Let me tell you Liquid,this parts will be AWESOME to read! I already know that I will enjoy to read this special parts not only because they will introduce many important historical characters of ASOIAF (and I'm obviously curious to discover which ones of the many characters submitted by us will have the honour to be part of their ruler PoV) but even because read of that by the rulers of the Seven Kingdoms (each one of them with very different personalities) will be really entertaining!
Glad to hear you are already looking forward for it! You are right, there will be a number of very important characters from the Ice and Fire canon appearing. However, there will be even more submitted characters who will appear in these parts, probably several in each. Of course, most of these new ones will appear in the North, in Dorne and in the Vale, as the courts there haven't been seen at all. To build hype, allow me to say that two of your characters are likely going to have a role in it And well, the main thing here should be that you get to see how the rulers are as characters, from their own perspective for once.
Wilfred and Drent last parts for Book 1
While I have in minds some possible outcomes for the next Drent part I really don't know wha… moret to expect from the Wilfred one
Tomorrow, I'll have even less time, as it's my birthday
It seems that even if you won't manage to end this part for tomorrow I will still make a post!
Book 1 epilogue
I'm really,really curious to discover what will happen in the last part of the first book
It will have the title "Seven Letters" and it will consist of seven parts, each written from the perspective of a king/ruling princess/queen regent of one of the seven Kingdoms of Westeros.
Let me tell you Liquid,this parts will be AWESOME to read! I already know that I will enjoy to read this special parts not only because they will introduce many important historical characters of ASOIAF (and I'm obviously curious to discover which ones of the many characters submitted by us wi… [view original content]
Of course, most of these new ones will appear in the North, in Dorne and in the Vale
This is such good news! In fact, the Vale is actually my favourite region in Westeros; hence, why most of my characters are associated with it. All in all, I can't wait to read about Sharra Arryn's part of the story. Maybe we'll even get to see the Moon Door in action.
Let me tell you Liquid,this parts will be AWESOME to read! I already know that I will enjoy to read this special parts not only because they… more will introduce many important historical characters of ASOIAF (and I'm obviously curious to discover which ones of the many characters submitted by us will have the honour to be part of their ruler PoV) but even because read of that by the rulers of the Seven Kingdoms (each one of them with very different personalities) will be really entertaining!
Glad to hear you are already looking forward for it! You are right, there will be a number of very important characters from the Ice and Fire canon appearing. However, there will be even more submitted characters who will appear in these parts, probably several in each. Of course, most of these new ones will appear in the North, in Dorne and in the Vale, as the courts there haven't been seen at all. To build hype, allow me to say that two of your chara… [view original content]
This is great news! I really can't wait to see the rulers perspective. As Dorne is my favorite region of the entire known world, I'm really excited that we'll get to see a bit of it earlier as well as the Yellow Toad of Dorne herself. hehe
The Voting is closed!
Edrick is going to punch Leo
So... that was something I really was curious about, considering that in the past, … moreyou mostly chose to refrain from using such violence. In this case however, I'd say Leo deserves a good punch and though we won't get to see the punch itself, only the aftermath (as Edrick's next part will start with him being brought before the Codd's), I can already promise that it was quite a heavy one. To put it in Telltale terms, for the better or worse, Leo will remember that. Obviously, he will continue to play a role in Edrick's storyline. Generally, I cannot wait to show you some of the stuff I have planned there. I'd say Edrick's storyline might be one of my highlights for Book 2 and I hope to start it very soon.
I'm aiming to release the next part today. The thing is, I won't have all too much time today, so I cannot promise it for sure. Tomorrow, I'll have even less time, as it's my birthda… [view original content]
Ah, so my original guesses were right after all Damn scion, confused me A completely new word for me. And I had a feeling Spring Forth could be the words of House Gardener, but after checking from wiki there was nothing about it. However, that makes sense of course if it's your creation. Anyway, I'm definitely hyped for all of these royal one-off PoVs
Spring Forth - I'm guessing this is King Mern IX Gardener... I'd associate Spring with him the most. Then again I guess this could be the St… moreorm King as well.
Actually, I can go more direct here, Spring Forth are the Gardener words. I've been inspired by something I read a while ago and found them to be very fitting, so I took them for the Gardener's. Indeed, Mern will have the first interlude PoV and in fact, part of his interlude will deal with things I originally wanted to show in the story itself.
And this one is obviously Harren the Black. We have seen plenty of him, but getting inside his head... it'll be interesting, that's for sure.
This is the one I'm looking forward for the most and the one that convinced me to write this interlude. It's a very recent plan in general, but once I got the inspiration for a Harren one-shot PoV, I knew I had to show it. When it comes to Harren, he is among the characters I really wi… [view original content]
Duty. It was the hardest choice Drent had to make in his life so far, because every fibre of his being protested against facing this man. Ian Shortwood, Derek Ward, whatever his name was, he was a dangerous fighter. A true killer and a man without honour. He wasn't sure if he could beat him, not even with Garen as back-up. Especially not with Garen, a man he didn't trust in the slightest.
“I cannot do that, Ser”, he sighed. “Stand down and I will try to convince the princess to show you mercy” Shortwood did not answer immediately. Instead, he started by drawing his sword, pointing it at Drent, who clenched his spear tightly, then at Garen who watched the knight calmly. “Mercy...”, he growled. “If she's any bit like her father, there won't be mercy for me”
“The Storm King showed you mercy before”, Garen growled and finally drew his sword, holding it casually as he smirked. “It's two against one. Drentie made you an offer and right now, it's the best you can hope for. You've lost, Ward”
“Shortwood”, the knight corrected him. “I have left my old name behind” He pointed the sword solely at Garen now. “However, I have not left my skills behind. I am better than either of you and both of you combined”, he growled now. “Face me if you must, but fight me at your peril”
Garen chuckled and slightly shrugged, raising his sword into an aggressive stance and with an uneasy feeling, Drent did the same. Shortwood raised an eyebrow. And then he attacked. His first strike was fast, a lot faster than either of them had expected from a man that had stood completely calm just seconds ago. The blade clashed against Garen's, who just barely managed to parry, his own sword nearly getting shoved into his face, any semblance of a smirk gone now.
Drent wasted no time to attack, but as it turned out, so did Shortwood. While his own strike was aimed at the knight's legs, his opponent easily deflected the spear with the tip of the sword, pushing the weapon past him and nearly causing Drent to stagger. The sword did a curve, now pointing at Drent, the sharp edge located between him and his own spear.
Now, Garen was between them, parrying a strike that was meant for Drent, while he himself hurled his spear around, slicing through the air above Garen's head, aiming for Shortwood's forehead. The knight dodged the attack easily, as he parried Garen's next head, before giving the sellsword a kick against the upper leg to push him off balance.
With a growl, Drent rushed past Garen, to block the sword with the sturdy wood of his spear, before pulling the weapon upwards, indeed landing a hit with the blunt lower end of it. It was a weak blow, merely pushing against Shortwood's chest, but judging by his pained groan, he still felt it. Just for a moment, he was affected by this attack and this was all they needed.
