scared. And she was scared. If anything would go wrong now, if she would mess this up, then anything could happen. With wet eyes, she started to rush down the hallway and into the light of the torches.
Leonard and Hugo were still glaring at each other, though as they heard her footsteps, they turned down the hallway. Hugo was the first to see, her while Leonard glanced over his shoulder. He recognized her and a frown formed on his face. It was Hugo who reacted first though. Unlike Leonard's confused frown, he showed concern, as he raised his hands, finally putting them away from the hilt of his sword.
As she came closer, her panic grew. So did the amount of tears that poured down her cheeks. She didn't have to pretend to be a scared little girl. Somewhere, deep down, she felt a strange satisfaction. Without hesitating, Hugo stepped past Leonard, while the other man glanced at the scenery with distrust. He gently reached for Jenna's shoulders and she started to sob as he held her.
“Shh, girl”, he said softly, the look in his brown eyes being warm and reassuring. “It's all good” She was scared of being near him, but the pleasant expression on his face did wonders in calming her down at the same time. She had him. By the Seven, she actually had him.
Not daring to look him in the eyes, she began to speak. Gasping at first, she eventually managed to form words, as she quickly settled for a story she wanted to tell him. It was one of the things she genuinely feared, one of the many, so it came naturally for her. “Ser... Ser, I...”, she stuttered. “There was this man... he... I...”
Memories of Wolfius flashed through her mind and she closed her eyes, a distraught expression appearing on her face. “He... I think he...” She paused, trying to regain her breath. Hugo glanced at Leonard, who still glared at the scenery. “Leonard, please excuse me for a moment”, he spoke. “You'll have my attention in a minute”
He turned back to Jenna, who had finally gotten the courage to continue her tale. It made sense in her head. It had to make sense to him as well, right? “I think he... he wanted to... he threatened me and I... I started to run”, she whispered, the words spilling out of her mouth quicker than she was able to regain her breath, so she had to interrupt herself and gasp rapidly.
“I understand”, Hugo said. “How did this man look?” Her eyes widened as she realized that she didn't have any idea about this. She never expected him to believe that much of her tale. That said, a quick idea flashed through her mind. “I... I don't know”, she stuttered. “He had a mask to cover his face... I... think it was looking like a cat” She had seen these people before. They arrived with the reinforcements and the moment she had laid eyes on their strange attire, she knew that they were trouble.
Hugo narrowed his eyes. “Fucking Alley Cats...”, he mumbled. He gave her a nod, as he removed his hands from her shoulders. With a look of regret, he glanced at Leonard. “I'd like to advice you to stay right here, old friend”, he said. “I have to check this out. If one of the cats starts preying on the servants here... well, lives might depend on it” His voice grew more stern as he continued. “And... Leonard. Your life might depend on you staying here, you know that, don't you? I am not your enemy. Stay where you are and I will try my best to convince Lord Petyr of your innocence. Leave and I can't make any promises”
Leonard raised an eyebrow. He opened his mouth, though closed it again, before he gave Hugo a silent nod. “I believe you”, he said. Hugo smiled. “I'm glad you agree”, he said, before he turned to Jenna. “What is your name, girl?”
She gulped. “Jen...na Harking”, she stuttered, forcing herself to give him a thankful look. This one came far less natural for her, because after all, what was she thankful for? That he fell for her lie? Instead, she felt guilty for tricking him, on top of being afraid he might see right through her. But he believed her so far. Perhaps Saerya was right.
“Okay, Jenna”, Hugo spoke. “Lead me to the place where this man assaulted you” Wordlessly, she turned around, though she glanced over her shoulder to make sure that he would follow her. Leonard narrowed his eyes in confusion and to her horror, he remained where he was. She felt her heart beating faster again. She had hoped for him to run away, so that Hugo would stop paying attention to her. The man scared her, despite his kindness, if only for what he could do if he'd find out about her lie.
As she walked, she repeatedly looked over her shoulder to make sure that he was still behind her. This was quite unnecessary, given that she heard his footsteps, but she did so regardless. Why, she wasn't sure about herself. Maybe she just wanted to make sure that he wasn't going to attack her the moment she had turned her back on him. It still seemed surreal that he actually believed her.
“It was in the pantry”, she said as she turned around a corner, now having calmed down enough to breathe steadily. “The servant's pantry, at the end of the hallway” Hugo raised an eyebrow. “What's a servant's pantry?”, he asked. Jenna tensed up as they got closer to the room. “Don't you have it at Darkdell?”, she asked. “The housekeeper... the former housekeeper, she didn't want us to get the same food as the lord and his guests, so she arranged for a room near our quarters where we could get more... appropriate food”
Hugo frowned at the way she put these words. “This woman doesn't strike me as a very good housekeeper”, he said. “I hope I don't have to meet her” Jenna shook her head. “That won't happen, Ser”, she assured him. “She's dead...” As she spoke, she ignored the unusual feeling of relief, speaking of Lady Halla's death. A lot of things had gotten easier for her ever since the woman was gone. At the same time, she felt guilt for even having such a thought. No matter how horrible the former housekeeper had been, Halla had only been a shadow of what she had to face ever since.
To this, Hugo actually seemed sorry. “My apologies”, he said. “I didn't want to speak ill of the dead” Jenna sighed. “Here we are”, she answered, stopping in front of the pantry. It was a small room, lit only by a narrow window. As always, it was unlocked. After all, what was there to steal? The scraps Lady Halla had allowed them to eat?
As Hugo opened the door, he frowned at the sight. “And this is what you were given?”, he said, as he glanced upon the two half-empty shelves, filled with crusty bread and a few rolls of cheese. Far from enough for the two dozen servants that were living in the castle. Thinking back, it was no wonder that Jenna had lost weight ever since she started to work here.
But most importantly, the pantry was empty, at least when it came to live. No masked man anywhere, naturally. A part of Jenna was disappointed by that. Such a detail would have made her lie more convincing. The rest of her was legitimately horrified by this thought.
Hugo sighed. “Well, it seems that whomever has attacked you, he's no longer her”, he said, as he softly patted Jenna onto the back. She gave him a quick, fearful nod, to which he smiled. “Come on”, he said, as he reached for one of the upper shelves. Grabbing a loaf of bread, he smelled it. “Yes, this one's fresh, more or less”, he stated. “You wanted something to eat, isn't that right?”
Jenna's eyes widened. “B... but, Ser”, she stuttered. “Servants are not supposed to take an entire loaf...” Hugo cut her off. “Well, you're not taking it, I'm taking it”, he answered. “This is mine now. And I decide to give it to you” Silently, she grabbed the bread, surprised by his generosity.