To use this opportunity, Drent attacked again, while Garen, who had regained his balance, did the same. Shortwood's eyes widened, as his sword moved upward to prevent the sharp edge of Drent's spear from slicing through his cheek. Still, it came satisfyingly close to actually wound him.
Unable to parry Garen's attack, the knight did a truly risky manoeuvre instead. He dodged, going almost into a crouching position and evading both, Drent's second attack and Garen's first, as he jumped head first into the sellsword, hitting him right at the stomach. Garen gasped, as his eyes widened and the air got pressed out of his lungs.
Swiftly, far better than Drent expected, Shortwood recovered from delivering this risky blow, as he parried the next strike with his sword, ignoring the stunned sellsword. “You're holding back”, he spat, as he deflected one of Drent's attacks, aimed for his legs again.
“I told you...”, Drent gasped, as he had to push against one of Shortwood's counterattacks. “I am not here to kill you!” The knight raised an eyebrow and it was a mixture of anger, amusement and surprise. “I'll try to remember it”, he promised. And it was then where he made a tiny mistake.
His strikes had pushed Drent backwards through the alleyway and carelessly, he had followed, now turning his back on the recovered Garen. With a howl, the sellsword jumped at him, forcing Shortwood to spin around to parry. Though he did so without effort, he was forced to leave himself open for Drent's attack.
With a groan of discomfort, he spun around again and it was clear that he wouldn't be able to do that for long. Realizing this just as well, the knight made a desperate dash forwards, blocking Garen's strike, but allowing himself a tiny cut at the upper arm by Drent's spear, though breaking free from his unfortunate position in the process.
Quickly, as if he hadn't been hit at all, he turned around, meeting Garen's sword with his own, while moving to the side to avoid Drent' spear. He glared at both of his opponents, though as Drent attacked again, he realized that this time, he had a plan. And once more, it relied on a daring move.
While he once more parried Garen's strike, he did so with only one hand, momentarily holding against the two-handed attack the sellsword tried to hit him with. He parried the next one in the same position, while Drent readied his spear to thrust forwards, through Shortwood's upper leg, in the hopes of ending the fight. It wouldn't come that far. He thrusted it forwards.
Still having a free hand, Shortwood grabbed Garen's forearm and kicked him against the leg again, violently yanking him right into Drent's attack in the process, as both men were unable to stop their movement. The spear pierced through Garen's upper leg, almost hitting his waist, digging deep into the flesh and causing the man to scream in surprised agony.
Shortwood jumped back, hitting Garen's flailing sword right at the upper side of the blade and knocking it out of his hand, while Drent's eyes widened, as he noticed that he had just wounded his companion, quite badly so. Unsure if he should remove the spear at once to fight, or leave it, he hesitated a moment too long and Shortwood used this to jump forwards, to give him a violent punch against the nose.
Pain flared up in his face, as Drent forcibly let go of the spear, allowing the wounded Garen to sink to the floor, as the knight continued to attack. Using his free fist and the hilt of his sword, he threw two massive punches into Drent's face, against the cheekbone and the chin. As the soldier went to the ground, Shortwood continued by violently kicking him between the legs before he even reached his destination.
Through a veil of tears and pain, Drent noticed that by now, the sword was pointed right at him. He gulped as he felt sharp steel at his throat, slowly wandering upwards, before resting at his cheek. “I gave you a choice”, Shortwood growled. “And you brought this up to yourself. Is it so hard to believe that I don't want to fight you?”
He shook his head, while behind him, Garen wailed in agony. “I wanted to be left alone! But you, you stubborn bastard of a soldier, you had to try and stop me”, he continued, cold anger in his voice. “As if the likes of you could ever stop me!” He grew louder now. “I was never a danger to your precious princess. In fact, I just wanted her to leave me alone. I still do, but now I am ready to fight for my freedom. To kill if necessary!”
Drent opened his mouth, trying to say something, but not being able to through the pain of his bruised face. “Fact is, I won't allow this ever again”, Shortwood concluded. “You told me you didn't want to kill you, so I will leave you alive as well. Two dead Stormlanders would be too much trouble”
His sword moved upwards, giving Drent a tiny, but very painful cut on the cheek. “Tell your princess, Derek Ward will never return to Storm's End, to face her or her father”, he hissed. “Tell her I don't seek a fight, but I will never again tolerate this. The next Stormlander that goes after me is going to die” He glanced at Garen. “He however might survive, if you're lucky. Better get him to a healer quick”
With these words, he turned around, stepping onto the heavily bleeding sellsword, marching past the alleyway like the soldier he used to be, not looking back once. Drent sighed, as the pain slowly faded, his hand instinctively moving to the slight cut on his cheek, before he pushed himself up.
For a moment, he remained waiting, cautious, until he was certain that Ian Shortwood would not return. Deep down, he was cursing himself, screaming at his own stupidity. Ser Emphryus had warned him that this would happen. And he knew how lucky he was to still be alive. His gaze fell upon Garen, lying in a puddle of his own blood, breathing in pain.
“Garen...”, he mumbled, as he went onto his knees next to him. “Come on, we better get you to a healer” Weakly, the sellsword hit him with a glare. “Fuck you, Golton”, he growled bitterly. “You did that on purpose, didn't you?”
And it was this moment that Drent realized that though both of them would survive, the encounter with Shortwood would come at a prize. The tone in Garen's voice, so utterly hostile, it proved one thing to him: From this day forward, this man would consider him an enemy.
No Choices for this part
Willfred
A satisfied grin had been fixed on Tallian's face ever since the trio had left the room again. Undoubtedly, Willfred had finally done something to win his approval and he couldn't deny that this felt great. However, it came at the cost of Roger, who looked visibly displeased with this turn of events.
“You disapprove?”, Willfred asked as his uncle glanced at him. Roger did not look away. “I trust your judgement, nephew”, he admitted. “I always do. It seems you have more of your father than I thought” Though the words itself brought a smile to Willfred's face, it was the tone that told him that this was anything but a compliment.
“But...?”, he asked and Roger sighed. “But your father is not a man for the people. This should be a ruler's foremost duty. He has lost sight of that more than once. Sometimes however, it is better to give them what they want”
“And you believe you know what they want?”, Tallian growled. “Seeing me blamed for their own fucking weakness?” Roger shook his head. “Having someone to blame at all”, he replied. “No matter how you feel about this personally, this would have pleased them. This would have given us a fighting chance in the coming negotiations”
Tallian's smug grin got wider. “That must really bug you”, he chuckled. “That my way has won. My decision has been right and you know that. Sure, maybe a few lives could have been saved, but all in all, I chose correctly in saving myself” He glanced at Willfred. “Even your own nephew sees this”, he gloated. “And that is what's making you so bitter here, isn't it?”
Before Roger could reply, Willfred raised a hand, giving both men a sharp glare. “Enough of that!”, he hissed. “You're both acting like children” He shook his head, irritated by their bickering. “We are here for the Rock and not for your petty quarrels!”
His harsh words caused Roger to raise an eyebrow, while the smile dropped from Tallian's face. For a second, it even seemed as if his uncle looked impressed, though Willfred wasn't too sure if this was more than just wishful thinking. Begrudgingly, Tallian gave him a nod. “You are right, Red Lion”, he spoke. “I shouldn't have doubted you earlier”
“You shouldn't have”, Willfred confirmed briefly and though glad that the general had finally come around, he wasn't quite willing to discuss this for much further. Tallian got the hint, as he was quiet again, though unable to remove the satisfied smirk on his face.
“It's just good someone recognizes my service at last”, he added and Willfred raised an eyebrow. “Don't make me second guess this”, he warned him. Never before had he seen a man falling silent faster. Finally having silence Willfred sighed in relief, as his hand instinctively moved to the lump in his coat, where he kept the box. It was oddly warm, even through the fabric. Or maybe it just seemed warm to him.
Not for the first time, Willfred had to ask himself why he was so fascinated with this object. Touching it, it brought up something he couldn't even explain. It was a feeling of something old, something so powerful that he was unable to even begin comprehending it. A flicker of might that went through his body, as if just touching this box made him feel more alive.
And then, a fragment of a memory. Willfred stopped and gasped, as the sensation went through him. It was a flicker, an image so brief that it was more a hunch than something he truly remembered. It was dark. Large eyes looked at him, green, golden, slitted like those of a cat. The sound of drums. There was blood, pain... power. The taste remained on his lips for a little longer than this most fleeting of memories.
“Boy?”, Roger asked, his voice more surprised than concerned. Willfred blinked, noticing that he had walked among them without even paying any attention to it. Now they had stopped and Roger raised an eyebrow, as Willfred gave him a confused stare. “What?”, he growled.
Roger smirked. “You've been lost in thoughts for a second”, he replied. “I hope you're thinking about the right princess this time” Willfred rolled his eyes, though the only thing that remained on his mind was this glimpse, this taste. “Lorna”, he answered and Roger gave him a nod. “Lorna”, he confirmed. “You better not dare trying anything with the Durrandon girl” This time, Willfred sighed. “That's not what I was thinking about”, he mumbled and Roger clearly wasn't convinced. “Besides, I doubt I'm having any chance after the negotiations failed”
“Did they fail though?”, a new voice asked, hoarsy and high and Willfred froze for a second, before he spotted the origin of this voice, coming from one of the darker corners of the hallway they were walking in. With a soft smile on her face, Helenys Bellward stepped into the light. As last time where he had met her, she was a sight of elegance and dignity, clad in purple and black, her white hair tied into a strict braid. The fine wrinkles on her face seemed deeper in the shadows.
“Apologies, Ser”, she replied. “I didn't want to startle you” Willfred had pulled himself together quick enough to give her a nod, replying to her polite bow. “Lady Helenys”, he greeted her, wondering deep down just why she decided to speak to him now.
She smirked as if she was able to read his mind. Given her ghastly appearance in this dim light, he wouldn't have been surprised. “I was hoping for a word”, she explained and he straightened his back. Remembering the lessons in chivalry his mother had given him, he offered his arm, which she gladly took.
“I heard about your feat during the siege”, Willfred began the conversation, as the two began walking. Roger and Tallian kept their distance, though remained close enough to hear every word. “I did what everyone would have done in my situation”, Helenys replied. “The people of Raylansfair were highly thankful of my intervention” She frowned briefly. “Lord Tyrell probably not so much”
A thin smile flashed across Willfred's face. “You slapped him, didn't you?”, he chuckled and she grinned. “In front of everyone to see”, she answered. “And trust me, he felt it” Willfred raised an eyebrow, noticing the cunning of her move. She was a hero to the people of Raylansfair, in a way Tallian could only dream about. Regardless of wether or not she saved these people out of the kindness of her heart, he doubted this was an aspect she hadn't thought about.
“Lady Helenys, what is it you wish to discuss with me?”, he asked. She was a schemer, that one, though that was not necessarily a bad thing. The old woman gave him a sly look. “I know why you are here, Willfred Reyne”, she answered. “Getting the help you need for your kingdom... you're playing a dangerous game for that”
Willfred tilted his head as he looked at her. “How so?”, he asked and her smile grew even thinner. “Don't play games with me, boy”, she growled, her voice showing no sign of aggressiveness. “You know what I mean. You've switched sides quite often and people have noticed. Lowther first, then the castellan, then the Durrandon girl. Whom do you declare for next?”
Her words, spoken surprisingly harshly, caused him to gulp, as he saw the truth in them. That had not been knightly. Sure, he had reasons for abandoning each of them, but that didn't make him feel better. “I was hoping to speak to Ser Maron Mullendore”, he admitted. “I feel like he owes me”
Helenys chuckled coldly. “Then you don't know what kind of a man he is”, she replied and Willfred looked at her curiously. “You do?”, he asked and she nodded. “I have always taken pride in this”, she answered. “I know how a man is by listening to him for a minute. And Maron Mullendore, he is a schemer. Nobody I would trust” She gave him a deep look. “I was hoping I could convince you not to crawl to deep into his backside”
“You don't like him?”, Willfred asked and she smiled. This time, there was anger in this smile, as it cut like a knife. “That puts it mildly”, she replied. “His girl, that two-timing trollop, Sherryl... she's one I have quite the quarrel with”
Willfred only had to give her a curious look for her to answer readily. “It's about my sweet Taros”, she told him. “A manticore I had gotten from an old friend, a man who meant a lot to me and the last thing I still have of him” Her smile at his uncomfortable surprise was almost genuine. “I am used to this reaction”, she admitted. “Though I can assure you, Taros is a tame and gentle creature. He just so happens to be the most poisonous animal this side of the Narrow Sea”
“Wonderful”, Willfred pressed through his teeth. “Do you have him with you right now?” Helenys shook her head. “Calm down, Ser”, she answered. “He is in my room, safe and sound. But that hasn't been the case during the raid. Aren, my servant, he found him stolen. It took him hours to find him, but he eventually did so” This time, she narrowed her eyes, reminding Willfred of a terrifying bird of prey. “In Sherryl's room”, she growled carefully. “He was close to death and though he will recover, it will take a long time. Such an assault can not go unpunished”
“Do you know where she is?”, Willfred asked and Helenys shook her head. “If I would, then I'd reintroduce her to my sweet”, she hissed. “However, this opens up the question what a young woman such as Sherryl needs manticore poison for. Luckily, Aren already informed me that one of the Stormlanders was shot with a poisonous arrow, while trying to shield his princess”
Willfred tensed up. “So, you think Sherryl murdered this man while trying to kill the Storm Princess?”, he realized and Helenys smiled in a pleased way. “Very good”, she complimented him. “Indeed, I think this. With Sherryl confirmed to work for Mullendore and his... little scene in the great hall just earlier, this opens up one important question. Why is he trying to start a war with the Stormlands?”