“And one more thing”, he continued, as, to Jenna's horror, he reached for the dagger on his belt. Instinctively, she backed off, away from him and against the frame of the door. Narrowing his eyes, Hugo pulled out the dagger, before he took a step towards her. Jenna, now breathing rapidly, pressed herself against the frame of the door, as she considered just turning around and running away. But she didn't.
Surprised by her reaction, Hugo held the dagger in front of her, hilt first. “What's the matter?”, he asked. “You should take it. I can always get a new one from the armoury, but if the cat is still out there, you should be able to defend yourself. I might not be around next time”
Jenna pulled herself together, as she grabbed the dagger. With a thankful expression, she tied it behind her belt, feeling the cold metal pressing against her waist, even through the dress. “Th... thank you, Ser”, she said and Hugo smiled. “You're welcome”, he replied. “Now, where is your room? I consider it my duty to escort you back to your quarters”
To this, Jenna tensed up. “It's... very close to where you and the knight spoke”, she answered. Hugo gave her a nod. “Splendid. With a bit of luck, Leonard listened to my advice. I have to bring him to Lord Petyr”, he said, as he stepped past her and into the hallway again. “And I will report this... incident. It's not the first time I have heard of Mullendore's thugs, but it seems they are getting out of control. Maron has to find a way to keep them in line”
The two started to walk down the hallway, as Hugo continued. “But if there's ever another incident, you come to me, you understand?”, he adviced her. “Or any other man of Darkdell. Unlike the men Mullendore has under his command, we still have our honour and we are here to help”
Reluctantly, Jenna gave him a nod, before she forced herself to smile. “Thank you”, she answered, before a curious look appeared on her face. “The... the knight you have been speaking to, has he done something bad?” Hugo sighed, as they approached the corner that would lead them back to the hallway they started in. “That remains to be seen”, he answered. “Personally, I doubt it, but I have my orders. Do you know him?”
“That was Ser Leonard, right?”, Jenna replied and Hugo nodded. “He's not a bad man”, he answered, as they walked around the corner. “But the most stubborn idiot I have ever met” He shook his head at the sight of the empty hallway and Jenna suppressed a smile of relief at the knight having taken the chance.
As Hugo faced her again, she cowered under his glare. “I... am sorry!”, she said. “I did not know he would...” Hugo shook his head. “It's okay”, he assured her. “Don't be afraid. I am not angry at you. Neither am I angry at him, to be honest. I should have expected this” He sighed. “Truth be told, I don't believe in his guilt. If I would, I wouldn't have left him without a guard”, he admitted. “But this is going to get him into trouble. He has no way out of the castle. The next man who finds him might not be his friend”
After finishing his sentence, he gave Jenna a nod. “If you see him, tell me”, he advised her, as he started to walk. “Nobody else. Just me” With these words, he left her alone in the hallway and Jenna felt a wave of relief. Quickly, she turned to her room, opening it in a hurry.
As expected, two pairs of eyes looked at her. Leonard was sitting on a chair, raising an eyebrow as she entered, whereas Saerya was sitting on the bed, with a sly smirk on her face. “There you are”, she greeted her. “Masterfully done. I told you, you can do it” Her joy caused Jenna to smile thinly. She did this. By the gods, she did it.
Leonard didn't seem even nearly as happy though. He seemed confused by the unlikely help he just received and not as positively as she thought he would. Looking from her to Saerya, he finally raised from the chair. “So... can you tell me just what the hell you're doing here?”, he asked.
Saerya raised an eyebrow. “Well, don't ask me, Ser”, she replied, not without sharpness. “This has been Jenna's wish, so she can tell you” She winked, as she laid down on the bed. Jenna clenched her fists, as she approached the two. “I... wanted to save your life, Ser”, she said, to which Leonard narrowed his eyes.
“Why?”, he growled and this question caught her off guard. “I... are you questioning me?”, she asked in return and he gave her a nonchalant nod. “In the past months, I have been screwed over so many times that I find it hard to believe that anyone's willing to do anything for me out of simple kindness”, Leonard replied. “So, what do you want?”
Jenna felt her lower lip shivering. “I really just want to help”, she answered. “Please, can't we talk about that later? We have to get you out of the castle” Leonard tilted his head. “You mean you will?”, he asked and as she nodded, he continued. “Then give me a reason why I should trust you”
His bluntness not only caught Jenna off guard, it really struck her the wrong way. For a second, she was still afraid under his glare. Then she started to be angry. “A reason?”, she asked. “I just saved you from that knight. Do you need another reason?” Her tone, still slightly meek, had grown considerably more agitated.
Leonard clenched his fists. “If you try anything, any game you're not telling me about here, then I...”, he began to snarl at her, though this was too much for her. “Yeah?”, she cut him off, sharper than ever. “What then?” Angrily, she slammed a finger into his chest, a gesture that surprised him almost more than it surprised her. “You're going to kill me?”, she spat. “Well, guess what, you're not the first to try! By now you gotta wait in line for that!” She narrowed her eyes and as she approached him, she was surprised to see Leonard taking a step back. “So now you can either trust me and live, or you can be a jerk, you can refuse my help and you can die! Got it?”
For a moment, Leonard hesitated. Then, finally, he sighed and gave her a nod. “Got it”, he admitted. “And... sorry. I didn't want to seem ungrateful” Jenna shot him a glare. “Well, you did”, she replied, before she softened up again. “But it's alright. Things must have been hard for you lately”
He gave her a nod, followed by an apologetic smirk. “I'd say 'Like you can't imagine', but I'm pretty sure you can”, he answered. “So, thank you. I truly mean it” A curious look appeared on his face. “Do you have a plan for what's next?” He sat down on the chair and glanced at her.