“Do you know it?”, Willfred asked and briefly, Helenys' chuckle was genuine. “My boy, I am not all-knowing”, she replied. “However, I aim to find out. This secret is his weak point, something we both have to know if we want to have any chance at our businesses here being successful”
“So... you propose an alliance?”, Willfred concluded. Helenys gave him a nod. “See, now you have it”, she admitted. “I believe we have a common goal. We want something from the new masters of this city. By finding their weakness, we can use it against them. We can get whatever we want. And I believe you and I, we can achieve what neither of us could do apart. What do you say?”
Ah, I can't promise that one, though it would surely be a very interesting aspect to her storyline and character. I'll try to give you some Moon Door action eventually though. One thing I can promise is, there will be some mention of a certain order in this interlude part
Of course, most of these new ones will appear in the North, in Dorne and in the Vale
This is such good news! In fact, the Vale is ac… moretually my favourite region in Westeros; hence, why most of my characters are associated with it. All in all, I can't wait to read about Sharra Arryn's part of the story. Maybe we'll even get to see the Moon Door in action.
I am also very much looking forward for Dorne! It is a complex region, definitely one of my favourites as well, and I try to do it justice with my writing. Originally, it wasn't meant to appear, but this interlude as a whole is such a new plan that I myself am surprised and excited that I have the inspiration to show it. I really hope you're all going to enjoy it
This is great news! I really can't wait to see the rulers perspective. As Dorne is my favorite region of the entire known world, I'm really excited that we'll get to see a bit of it earlier as well as the Yellow Toad of Dorne herself. hehe
Drent
Duty. It was the hardest choice Drent had to make in his life so far, because every fibre of his being protested against facing thi… mores man. Ian Shortwood, Derek Ward, whatever his name was, he was a dangerous fighter. A true killer and a man without honour. He wasn't sure if he could beat him, not even with Garen as back-up. Especially not with Garen, a man he didn't trust in the slightest.
“I cannot do that, Ser”, he sighed. “Stand down and I will try to convince the princess to show you mercy” Shortwood did not answer immediately. Instead, he started by drawing his sword, pointing it at Drent, who clenched his spear tightly, then at Garen who watched the knight calmly. “Mercy...”, he growled. “If she's any bit like her father, there won't be mercy for me”
“The Storm King showed you mercy before”, Garen growled and finally drew his sword, holding it casually as he smirked. “It's two against one. Drentie made you an offer and rig… [view original content]
[Work with Helenys] Well,we need an ally and she is probably the only one that can have an interest to ally with Willfred (something that he really need)
RT:
Well,last Drent part was a very action centric one!
Ian really wipe the floor with our two Stormlanders (even if I suppose that only two are the reasons because he win:the lack of kill intent by Drent and the lack of coordination between him and Garen)
RIP bromance between Drent and Garen
Wow,Tallian opinion of Willfred really change thanks to the last choice
Roger,I understand your reasoning but take the blame for an event that happened in a foreign country (that someday could even be your enemy) is still dumb
We had a glimpse of the misterious powers of the magical book
Now that Roger and Tallian mentioned it I'm curious to learn more about the relationship between Willfred and his betrothed because,since we have never see them together during the story, we don't even know their feelings about it (if they love each other or it is just buisiness between the King and one of his vassals) or if they even meet each other (and how that event go)
I'm curious to learn more about Helenys plan inside the city since,if I remember correctly, she has an interest to obtain a monopoly of the city trades
And in the end I suppose that I only have to say....
Drent
Duty. It was the hardest choice Drent had to make in his life so far, because every fibre of his being protested against facing thi… mores man. Ian Shortwood, Derek Ward, whatever his name was, he was a dangerous fighter. A true killer and a man without honour. He wasn't sure if he could beat him, not even with Garen as back-up. Especially not with Garen, a man he didn't trust in the slightest.
“I cannot do that, Ser”, he sighed. “Stand down and I will try to convince the princess to show you mercy” Shortwood did not answer immediately. Instead, he started by drawing his sword, pointing it at Drent, who clenched his spear tightly, then at Garen who watched the knight calmly. “Mercy...”, he growled. “If she's any bit like her father, there won't be mercy for me”
“The Storm King showed you mercy before”, Garen growled and finally drew his sword, holding it casually as he smirked. “It's two against one. Drentie made you an offer and rig… [view original content]
The Voting is closed!
Edrick is going to punch Leo
So... that was something I really was curious about, considering that in the past, … moreyou mostly chose to refrain from using such violence. In this case however, I'd say Leo deserves a good punch and though we won't get to see the punch itself, only the aftermath (as Edrick's next part will start with him being brought before the Codd's), I can already promise that it was quite a heavy one. To put it in Telltale terms, for the better or worse, Leo will remember that. Obviously, he will continue to play a role in Edrick's storyline. Generally, I cannot wait to show you some of the stuff I have planned there. I'd say Edrick's storyline might be one of my highlights for Book 2 and I hope to start it very soon.
I'm aiming to release the next part today. The thing is, I won't have all too much time today, so I cannot promise it for sure. Tomorrow, I'll have even less time, as it's my birthda… [view original content]
Drent
Duty. It was the hardest choice Drent had to make in his life so far, because every fibre of his being protested against facing thi… mores man. Ian Shortwood, Derek Ward, whatever his name was, he was a dangerous fighter. A true killer and a man without honour. He wasn't sure if he could beat him, not even with Garen as back-up. Especially not with Garen, a man he didn't trust in the slightest.
“I cannot do that, Ser”, he sighed. “Stand down and I will try to convince the princess to show you mercy” Shortwood did not answer immediately. Instead, he started by drawing his sword, pointing it at Drent, who clenched his spear tightly, then at Garen who watched the knight calmly. “Mercy...”, he growled. “If she's any bit like her father, there won't be mercy for me”
“The Storm King showed you mercy before”, Garen growled and finally drew his sword, holding it casually as he smirked. “It's two against one. Drentie made you an offer and rig… [view original content]
Oh man, I knew Shortwood was good, but I trusted Drent and Garen could take him together. Then again, in retrospect, they aren't exactly the most coordinated team, barely tolerating each other I hope Garen comes to his senses though and realizes that of course Drent wasn't aiming at him with the spear Oh well, looks like letting Shortwood go would've been the better option after all.
[Work with Helenys] Well, we certainly know Mullendore won't be willing to help the Rock in their war against Ironborn... since he is allied with the Ironborn Soo, working against him with Helenys, as dangerous as that could be, seems like the better option here. That artifact though... I got some One Ring vibes from how Willfred got distracted and fascinated by it
Drent
Duty. It was the hardest choice Drent had to make in his life so far, because every fibre of his being protested against facing thi… mores man. Ian Shortwood, Derek Ward, whatever his name was, he was a dangerous fighter. A true killer and a man without honour. He wasn't sure if he could beat him, not even with Garen as back-up. Especially not with Garen, a man he didn't trust in the slightest.