“We have to get you out of the castle”, Jenna replied, to which he smirked. “No shit”, he said. “I would have left already, but honestly, I cannot do that on my own” He closed his eyes for a moment and the following words clearly cost him a lot. “I need your help”, he urged her. “And I would, respectfully, like to request it”
“You have it”, Jenna assured him, before she hesitated. “But... I don't know how to get you out of the castle. I never did that before... but if you have an idea, I will help you!” Leonard gave her a nod. “I might have something. But first, there's another thing. When I'm out of the castle, I need some place to hide”
“Would be the safest if you'd just leave Raylansfair entirely”, Saerya answered. “I could arrange something. One letter home and you'd have a new king to serve” Leonard raised an eyebrow at her words, though he quickly shook his head. “I don't want a new king to serve”, he replied. “Neither do I want to leave, not if I can help Raylansfair with it”
Saerya rolled her eyes. “Fine, be stubborn”, she said. “But you won't help anyone if you're dead” Leonard gave her a nod. “That's why I need a hideout”, he answered. “A safe place, where I... we can plan the next steps” Jenna tensed up as she realized something. “I might know such a place”, she said. “It's a far shot, but... my father's farm. We have the space, it... it was built for... more people”
Leonard gave her an understanding nod, sparing her the pain of explaining this in further detail. “It's pretty far away from the city, with the forest nearby. Large, from what you just said”, he replied and smiled at her. “I believe this might work. Very well, Jenna Harking. Your father's farm it is then”
“Well, we still don't know your brilliant plan to get out of the city”, Saerya interjected. She and Leonard exchanged a glare, though hers quickly turned into an amused wink, something that caused Leonard to raise his eyebrows. “I have an idea. Not really a plan at this point, at least none I can pull off on my own”, he explained. “The castle might be strictly guarded, but maybe there is a way I can leave it. Not one I like, but one that might work. I would hide in one of the corpse carts and you would distract the guards from looking too closely”
“Distract them, you say?”, Saerya asked. “How?” To this, Leonard shrugged. “Hell, I don't know”, he said. “Aren't you two supposed to be the schemers here? I'd sneak into one of the carts at night, but I doubt nobody is going to look twice. They know I'm in the castle and they will try to keep me here. Once I'm out of here, Mullendore cannot get me, at least not all that easily”
“Mullendore...”, Saerya mumbled. “What do you know about him?” Leonard frowned and a bitter expression appeared on his face. Jenna knew this expression. She had the same whenever she remembered Wolfius. It told her all she needed to know about Maron Mullendore. “A lot”, Leonard answered. “But this is something that can indeed wait until I'm out of there. Your help for my information, how does that sound?”
“Like a fair deal”, Saerya admitted. “As a matter of fact, I'm having an idea already. You say the guards would look closely... what if they don't? The castle guard has been decimated, but I've gotten well acquainted with some of the survivors. A... friend of mine has been highly helpful at that. I could make sure that they are the ones on duty, not any Vyrwel or Mullendore men. They know you, they like you. They won't look twice, not if I ask them to remain silent about it”
“That is risky”, Leonard said reluctantly and Saerya flashed him a smile. “Sweet, your entire presence here is risky”, she told him. “And I didn't know you care” He narrowed his eyes, unimpressed by her honeyed words. “I care for my life”, he said. “And that is at risk with your plan. If any of the castle guard talks, we're all dead”
With determination, he shook his head. “I'm having a better plan, a less risky one. If only the old castle guard stands on duty at the gate, somebody could grow suspicious. Somebody could mess things up. But right now, you only have Vyrwel men. Bored soldiers, who can be easily distracted. Nobody will grow suspicious. I'm sure you can do that. I mean, you are easy on the eyes”
Saerya raised an eyebrow. “Thank you”, she answered. “But that is even more of a risk, in my opinion. I'd rather not try to distract one of them and fail. And Jenna? She's likely to faint the moment a man pays any attention to her” She looked apologetically at Jenna, whose face had turned into a shade of light red. “No offence, Jen. But this is clearly more risky than my plan. What's your input on the situation?”
Jenna
Jenna closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. “Okay...”, she mumbled. “Okay, I can do this” She couldn't, she knew it, but she h… moread to try. As she opened her eyes again, she clenched her fists. With a gasp, she tensed up, as she felt Saerya's hand on her shoulder. “Breath easy”, the woman advised her. “Show them that you're afraid and they will underestimate you, but don't let fear guide your actions”
With a heavily beating heart, Jenna gave her a nod. Then, she slipped through the door. One good thing about being her was that she was used to being nearly invisible for others. And as expected, in the dimly lit hallway, no knight paid any attention to the willowy figure that left her room at the other end of the hallway.
She blinked for a moment and for the first time in her life, she was glad about the tears that came so easily for her when she was scared. And she was scared. If anything would go wrong now, if she would mess … [view original content]
[Support Leonard] Saerya says she has a "friend" that could help her out. Damn! She has a lot of friends in the guards, not only Frankenstein, but even more peeps. Still Leonard's plan sounds less risky to me. And Jenna has proven that she can handle people now, so a guard, Vyrwel guard no less, shouldn't be a problem.
Saerya did see Frankfurt's corpse, right? I have a vague memory of her talking about him.
Really cool part, some great development on Jenna there.
Also, there could be a chance for a reunion between Kersea and Leonard.
Jenna
Jenna closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. “Okay...”, she mumbled. “Okay, I can do this” She couldn't, she knew it, but she h… moread to try. As she opened her eyes again, she clenched her fists. With a gasp, she tensed up, as she felt Saerya's hand on her shoulder. “Breath easy”, the woman advised her. “Show them that you're afraid and they will underestimate you, but don't let fear guide your actions”
With a heavily beating heart, Jenna gave her a nod. Then, she slipped through the door. One good thing about being her was that she was used to being nearly invisible for others. And as expected, in the dimly lit hallway, no knight paid any attention to the willowy figure that left her room at the other end of the hallway.
She blinked for a moment and for the first time in her life, she was glad about the tears that came so easily for her when she was scared. And she was scared. If anything would go wrong now, if she would mess … [view original content]
I understand Hugo that you are a good knight protector of commoners but you really have to go around gifting knives to random people?XD
Jenna make us remember how good was the life of the servants when Lady Halla was around
Now that I think about deceaded people,just now I notice that Jenna never even mentioned Harris death!It seems really weird to me since he was the man that make Jenna start her new career.
It's just me or I believe that hideLeonard in Richard farm is not a bright idea?How will Jenna explain to her father that she bring in his house a fugitive knight?
Speaking of the farm,I won't be surprised if there is another person hiding in that place (and I'm not talking of Alan)
PS:btw Happy Easter to you Liquid and to all the others readers of this story!
Jenna
Jenna closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. “Okay...”, she mumbled. “Okay, I can do this” She couldn't, she knew it, but she h… moread to try. As she opened her eyes again, she clenched her fists. With a gasp, she tensed up, as she felt Saerya's hand on her shoulder. “Breath easy”, the woman advised her. “Show them that you're afraid and they will underestimate you, but don't let fear guide your actions”
With a heavily beating heart, Jenna gave her a nod. Then, she slipped through the door. One good thing about being her was that she was used to being nearly invisible for others. And as expected, in the dimly lit hallway, no knight paid any attention to the willowy figure that left her room at the other end of the hallway.
She blinked for a moment and for the first time in her life, she was glad about the tears that came so easily for her when she was scared. And she was scared. If anything would go wrong now, if she would mess … [view original content]
[Support Saerya] Saerya is the master spy here. Plus, there is no reason why the castle guard would snitch on Leonard. He is a knight of Raylainsfair, and a friendly face amongst all these strangers at the castle. Good on Jenna for acing her charm roll. Leveled up her charisma level right there. Another step to becoming a loyal spy of Team Targ.
Jenna
Jenna closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. “Okay...”, she mumbled. “Okay, I can do this” She couldn't, she knew it, but she h… moread to try. As she opened her eyes again, she clenched her fists. With a gasp, she tensed up, as she felt Saerya's hand on her shoulder. “Breath easy”, the woman advised her. “Show them that you're afraid and they will underestimate you, but don't let fear guide your actions”
With a heavily beating heart, Jenna gave her a nod. Then, she slipped through the door. One good thing about being her was that she was used to being nearly invisible for others. And as expected, in the dimly lit hallway, no knight paid any attention to the willowy figure that left her room at the other end of the hallway.
She blinked for a moment and for the first time in her life, she was glad about the tears that came so easily for her when she was scared. And she was scared. If anything would go wrong now, if she would mess … [view original content]
Comments
While that is true, what really matters is that we know who support or not support in our votes. In all honesty, if Mullendore was on Team Targ, I would've helped him out in conqouering Raylainsfair. But now we know that Team Targ supporters should vote against anything that helps out Anturions and the Hoares. But there being another faction is quite ominous I must say.
[Accept the offer]
Well not only was this mission for The Rock possibly a waste of time, but now we know he'll be negotiating with the bloody enemy! Wah wah wah waaaaaaaaaah. Also I have a theory regarding this if you want me to DM it to you. It's a long shot but its something I've thought about.
Also now that we know who Mullendore is sworn to, that also puts the Sherryl working against Mullendore theory down the drain. Well, maybe.
I doubt she died from her "injuries" but she better stay under cover. The bastard. (Jk)
[Accept the offer]
[Decline the offer]
NO! Why the hell are we helping him? Why? So what if Garthon dies? Do you really think it would be that simple and quick? I have my doubts that Garthon would just be executed and done. Maybe he'll be saved. Maybe, more importantly, he gets a chance to spread this information to the people who need to hear it.
Damnit. I was wrong. I was hoping he was just out for himself. Damn.
Well, I was correct about appearing as a heroes and saviors, but not knowing Anturion? I assumed he did. Very interesting. Very interesting indeed.
Because it was sabotaged, obviously. Well, glad that didn't happen, although I bet it could have if we made some bad choices. Maybe.
I just hope Lord Donnel Selwyn isn't a part of this. Long live House Selwyn! Seriously though, I imagine he hate ironborn too much to ever consider working with them,
Sherryl, oh yes she did. Very good.
[Accept the offer]
I noticed this name in the unintroduced character list: Montoya the Duelist.
Did somebody kill his father?
Ah, I really liked the Targaryen theory, as it made so much sense, but alas, it was too important for Mullendore to work with Harren, because frankly, without it, his timely arrival in Raylansfair wouldn't have made sense. Neither would have Saerya's rivalry with Sherryl and their heavily opposing goals of creating order versus destabilizing the entire city. By the time the Targaryen theory was brought up by one of you, the groundwork for Mullendore's alliance with Harren has already been laid out.
I can assure you, his loyalty for Harren is solely based on the fact that he sees him as the only one capable of achieving such a goal, of imposing order on the entirety of Westeros. He underestimates Aegon quite heavily. If he realizes his error, it might be possible for him to switch sides, but at the same time, he already mae quite a terrible first impression in his interaction with Orys.
The factions are indeed laid out for now. I can promise though, this is merely the groundwork for Book 2, which is seriously going to shake up the dynamics I have built up so far. I cannot wait to read about everyone's reactions for some of the later twists that will probably mix these factions up again
That is very much the thing there. You have a more complete picture of the factions now, but in the story itself, everyone is unerestimating everyone else. Arguably, House Targaryen has the most realistic view on the situation, but even they lack information about Mullendore's true goals and it is doubtful Aegon has any intel on Anturion. Edward meanwhile is unlikely to outright expect the approaching WoQ. And Harren and Mullendore, well, they see themselves as absolutely superior to any other faction in this power struggle. And there are still other player, unaffiliated with any of the ones you know about, which are going to play a role as well in the things to come. Damn it, things are getting complicated
Willfred's mission has indeed been heavily put at risk right now, with Mullendore having a personal interest in the Rock falling to the Ironborn. Things could have been different, but with Mullendore at the top, they will get seriously hard. It's a shame Willfred doesn't even know about this yet. As for your theory, you can surely send it to me, or you could post it here, whatever you prefer
Well, her whereabouts are currently more or less unknown. She has served loyally, so there has to be a reason she hasn't been seen near Mullendore since the chapter started. At the same time, it is certainly not impossible that she follows her own agenda. Someone like her would need a very good reason to stay loyal to anyone but herself. That said, a lot of questions about Sherryl will be answered in this chapter. With her failure to start a war between Reach and Stormlands, it might indeed be a good thing for her if she remains in hiding.
Yeah we talked about this guy before. Apparently he's part of a group in Essos we have not even met yet.
Well, there is this king whom he has mentioned several times, the one he considers the strongest and most rightful king in Westeros. That said, it is still very much a possibility that Harren is just a tool for Maron to increase his own power and that he ultimately truly is only out for himself.
At least he claims not to know anything about Anturion. Similarly, Anturion himself was very convinced that this raid has been all for him to get into the archive, as part of an earlier, still relatively mysterious deal he made with Harren Hoare. He realized that he has been played and it's safe to say that he is not happy about it.
Aye, this is another important thing Mullendore revealed in this part. Sabotaging the gate was not to screw over the people of Raylansfair, it was to screw over the Ironborn. That part of the plan ended up as more or less unnecessary, as they never even got that far, save for the vanguard, which was stopped by the castle guard and Emphryus. Of course, screwing over the people of Raylansfair was something Mullendore was not terribly opposed to, really.
Well, Donnel is a lord of the northern Reach, which is of special importance to Mullendore, as the key to controlling the entirety of the Reach. It can be assumed that he is going to have a look at him and at the potential options he would have for an alliance. At the same time, Donnel's hatred towards Ironborn and his "Selwyn Tower first" approach is going to make things hard. Mullendore would have to bring up some serious benefits there.