“I cannot do that, Ser”, he sighed. “Stand down and I will try to convince the princess to show you mercy” Shortwood did not answer immediately. Instead, he started by drawing his sword, pointing it at Drent, who clenched his spear tightly, then at Garen who watched the knight calmly. “Mercy...”, he growled. “If she's any bit like her father, there won't be mercy for me”
“The Storm King showed you mercy before”, Garen growled and finally drew his sword, holding it casually as he smirked. “It's two against one. Drentie made you an offer and rig… [view original content]
[Work with Helenys] The more enemies Mullendore gets, the bigger the chances someone exposes him or kills him.
Well, I kinda expected this to be the result of the fight between Drent and Garen vs Shortwood.
Happy Birthday Liquid!!
Pd: Did you read my suggestion about the characters?
Drent
Duty. It was the hardest choice Drent had to make in his life so far, because every fibre of his being protested against facing thi… mores man. Ian Shortwood, Derek Ward, whatever his name was, he was a dangerous fighter. A true killer and a man without honour. He wasn't sure if he could beat him, not even with Garen as back-up. Especially not with Garen, a man he didn't trust in the slightest.
“I cannot do that, Ser”, he sighed. “Stand down and I will try to convince the princess to show you mercy” Shortwood did not answer immediately. Instead, he started by drawing his sword, pointing it at Drent, who clenched his spear tightly, then at Garen who watched the knight calmly. “Mercy...”, he growled. “If she's any bit like her father, there won't be mercy for me”
“The Storm King showed you mercy before”, Garen growled and finally drew his sword, holding it casually as he smirked. “It's two against one. Drentie made you an offer and rig… [view original content]
Drent
Duty. It was the hardest choice Drent had to make in his life so far, because every fibre of his being protested against facing thi… mores man. Ian Shortwood, Derek Ward, whatever his name was, he was a dangerous fighter. A true killer and a man without honour. He wasn't sure if he could beat him, not even with Garen as back-up. Especially not with Garen, a man he didn't trust in the slightest.
“I cannot do that, Ser”, he sighed. “Stand down and I will try to convince the princess to show you mercy” Shortwood did not answer immediately. Instead, he started by drawing his sword, pointing it at Drent, who clenched his spear tightly, then at Garen who watched the knight calmly. “Mercy...”, he growled. “If she's any bit like her father, there won't be mercy for me”
“The Storm King showed you mercy before”, Garen growled and finally drew his sword, holding it casually as he smirked. “It's two against one. Drentie made you an offer and rig… [view original content]
Drent
Duty. It was the hardest choice Drent had to make in his life so far, because every fibre of his being protested against facing thi… mores man. Ian Shortwood, Derek Ward, whatever his name was, he was a dangerous fighter. A true killer and a man without honour. He wasn't sure if he could beat him, not even with Garen as back-up. Especially not with Garen, a man he didn't trust in the slightest.
“I cannot do that, Ser”, he sighed. “Stand down and I will try to convince the princess to show you mercy” Shortwood did not answer immediately. Instead, he started by drawing his sword, pointing it at Drent, who clenched his spear tightly, then at Garen who watched the knight calmly. “Mercy...”, he growled. “If she's any bit like her father, there won't be mercy for me”
“The Storm King showed you mercy before”, Garen growled and finally drew his sword, holding it casually as he smirked. “It's two against one. Drentie made you an offer and rig… [view original content]
Drent
Duty. It was the hardest choice Drent had to make in his life so far, because every fibre of his being protested against facing thi… mores man. Ian Shortwood, Derek Ward, whatever his name was, he was a dangerous fighter. A true killer and a man without honour. He wasn't sure if he could beat him, not even with Garen as back-up. Especially not with Garen, a man he didn't trust in the slightest.
“I cannot do that, Ser”, he sighed. “Stand down and I will try to convince the princess to show you mercy” Shortwood did not answer immediately. Instead, he started by drawing his sword, pointing it at Drent, who clenched his spear tightly, then at Garen who watched the knight calmly. “Mercy...”, he growled. “If she's any bit like her father, there won't be mercy for me”
“The Storm King showed you mercy before”, Garen growled and finally drew his sword, holding it casually as he smirked. “It's two against one. Drentie made you an offer and rig… [view original content]
And damn Garen, why would you think Drent was aiming that spear at you? Egocentrical much? xD
Oh yes, that is indeed the thing Garen is probably among the most egocentrical characters in the story at this point and I can assure you that he is absolutely convinced that Drent wounded him on purpose, to get rid of him. Maybe he'll come around again, but for the time being, he will hold a legit grudge against Drent.
[Work with Helenys] When dealing with Mullendore, the more help you get, the better. Though I'm not sure if we should trust Helenys or not...
And damn Garen, why would you think Drent was aiming that spear at you? Egocentrical much? xD
Well,last Drent part was a very action centric one!
Aye, it was. I wanted to include at least some action parts in this relatively calm chapter, even if the two biggest fight scenes are still going to come
Ian really wipe the floor with our two Stormlanders (even if I suppose that only two are the reasons because he win:the lack of kill intent by Drent and the lack of coordination between him and Garen)
It was very much a mixture between these things. Ian is an extremely skilled fighter, the sort even Emphryus would take with caution and he could probably hold his own against the majority of fighters in the story. Drent and Garen are not bad as well, but Ian outmatches them. On top of that, they make for a terrible duo in a fight and their lack of coordination, paired with Drent's intention to bring him in alive, which really put them at a disadvantage.
RIP bromance between Drent and Garen
Forget about the deaths of Torvin, Alysanne, Lunett and co., this is the truest tragedy of Book 1 Though, while I would have liked to write a bromance there, these two just aren't compatible in terms of personality. Come to think of it, there is a large number of people Garen is not compatible with.
Wow,Tallian opinion of Willfred really change thanks to the last choice
Indeed! In terms of mere opinions, you made the right choice for sure, because though he disapproves, Roger is still somewhat proud of his nephew, meaning Willfred now has the support of both of his companions for the first time in the story. Tallian is a vain man and Willfred just seriously appealed to this vanity with his decision. On the other hand, if you would have chosen to support Roger, Tallian would have been utterly furious.
Roger,I understand your reasoning but take the blame for an event that happened in a foreign country (that someday could even be your enemy) is still dumb
Hm, Roger is not suggesting that Tallian takes the blame for the entire raid, just for his retreat at the castle gates, which caused the remaining castle guard to get massacred. This one might make a bit more sense than taking the blame for the entire event, even if Tallian's argument that nobody can expect of him to sacrifice his life for foreign strangers is one to counter it.
We had a glimpse of the misterious powers of the magical book
It's a box, not a book Important difference, as I can confirm that whatever is in that box is far older than books in Westeros. The First Men (and the Children of the Forest, who had a hand in its creation) have no tradition of writing down stuff, true books that can actually last through the ages haven't arrived in Westeros until the Andals invaded a couple thousand years later.