Oh yes, she failed to kill Argella. She at least succeeded at making things very rocky between the kingdoms, something Mullendore himself made only worse with his little show in Drent's parts. However, at the core, Sherryl failed at her most important objective, which might just be one of the reasons she is currently not by his side.
As a matter of fact, someone indeed killed his father
The character itself is not having all that many similarities though. He will first be seen in the early Book 2, as part of a new storyline which will be set in the Vale of Arryn and which is going to introduce a great number of interesting new characters who are related to this Montoya.
well i'm indeed looking forward for that
[Accept the offer]
[Accept the offer]
I'm certain there will come a point where we can betray him. And knowing what he knows now, we can't afford for Garthon to die.
"No trait is more justified than revenge at the right time and place."
Meir Kahane
Ah, and there shall be something to look forward for indeed! I am always a bit off with my prognosis on when to expect a character, but I think in case of yours, I have been inexcusably wrong, due to Book 1 taking so much longer to finish than I thought. It's not the only case where I was forced to keep a reader waiting for much longer than I thought at first, but one of the longest. Be assured, I will make it up to you with a very nice storyline and the wait is as good as over
Sorry for missing the past two parts, I've been on spring break and I'm not even lying when I say that I've probably only been home for about two hours throughout this entire week and weekend. I've been able to catch up and awesome parts they were
I must say, Mullendore has always been one of my most hated characters but he might even be number one now. He has no likeable traits whatsoever and I just want him dead.
[Accept the offer] Well, this choice seems kind of obvious in my opinion. I don't want another character, let alone a major one, getting killed by this piece of shit.
One would think Harren would keep a good eye on him. I don't think he would let Garthon just run anywhere he want anylonger, to meet fishlords or fuckin' Freys.
Also, a friendly reminder, sent you a PM a couple o' days ago with some question. It's fine though, no rush if you feel like you have to much on your plate right now.
Ah welcome back, this is awesome
Glad you enjoyed the last couple of parts!
Well, there's his arguably good intentions. At least he seems to believe that they are good intentions. With the reveal that he is serving Harren Hoare and Aegon Targaryen, your mileage is likely going to vary heavily there, but he's certainly not seeing himself as the villain here. There's also his interaction with Briar Catelins, though as it has been stated before, this could also be seen as making him only more creepy, considering how little restraint he shows with the children who worked for the Burned Man. All in all, he is surely not only a villain, but also a grade-A asshole, which makes for a hateable combination. Ah, I am glad he's causing such strong reactions, this is exactly what I have hoped for
The Voting is closed!
Garthon is going to accept the offer
Ah, a very active voting, which makes me very happy
I was pretty sure that a majority of you would pick this, especially as I doubted that you'd value resistance against Mullendore as more important than Garthon's life. At the same time, that much I can tell you now, the other choice wouldn't have led to his inevitable death. There would have still been a chance for him. For now, he is going to work for Mullendore though, which is going to be beneficial in the short run, because it certainly beats a public execution. This choice however also means that this was likely Garthon's only part in this chapter, although I might include another short part if I have the room later in this chapter. It won't hold that many twists though and would likely only serve the purpose to establish some things about his next steps. Yeah, it sounds likely that I'm going to do this. We'll see where it will lead us to 
The next part should be out today. It is going to be a Jenna part, her second in this chapter. I have written quite a bit for it, but there is a tiny chance I will get to include another PoV as well, which should be either Ilish or Willfred. But we'll see about that. There is going to be a Jenna part for sure. The last time we saw her, she and Saerya discussed the aftermath of the raid, where Saerya expressed concern over the arrival of Mullendore and Petyr, whom she knew nothing about. I guess her confusion makes a lot more sense with the recent reveals. Their discussion was interrupted by the arrival of Leonard Constantine, who was currently trying to hide from Mullendore's men, after not having made it out of the castle before it was occupied. He was indeed discovered, by one of the Vyrwel knights, a man name Hugo Farnham, who was already acquainted with Leonard from an earlier visit to Darkdell. Despite being far from convinced about his guilt, Hugo saw it as his duty to take Leonard into custody, something the knight obviously wouldn't just allow to happen. Before a fight could break out, Jenna decided to intervene, with intentions of distracting Hugo long enough to ensure Leonard's escape.
I was right! The only one! Agh! You people will rue the day you did not vote with me, the only person who saw it. Once we see the alternate choices, I shall hope that mine leads to a better outcome.
You were sort of right, indeed! However, certain choices in this alternative route could have lead to his death, though not in this chapter, but in the next. So, declining the offer was still very much a risk, even if it was by no means a certain death sentence, whereas accepting it was the safer choice, if not necessarily the better one. A lot of it would have depended on the choices you would have made after declining the offer.
Whoa, looks like I got home early enough to post the new set of drawings before the next part!
So, here they are:
You know you pretty much started your own style and collection here. That and your art is beautiful and amazing, but that's nothing new.
Thanks, I'm very glad people are enjoying these
Wel I'm very glad you do them
.
Fantastic! Tedyn looks really fucking intimidating, and I love Petyr's somewhat cocky expression! Great work, mate.
Just wanna somewhat tell how I thought. I didn't think he was gonna die by such a simple choice, but I knew that he basically could be free if he accept, where he just can run away if he desire, and not even head back Harrenhal. Now, he'll probably do that anyways, but who knows, aye?
Oh man, these are amazing! I am glad you could still make it in time before the next part. Naturally, I was really looking forward for these. One thing I am always surprised of is how you manage to give every character their own unique look, despite the similarities that have to happen in a cast of hundreds. I think you've drawn over a hundred characters now and there is no doubt that they all look unique. For me, this is best shown not in the way you draw the already unique characters, but the ones who look more common. In this set, there is Hugo, who looks relatively normal and Keat, who is outright required to look as ordinary and common as possible and yet you still gave them their own visual identity and I'm loving that! Now, Tedyn is seriously great, because he is the one that looks the most uncannily as I have imagined him to look. There's one of these in each set and this time, it's him. I love details such as the Hoare sigil on his chest. Keat was one I was really unsure what you'd make of him, due to my description basically narrowing down to "A guy with brown hair, a nose, two eyes, a mouth and so on...", but you did great with making him look so different, yet at the same time absolutely ordinary. I love this! Connor, well, there is one detail about him I cannot even comment on, but I love this drawing, because of how perfect he is. I especially like the clear similarities to Alphyn in sheer appearance, but how you still made him feel different. Hugo, I already mentioned, is another one who doesn't really stand out through looks alone, so I don't know if he was all that easy to draw, but you did outstanding job with him! And finally, Petyr... I must say, I only now realize that my description of him does give him similarities to a certain other Petyr and your drawing clearly seems to have drawn inspiration from that. And I love it
He's going to be a very complex character to write in the future and this drawing of him made me only more eager to write down some of the scenes I have planned for him. As always, thanks a lot for drawing these 
Hey liquid how many parts do you think this chapter has left?