Now that Roger and Tallian mentioned it I'm curious to learn more about the relationship between Willfred and his betrothed because,since we have never see them together during the story, we don't even know their feelings about it (if they love each other or it is just buisiness between the King and one of his vassals) or if they even meet each other (and how that event go)
That is indeed something I wish to show more about in the future. Since Lorna is the only daughter of the king, it is a really big deal that she is going to marry a vassal instead of another kingdom's prince. It kind of shows just how powerful the Reyne family is. Willfred has mixed feelings about this whole thing. On the one hand, his betrothed is beautiful and according to Roger she also has a kind nature, but on the other hand, he barely even knows her and is nervous about spending the rest of his life with her. Lorna's feelings about this are even more complicated, though will be detailed at a later part. For now, it can be said that they have barely interacted with each other so far and though there is no bad blood between them, they don't love each other either and only see the political benefits for now.
I'm curious to learn more about Helenys plan inside the city since,if I remember correctly, she has an interest to obtain a monopoly of the city trades
True, Helenys' main goal is to obtain this monopoly, which would give her a lot of benefits. She is a businesswoman first, so she knows that finding out about the weaknesses of her potential partners is the most valuable thing when it comes to negotiations. Anything to give her an advantage. However, with her beloved pet being hurt, there might be personal reasons for her curiosity as well.
[Work with Helenys] Well,we need an ally and she is probably the only one that can have an interest to ally with Willfred (something that he… more really need)
RT:
* Well,last Drent part was a very action centric one!
* Ian really wipe the floor with our two Stormlanders (even if I suppose that only two are the reasons because he win:the lack of kill intent by Drent and the lack of coordination between him and Garen)
* RIP bromance between Drent and Garen
* Wow,Tallian opinion of Willfred really change thanks to the last choice
* Roger,I understand your reasoning but take the blame for an event that happened in a foreign country (that someday could even be your enemy) is still dumb
* We had a glimpse of the misterious powers of the magical book
* Now that Roger and Tallian mentioned it I'm curious to learn more about the relationship between Willfred and his betrothed because,since we have never see them together during the story, we … [view original content]
Oh man, I knew Shortwood was good, but I trusted Drent and Garen could take him together. Then again, in retrospect, they aren't exactly the most coordinated team, barely tolerating each other I hope Garen comes to his senses though and realizes that of course Drent wasn't aiming at him with the spear Oh well, looks like letting Shortwood go would've been the better option after all.
Aye, this time it probably would have been better to just let him go instead of picking a fight, because ultimately, there was no chance for them to take him on unless they would have truly worked as a team, which they simply don't do at this point. Then again, letting him go would have given Garen some advantage over Drent, as he could have blackmailed him with revealing this secret to Argella or Emphryus, who would have been far from pleased. Now, Drent might have gotten a new enemy, but he also gained points for trying.
That artifact though... I got some One Ring vibes from how Willfred got distracted and fascinated by it
Hehe, he really is strangely drawn to it. And so far, he hasn't even opened the box. It's a powerful artifact and Anturion had good reason to desire it. Now, whatever fascination Willfred feels, it's certainly not entirely his own. We'll see if this is a bad thing (or at least One Ring level of bad) in Book 2
Oh man, I knew Shortwood was good, but I trusted Drent and Garen could take him together. Then again, in retrospect, they aren't exactly the… more most coordinated team, barely tolerating each other I hope Garen comes to his senses though and realizes that of course Drent wasn't aiming at him with the spear Oh well, looks like letting Shortwood go would've been the better option after all.
[Work with Helenys] Well, we certainly know Mullendore won't be willing to help the Rock in their war against Ironborn... since he is allied with the Ironborn Soo, working against him with Helenys, as dangerous as that could be, seems like the better option here. That artifact though... I got some One Ring vibes from how Willfred got distracted and fascinated by it
edit: Almost forgot, Happy Birthday Liquid!
Pd: Did you read my suggestion about the characters?
I did and just send you a reply. The problem is that I had absolutely no time to answer yesterday, even if I would have liked to. Now I should probably work on the slight back log of messages I have acquired
[Work with Helenys] The more enemies Mullendore gets, the bigger the chances someone exposes him or kills him.
Well, I kinda expected this … moreto be the result of the fight between Drent and Garen vs Shortwood.
Happy Birthday Liquid!!
Pd: Did you read my suggestion about the characters?
I have now caught up as well of course, and I can only say, Leo can go and fuck a duck. What a little shit.
Ah, glad you have caught up again! And well, I expected this to be the general consensus about Leo after the latest Edrick part. The guy messed up severely and it remains to be seen if he at least realizes the errors of his ways, or if he continues to become an even less liked character.
Hope you had a wonderful day yesterday!
That I had, thank you. Surely, I have spent about five hours in total driving and that was kind of exhausting, but it was totally worth it. Admittedly, I had no high expectations of this birthday, especially as I didn't expect to celebrate at all just a month ago, so the fact that it was still so much fun already made it one of my favourite days ever
[Work with Helenys] Why not? The more enemies of Mullendore, the better I say.
I have now caught up as well of course, and I can only say, Leo can go and fuck a duck. What a little shit.
Hope you had a wonderful day yesterday!
Drent
Duty. It was the hardest choice Drent had to make in his life so far, because every fibre of his being protested against facing thi… mores man. Ian Shortwood, Derek Ward, whatever his name was, he was a dangerous fighter. A true killer and a man without honour. He wasn't sure if he could beat him, not even with Garen as back-up. Especially not with Garen, a man he didn't trust in the slightest.
“I cannot do that, Ser”, he sighed. “Stand down and I will try to convince the princess to show you mercy” Shortwood did not answer immediately. Instead, he started by drawing his sword, pointing it at Drent, who clenched his spear tightly, then at Garen who watched the knight calmly. “Mercy...”, he growled. “If she's any bit like her father, there won't be mercy for me”
“The Storm King showed you mercy before”, Garen growled and finally drew his sword, holding it casually as he smirked. “It's two against one. Drentie made you an offer and rig… [view original content]
Drent
Duty. It was the hardest choice Drent had to make in his life so far, because every fibre of his being protested against facing thi… mores man. Ian Shortwood, Derek Ward, whatever his name was, he was a dangerous fighter. A true killer and a man without honour. He wasn't sure if he could beat him, not even with Garen as back-up. Especially not with Garen, a man he didn't trust in the slightest.
“I cannot do that, Ser”, he sighed. “Stand down and I will try to convince the princess to show you mercy” Shortwood did not answer immediately. Instead, he started by drawing his sword, pointing it at Drent, who clenched his spear tightly, then at Garen who watched the knight calmly. “Mercy...”, he growled. “If she's any bit like her father, there won't be mercy for me”
“The Storm King showed you mercy before”, Garen growled and finally drew his sword, holding it casually as he smirked. “It's two against one. Drentie made you an offer and rig… [view original content]
[Work with Helenys] Can't see why not. More allies the better. I'm trying to read these as fast as I can, but ever since that surgery I have been constantly just spending time sleeping more than anything, hard to think and in pain.