Huh, this is a hard question. It mostly depends how many parts with one and how many with two PoV's I am able to write, which is something I cannot always plan in advance. I'd say anything between 15 and 25 parts, really, including Jenna's almost finished part. This chapter is supposed to be one of the shorter ones, especially compared to Masquerade, which holds the record at 48 parts, but it is still likely to be over 30 parts in total, including the ones I have already written for it so far. I plan to have it finished until my birthday in mid-June, which I consider to be a realistic assumption. I have a total of 25 PoV's left, or maybe 27 at most, but several of these will be written in parts that include two PoV's.
Well dang. I was kinda hoping it would end soon so I could ask you questions without interruption you
.
But you can always ask me questions
Really, you're not interrupting anything. If there's anything you would like to know, ask right ahead. It might take me a couple of hours to answer, maybe even until the next day, but I am always happy to answer to any question you or anyone else has!
Ok then here comes another massive pile on of questions.
Jenna
Jenna closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. “Okay...”, she mumbled. “Okay, I can do this” She couldn't, she knew it, but she had to try. As she opened her eyes again, she clenched her fists. With a gasp, she tensed up, as she felt Saerya's hand on her shoulder. “Breath easy”, the woman advised her. “Show them that you're afraid and they will underestimate you, but don't let fear guide your actions”
With a heavily beating heart, Jenna gave her a nod. Then, she slipped through the door. One good thing about being her was that she was used to being nearly invisible for others. And as expected, in the dimly lit hallway, no knight paid any attention to the willowy figure that left her room at the other end of the hallway.
She blinked for a moment and for the first time in her life, she was glad about the tears that came so easily for her when she was scared. And she was scared. If anything would go wrong now, if she would mess this up, then anything could happen. With wet eyes, she started to rush down the hallway and into the light of the torches.
Leonard and Hugo were still glaring at each other, though as they heard her footsteps, they turned down the hallway. Hugo was the first to see, her while Leonard glanced over his shoulder. He recognized her and a frown formed on his face. It was Hugo who reacted first though. Unlike Leonard's confused frown, he showed concern, as he raised his hands, finally putting them away from the hilt of his sword.
As she came closer, her panic grew. So did the amount of tears that poured down her cheeks. She didn't have to pretend to be a scared little girl. Somewhere, deep down, she felt a strange satisfaction. Without hesitating, Hugo stepped past Leonard, while the other man glanced at the scenery with distrust. He gently reached for Jenna's shoulders and she started to sob as he held her.
“Shh, girl”, he said softly, the look in his brown eyes being warm and reassuring. “It's all good” She was scared of being near him, but the pleasant expression on his face did wonders in calming her down at the same time. She had him. By the Seven, she actually had him.
Not daring to look him in the eyes, she began to speak. Gasping at first, she eventually managed to form words, as she quickly settled for a story she wanted to tell him. It was one of the things she genuinely feared, one of the many, so it came naturally for her. “Ser... Ser, I...”, she stuttered. “There was this man... he... I...”
Memories of Wolfius flashed through her mind and she closed her eyes, a distraught expression appearing on her face. “He... I think he...” She paused, trying to regain her breath. Hugo glanced at Leonard, who still glared at the scenery. “Leonard, please excuse me for a moment”, he spoke. “You'll have my attention in a minute”
He turned back to Jenna, who had finally gotten the courage to continue her tale. It made sense in her head. It had to make sense to him as well, right? “I think he... he wanted to... he threatened me and I... I started to run”, she whispered, the words spilling out of her mouth quicker than she was able to regain her breath, so she had to interrupt herself and gasp rapidly.
“I understand”, Hugo said. “How did this man look?” Her eyes widened as she realized that she didn't have any idea about this. She never expected him to believe that much of her tale. That said, a quick idea flashed through her mind. “I... I don't know”, she stuttered. “He had a mask to cover his face... I... think it was looking like a cat” She had seen these people before. They arrived with the reinforcements and the moment she had laid eyes on their strange attire, she knew that they were trouble.
Hugo narrowed his eyes. “Fucking Alley Cats...”, he mumbled. He gave her a nod, as he removed his hands from her shoulders. With a look of regret, he glanced at Leonard. “I'd like to advice you to stay right here, old friend”, he said. “I have to check this out. If one of the cats starts preying on the servants here... well, lives might depend on it” His voice grew more stern as he continued. “And... Leonard. Your life might depend on you staying here, you know that, don't you? I am not your enemy. Stay where you are and I will try my best to convince Lord Petyr of your innocence. Leave and I can't make any promises”
Leonard raised an eyebrow. He opened his mouth, though closed it again, before he gave Hugo a silent nod. “I believe you”, he said. Hugo smiled. “I'm glad you agree”, he said, before he turned to Jenna. “What is your name, girl?”
She gulped. “Jen...na Harking”, she stuttered, forcing herself to give him a thankful look. This one came far less natural for her, because after all, what was she thankful for? That he fell for her lie? Instead, she felt guilty for tricking him, on top of being afraid he might see right through her. But he believed her so far. Perhaps Saerya was right.
“Okay, Jenna”, Hugo spoke. “Lead me to the place where this man assaulted you” Wordlessly, she turned around, though she glanced over her shoulder to make sure that he would follow her. Leonard narrowed his eyes in confusion and to her horror, he remained where he was. She felt her heart beating faster again. She had hoped for him to run away, so that Hugo would stop paying attention to her. The man scared her, despite his kindness, if only for what he could do if he'd find out about her lie.
As she walked, she repeatedly looked over her shoulder to make sure that he was still behind her. This was quite unnecessary, given that she heard his footsteps, but she did so regardless. Why, she wasn't sure about herself. Maybe she just wanted to make sure that he wasn't going to attack her the moment she had turned her back on him. It still seemed surreal that he actually believed her.
“It was in the pantry”, she said as she turned around a corner, now having calmed down enough to breathe steadily. “The servant's pantry, at the end of the hallway” Hugo raised an eyebrow. “What's a servant's pantry?”, he asked. Jenna tensed up as they got closer to the room. “Don't you have it at Darkdell?”, she asked. “The housekeeper... the former housekeeper, she didn't want us to get the same food as the lord and his guests, so she arranged for a room near our quarters where we could get more... appropriate food”
Hugo frowned at the way she put these words. “This woman doesn't strike me as a very good housekeeper”, he said. “I hope I don't have to meet her” Jenna shook her head. “That won't happen, Ser”, she assured him. “She's dead...” As she spoke, she ignored the unusual feeling of relief, speaking of Lady Halla's death. A lot of things had gotten easier for her ever since the woman was gone. At the same time, she felt guilt for even having such a thought. No matter how horrible the former housekeeper had been, Halla had only been a shadow of what she had to face ever since.
To this, Hugo actually seemed sorry. “My apologies”, he said. “I didn't want to speak ill of the dead” Jenna sighed. “Here we are”, she answered, stopping in front of the pantry. It was a small room, lit only by a narrow window. As always, it was unlocked. After all, what was there to steal? The scraps Lady Halla had allowed them to eat?
As Hugo opened the door, he frowned at the sight. “And this is what you were given?”, he said, as he glanced upon the two half-empty shelves, filled with crusty bread and a few rolls of cheese. Far from enough for the two dozen servants that were living in the castle. Thinking back, it was no wonder that Jenna had lost weight ever since she started to work here.
But most importantly, the pantry was empty, at least when it came to live. No masked man anywhere, naturally. A part of Jenna was disappointed by that. Such a detail would have made her lie more convincing. The rest of her was legitimately horrified by this thought.
Hugo sighed. “Well, it seems that whomever has attacked you, he's no longer her”, he said, as he softly patted Jenna onto the back. She gave him a quick, fearful nod, to which he smiled. “Come on”, he said, as he reached for one of the upper shelves. Grabbing a loaf of bread, he smelled it. “Yes, this one's fresh, more or less”, he stated. “You wanted something to eat, isn't that right?”
Jenna's eyes widened. “B... but, Ser”, she stuttered. “Servants are not supposed to take an entire loaf...” Hugo cut her off. “Well, you're not taking it, I'm taking it”, he answered. “This is mine now. And I decide to give it to you” Silently, she grabbed the bread, surprised by his generosity.
“And one more thing”, he continued, as, to Jenna's horror, he reached for the dagger on his belt. Instinctively, she backed off, away from him and against the frame of the door. Narrowing his eyes, Hugo pulled out the dagger, before he took a step towards her. Jenna, now breathing rapidly, pressed herself against the frame of the door, as she considered just turning around and running away. But she didn't.
Surprised by her reaction, Hugo held the dagger in front of her, hilt first. “What's the matter?”, he asked. “You should take it. I can always get a new one from the armoury, but if the cat is still out there, you should be able to defend yourself. I might not be around next time”
Jenna pulled herself together, as she grabbed the dagger. With a thankful expression, she tied it behind her belt, feeling the cold metal pressing against her waist, even through the dress. “Th... thank you, Ser”, she said and Hugo smiled. “You're welcome”, he replied. “Now, where is your room? I consider it my duty to escort you back to your quarters”
To this, Jenna tensed up. “It's... very close to where you and the knight spoke”, she answered. Hugo gave her a nod. “Splendid. With a bit of luck, Leonard listened to my advice. I have to bring him to Lord Petyr”, he said, as he stepped past her and into the hallway again. “And I will report this... incident. It's not the first time I have heard of Mullendore's thugs, but it seems they are getting out of control. Maron has to find a way to keep them in line”
The two started to walk down the hallway, as Hugo continued. “But if there's ever another incident, you come to me, you understand?”, he adviced her. “Or any other man of Darkdell. Unlike the men Mullendore has under his command, we still have our honour and we are here to help”
Reluctantly, Jenna gave him a nod, before she forced herself to smile. “Thank you”, she answered, before a curious look appeared on her face. “The... the knight you have been speaking to, has he done something bad?” Hugo sighed, as they approached the corner that would lead them back to the hallway they started in. “That remains to be seen”, he answered. “Personally, I doubt it, but I have my orders. Do you know him?”
“That was Ser Leonard, right?”, Jenna replied and Hugo nodded. “He's not a bad man”, he answered, as they walked around the corner. “But the most stubborn idiot I have ever met” He shook his head at the sight of the empty hallway and Jenna suppressed a smile of relief at the knight having taken the chance.
As Hugo faced her again, she cowered under his glare. “I... am sorry!”, she said. “I did not know he would...” Hugo shook his head. “It's okay”, he assured her. “Don't be afraid. I am not angry at you. Neither am I angry at him, to be honest. I should have expected this” He sighed. “Truth be told, I don't believe in his guilt. If I would, I wouldn't have left him without a guard”, he admitted. “But this is going to get him into trouble. He has no way out of the castle. The next man who finds him might not be his friend”
After finishing his sentence, he gave Jenna a nod. “If you see him, tell me”, he advised her, as he started to walk. “Nobody else. Just me” With these words, he left her alone in the hallway and Jenna felt a wave of relief. Quickly, she turned to her room, opening it in a hurry.
As expected, two pairs of eyes looked at her. Leonard was sitting on a chair, raising an eyebrow as she entered, whereas Saerya was sitting on the bed, with a sly smirk on her face. “There you are”, she greeted her. “Masterfully done. I told you, you can do it” Her joy caused Jenna to smile thinly. She did this. By the gods, she did it.
Leonard didn't seem even nearly as happy though. He seemed confused by the unlikely help he just received and not as positively as she thought he would. Looking from her to Saerya, he finally raised from the chair. “So... can you tell me just what the hell you're doing here?”, he asked.
Saerya raised an eyebrow. “Well, don't ask me, Ser”, she replied, not without sharpness. “This has been Jenna's wish, so she can tell you” She winked, as she laid down on the bed. Jenna clenched her fists, as she approached the two. “I... wanted to save your life, Ser”, she said, to which Leonard narrowed his eyes.
“Why?”, he growled and this question caught her off guard. “I... are you questioning me?”, she asked in return and he gave her a nonchalant nod. “In the past months, I have been screwed over so many times that I find it hard to believe that anyone's willing to do anything for me out of simple kindness”, Leonard replied. “So, what do you want?”
Jenna felt her lower lip shivering. “I really just want to help”, she answered. “Please, can't we talk about that later? We have to get you out of the castle” Leonard tilted his head. “You mean you will?”, he asked and as she nodded, he continued. “Then give me a reason why I should trust you”
His bluntness not only caught Jenna off guard, it really struck her the wrong way. For a second, she was still afraid under his glare. Then she started to be angry. “A reason?”, she asked. “I just saved you from that knight. Do you need another reason?” Her tone, still slightly meek, had grown considerably more agitated.