Well on that note, Happy late Birthday brother! Been a long time starting reading and hopefully for the next years!
Drent
Duty. It was the hardest choice Drent had to make in his life so far, because every fibre of his being protested against facing thi… mores man. Ian Shortwood, Derek Ward, whatever his name was, he was a dangerous fighter. A true killer and a man without honour. He wasn't sure if he could beat him, not even with Garen as back-up. Especially not with Garen, a man he didn't trust in the slightest.
“I cannot do that, Ser”, he sighed. “Stand down and I will try to convince the princess to show you mercy” Shortwood did not answer immediately. Instead, he started by drawing his sword, pointing it at Drent, who clenched his spear tightly, then at Garen who watched the knight calmly. “Mercy...”, he growled. “If she's any bit like her father, there won't be mercy for me”
“The Storm King showed you mercy before”, Garen growled and finally drew his sword, holding it casually as he smirked. “It's two against one. Drentie made you an offer and rig… [view original content]
[Work with Helenys] I don't really see a reason not to work with her. However I wouldn't trust her. Something about her just seems to me that she isn't a team player.
Man, Garen is so hard to please. I love the guy but it seems to get more and more difficult to get on his good side.
Drent
Duty. It was the hardest choice Drent had to make in his life so far, because every fibre of his being protested against facing thi… mores man. Ian Shortwood, Derek Ward, whatever his name was, he was a dangerous fighter. A true killer and a man without honour. He wasn't sure if he could beat him, not even with Garen as back-up. Especially not with Garen, a man he didn't trust in the slightest.
“I cannot do that, Ser”, he sighed. “Stand down and I will try to convince the princess to show you mercy” Shortwood did not answer immediately. Instead, he started by drawing his sword, pointing it at Drent, who clenched his spear tightly, then at Garen who watched the knight calmly. “Mercy...”, he growled. “If she's any bit like her father, there won't be mercy for me”
“The Storm King showed you mercy before”, Garen growled and finally drew his sword, holding it casually as he smirked. “It's two against one. Drentie made you an offer and rig… [view original content]
Even I can't think of an excuse to not to do this, besides the fact that maybe Helenys is evil.
I guess that is the only reason to not work with her I could see as well, that some might not trust her intentions or think that she might screw Willfred over once she got what she wants. Not saying that this is going to happen, but evil or not, Helenys is surely a shady person. That said, she does seem to be a shady person against Mullendore, so that probably makes her at least not all that bad.
Drent, well, I'm not surprised that he and Garen got floored. After the last time Shortwood fought some guys he screwed them up.
Aye, last time Shortwood got into a fight, he absolutely slayed those guys. It should be noted though, they have been thugs, who only overpowered Lucas and Leonard due to Lucas' very fresh wounds and Leonard being too busy with protecting him. Drent and Garen are not bad fighters, but they are no Shortwood levels of skill and make for a really bad team at this point.
Tallian and Roger the best of friends.
Truly, a bond so strong that they are closer than brothers. In all seriousness though, they actually don't loathe each other as much as you might think right now. It's just that their philosophies clash so heavily that their rivalry escalates every couple of months, before they get a bit more friendly with each other again.
[Work with Helenys] Even I can't think of an excuse to not to do this, besides the fact that maybe Helenys is evil.
Drent, well, I'm not … moresurprised that he and Garen got floored. After the last time Shortwood fought some guys he screwed them up.
Tallian and Roger the best of friends.
Happy (late) birthday!
I'm trying to read these as fast as I can, but ever since that surgery I have been constantly just spending time sleeping more than anything, hard to think and in pain.
Oh man, this sounds really horrible! I really hope things will improve for you very soon. Until then, take your time! I'm the last person who wouldn't understand such a situation. Hang on there, friend, if there is any support I am able to give, I'll do it. Also, you might be pleased to hear that the next part will be a Jaron part again, so you can at least look forward for the long-awaited Harrington brother reunion
Well on that note, Happy late Birthday brother! Been a long time starting reading and hopefully for the next years!
I just realized this is the third birthday I am celebrating since starting FoT. That means I have been writing this story for a significant part of my life so far. Really crazy to think about it and a bit scary, yet I am glad that you and so many others have been here for so long and hopefully will be for the coming years!
[Work with Helenys] Can't see why not. More allies the better. I'm trying to read these as fast as I can, but ever since that surgery I have… more been constantly just spending time sleeping more than anything, hard to think and in pain.
Well on that note, Happy late Birthday brother! Been a long time starting reading and hopefully for the next years!
I don't really see a reason not to work with her. However I wouldn't trust her. Something about her just seems to me that she isn't a team player.
Well, she is a businesswoman, a successful one at that. You can't become successful without not having at least a little bit of a ruthless, selfish streak. That said, Helenys is also smart, so she might understand the value of reliable allies. I look forward to show you more about her in Book 2, where you might learn more about her true colours.
Man, Garen is so hard to please. I love the guy but it seems to get more and more difficult to get on his good side.
Yeah, Garen is incredibly hard to please. Accidentally stabbing him surely hasn't helped with getting on his good side either Really, a key choice there has been spilling the beans about his opinion on Argella to her all the way back in Chapter 5. He is really bitter about that. Otherwise, a relative friendship between Garen and Drent wouldn't be impossible by now.
[Work with Helenys] I don't really see a reason not to work with her. However I wouldn't trust her. Something about her just seems to me th… moreat she isn't a team player.
Man, Garen is so hard to please. I love the guy but it seems to get more and more difficult to get on his good side.
[Work with Helenys] Tag team duo, old lady Helenys and young, naive, and slightly possessed Willfred. Even if she ends up backstabbing Willfred, I can live with that as long as it doesn't affect Team Targ. Knocking Mullendore and Petyr down a peg or two wouldn't hurt either. Do Tallian and Roger know eachother from before Willfred's quest? There seems to be a rather steamy rivalry between the two. Past lovers perhaps? ^~^ Hah, but seriously. They seem to have quite the grudge against eachother's tactics.
Meanwhile Drent and Garen get the action to pick up. I knew that they wouldn't be able to catch Ian, but man it was funny to watch them try. I am glad that Drent has been loyal to his duty to his princess. Even if it meant sacrificing his budding bromance with Garen.
Drent
Duty. It was the hardest choice Drent had to make in his life so far, because every fibre of his being protested against facing thi… mores man. Ian Shortwood, Derek Ward, whatever his name was, he was a dangerous fighter. A true killer and a man without honour. He wasn't sure if he could beat him, not even with Garen as back-up. Especially not with Garen, a man he didn't trust in the slightest.