Leonard clenched his fists. “If you try anything, any game you're not telling me about here, then I...”, he began to snarl at her, though this was too much for her. “Yeah?”, she cut him off, sharper than ever. “What then?” Angrily, she slammed a finger into his chest, a gesture that surprised him almost more than it surprised her. “You're going to kill me?”, she spat. “Well, guess what, you're not the first to try! By now you gotta wait in line for that!” She narrowed her eyes and as she approached him, she was surprised to see Leonard taking a step back. “So now you can either trust me and live, or you can be a jerk, you can refuse my help and you can die! Got it?”
For a moment, Leonard hesitated. Then, finally, he sighed and gave her a nod. “Got it”, he admitted. “And... sorry. I didn't want to seem ungrateful” Jenna shot him a glare. “Well, you did”, she replied, before she softened up again. “But it's alright. Things must have been hard for you lately”
He gave her a nod, followed by an apologetic smirk. “I'd say 'Like you can't imagine', but I'm pretty sure you can”, he answered. “So, thank you. I truly mean it” A curious look appeared on his face. “Do you have a plan for what's next?” He sat down on the chair and glanced at her.
“We have to get you out of the castle”, Jenna replied, to which he smirked. “No shit”, he said. “I would have left already, but honestly, I cannot do that on my own” He closed his eyes for a moment and the following words clearly cost him a lot. “I need your help”, he urged her. “And I would, respectfully, like to request it”
“You have it”, Jenna assured him, before she hesitated. “But... I don't know how to get you out of the castle. I never did that before... but if you have an idea, I will help you!” Leonard gave her a nod. “I might have something. But first, there's another thing. When I'm out of the castle, I need some place to hide”
“Would be the safest if you'd just leave Raylansfair entirely”, Saerya answered. “I could arrange something. One letter home and you'd have a new king to serve” Leonard raised an eyebrow at her words, though he quickly shook his head. “I don't want a new king to serve”, he replied. “Neither do I want to leave, not if I can help Raylansfair with it”
Saerya rolled her eyes. “Fine, be stubborn”, she said. “But you won't help anyone if you're dead” Leonard gave her a nod. “That's why I need a hideout”, he answered. “A safe place, where I... we can plan the next steps” Jenna tensed up as she realized something. “I might know such a place”, she said. “It's a far shot, but... my father's farm. We have the space, it... it was built for... more people”
Leonard gave her an understanding nod, sparing her the pain of explaining this in further detail. “It's pretty far away from the city, with the forest nearby. Large, from what you just said”, he replied and smiled at her. “I believe this might work. Very well, Jenna Harking. Your father's farm it is then”
“Well, we still don't know your brilliant plan to get out of the city”, Saerya interjected. She and Leonard exchanged a glare, though hers quickly turned into an amused wink, something that caused Leonard to raise his eyebrows. “I have an idea. Not really a plan at this point, at least none I can pull off on my own”, he explained. “The castle might be strictly guarded, but maybe there is a way I can leave it. Not one I like, but one that might work. I would hide in one of the corpse carts and you would distract the guards from looking too closely”
“Distract them, you say?”, Saerya asked. “How?” To this, Leonard shrugged. “Hell, I don't know”, he said. “Aren't you two supposed to be the schemers here? I'd sneak into one of the carts at night, but I doubt nobody is going to look twice. They know I'm in the castle and they will try to keep me here. Once I'm out of here, Mullendore cannot get me, at least not all that easily”
“Mullendore...”, Saerya mumbled. “What do you know about him?” Leonard frowned and a bitter expression appeared on his face. Jenna knew this expression. She had the same whenever she remembered Wolfius. It told her all she needed to know about Maron Mullendore. “A lot”, Leonard answered. “But this is something that can indeed wait until I'm out of there. Your help for my information, how does that sound?”
“Like a fair deal”, Saerya admitted. “As a matter of fact, I'm having an idea already. You say the guards would look closely... what if they don't? The castle guard has been decimated, but I've gotten well acquainted with some of the survivors. A... friend of mine has been highly helpful at that. I could make sure that they are the ones on duty, not any Vyrwel or Mullendore men. They know you, they like you. They won't look twice, not if I ask them to remain silent about it”
“That is risky”, Leonard said reluctantly and Saerya flashed him a smile. “Sweet, your entire presence here is risky”, she told him. “And I didn't know you care” He narrowed his eyes, unimpressed by her honeyed words. “I care for my life”, he said. “And that is at risk with your plan. If any of the castle guard talks, we're all dead”
With determination, he shook his head. “I'm having a better plan, a less risky one. If only the old castle guard stands on duty at the gate, somebody could grow suspicious. Somebody could mess things up. But right now, you only have Vyrwel men. Bored soldiers, who can be easily distracted. Nobody will grow suspicious. I'm sure you can do that. I mean, you are easy on the eyes”
Saerya raised an eyebrow. “Thank you”, she answered. “But that is even more of a risk, in my opinion. I'd rather not try to distract one of them and fail. And Jenna? She's likely to faint the moment a man pays any attention to her” She looked apologetically at Jenna, whose face had turned into a shade of light red. “No offence, Jen. But this is clearly more risky than my plan. What's your input on the situation?”
[Support Saerya] [Support Leonard]
Ok, you were faster. Congrats.
[Support Leonard] Come on Girls, I'm sure they'll faint at your beauty first. Confidence! Confidence!.
[Support Leonard] Saerya says she has a "friend" that could help her out. Damn! She has a lot of friends in the guards, not only Frankenstein, but even more peeps. Still Leonard's plan sounds less risky to me. And Jenna has proven that she can handle people now, so a guard, Vyrwel guard no less, shouldn't be a problem.
Saerya did see Frankfurt's corpse, right? I have a vague memory of her talking about him.
Really cool part, some great development on Jenna there.
Also, there could be a chance for a reunion between Kersea and Leonard.
[Support Leonard] More risk more fun
RT:
PS:btw Happy Easter to you Liquid and to all the others readers of this story!
[Support Saerya] Saerya is the master spy here. Plus, there is no reason why the castle guard would snitch on Leonard. He is a knight of Raylainsfair, and a friendly face amongst all these strangers at the castle. Good on Jenna for acing her charm roll. Leveled up her charisma level right there. Another step to becoming a loyal spy of Team Targ.
[Support Saerya]