“I cannot do that, Ser”, he sighed. “Stand down and I will try to convince the princess to show you mercy” Shortwood did not answer immediately. Instead, he started by drawing his sword, pointing it at Drent, who clenched his spear tightly, then at Garen who watched the knight calmly. “Mercy...”, he growled. “If she's any bit like her father, there won't be mercy for me”
“The Storm King showed you mercy before”, Garen growled and finally drew his sword, holding it casually as he smirked. “It's two against one. Drentie made you an offer and rig… [view original content]
Drent
Duty. It was the hardest choice Drent had to make in his life so far, because every fibre of his being protested against facing thi… mores man. Ian Shortwood, Derek Ward, whatever his name was, he was a dangerous fighter. A true killer and a man without honour. He wasn't sure if he could beat him, not even with Garen as back-up. Especially not with Garen, a man he didn't trust in the slightest.
“I cannot do that, Ser”, he sighed. “Stand down and I will try to convince the princess to show you mercy” Shortwood did not answer immediately. Instead, he started by drawing his sword, pointing it at Drent, who clenched his spear tightly, then at Garen who watched the knight calmly. “Mercy...”, he growled. “If she's any bit like her father, there won't be mercy for me”
“The Storm King showed you mercy before”, Garen growled and finally drew his sword, holding it casually as he smirked. “It's two against one. Drentie made you an offer and rig… [view original content]
Do Tallian and Roger know eachother from before Willfred's quest? There seems to be a rather steamy rivalry between the two. Past lovers perhaps? ^~^ Hah, but seriously. They seem to have quite the grudge against eachother's tactics.
They do know each other! It's actually really complicated between them, because they are sort of friends, sort of rivals, who have a history of competing with each other in Loren Lannister's favour. Since they are also men of completly opposite morals, they usually clash with each other and sometimes get into pretty serious arguments. That said, outside of such an important mission, they do get along a bit better.
Meanwhile Drent and Garen get the action to pick up. I knew that they wouldn't be able to catch Ian, but man it was funny to watch them try. I am glad that Drent has been loyal to his duty to his princess. Even if it meant sacrificing his budding bromance with Garen.
That is true, as much as it might have been a mistake considering the consequences this has for Garen and the way he sees him, Drent showed loyalty to the end and Argella is someone who puts a lot of value into this. And though they utterly failed in the end, they did prove to Ian that he cannot just leave his old life behind, but that the past is going to catch up to him sooner or later.
[Work with Helenys] Tag team duo, old lady Helenys and young, naive, and slightly possessed Willfred. Even if she ends up backstabbing Willf… morered, I can live with that as long as it doesn't affect Team Targ. Knocking Mullendore and Petyr down a peg or two wouldn't hurt either. Do Tallian and Roger know eachother from before Willfred's quest? There seems to be a rather steamy rivalry between the two. Past lovers perhaps? ^~^ Hah, but seriously. They seem to have quite the grudge against eachother's tactics.
Meanwhile Drent and Garen get the action to pick up. I knew that they wouldn't be able to catch Ian, but man it was funny to watch them try. I am glad that Drent has been loyal to his duty to his princess. Even if it meant sacrificing his budding bromance with Garen.
Best to work with her now, but in the long run, they should cut any alliance they have together after their business in Raylansfair is done. Poor poor Sherryl is running out of options... and friends.
Also that Drent and Garen fight was superb! Sadly, I was hoping for Garen to have one redeeming quality, but it seems that it's going to be a while for him and Drent to work together again. I doubt not bringing him with us wouldn't have made him think any higher of us, though.
Drent
Duty. It was the hardest choice Drent had to make in his life so far, because every fibre of his being protested against facing thi… mores man. Ian Shortwood, Derek Ward, whatever his name was, he was a dangerous fighter. A true killer and a man without honour. He wasn't sure if he could beat him, not even with Garen as back-up. Especially not with Garen, a man he didn't trust in the slightest.
“I cannot do that, Ser”, he sighed. “Stand down and I will try to convince the princess to show you mercy” Shortwood did not answer immediately. Instead, he started by drawing his sword, pointing it at Drent, who clenched his spear tightly, then at Garen who watched the knight calmly. “Mercy...”, he growled. “If she's any bit like her father, there won't be mercy for me”
“The Storm King showed you mercy before”, Garen growled and finally drew his sword, holding it casually as he smirked. “It's two against one. Drentie made you an offer and rig… [view original content]
A completely unanimous vote, not that is is all that much of a surprise for me. I kind of expected you to grab this chance at harming Mullendore, though wasn't sure if you'd really all be willing to trust Helenys. Turns out, you are, for the better or worse. This partnership will be explored a bit more in Chapter 1 of Book 2 and I am really looking forward to show it. If anything, this should make for some really nice moments in Willfred's storyline. All in all, this makes me even very glad that you have chosen this route, because as you can probably guess by the cover for Book 2, I plan on giving Willfred and the other Reyne's some major increase in screentime
The next part is hopefully going to be out today. I had little time to write yesterday, so I'll have to do a lot of it today, but hopefully will manage to do it. This next part will mark the conclusion of Jaron's Book 1 storyline. Last time we have seen him, Jaron just entered the Thousand Shades of Flowers, the most exclusive brothel in Oldtown, together with Samuel Harrington, whom he supports in hunting down Ryder. According to Ryder's friend, the city guard captain Farris, he is in this brothel, where he took a liking to one of the prostitutes. The two were stopped by Joshawa, one of the workers in the brothel and right hand man of Hishi, the elusive owner of the building, who was currently on a business trip to Dorne. Joshawa and Lanford, who arrived a bit later, negotiated a deal with Samuel though, which would give him a chance to confront his brother, but at the cost of giving up all of his (numerous) secrets about Butterfly and the Solvers. He accepted without hesitating, showing that he has truly broken with his former companions. However, Jaron started to have heavy second guesses about Ryder's guilt or if Samuel's approach is truly the right one, so he was given a choice to try and convince Samuel to stop this. Ultimately however, he decided to stay loyal to the man that saved his life and instead, he assured him that he would support him.
Poor poor Sherryl is running out of options... and friends.
That she is. It's telling how much she screwed up by now that quite a number of people have a personal grudge against her instead of the man she is working for. Screwing over her only true friend is probably the biggest mistake she could have made, because with her enemies gathering and getting closer to her, she's really in for some trouble.
I doubt not bringing him with us wouldn't have made him think any higher of us, though.
Well, somewhat. Not bringing him certainly wouldn't have made him be as angry at Drent as he is right now. His opinion would have turned even more sour, yes, but there would have been less anger involved. The only way to have Drent and Garen end this chapter at somewhat neutral terms would have been to accept Ian's deal, which would have led to Garen being even somewhat pleased, on account of having material to blackmail Drent with if necessary.
[Work with Helenys]
Best to work with her now, but in the long run, they should cut any alliance they have together after their business … morein Raylansfair is done. Poor poor Sherryl is running out of options... and friends.
Also that Drent and Garen fight was superb! Sadly, I was hoping for Garen to have one redeeming quality, but it seems that it's going to be a while for him and Drent to work together again. I doubt not bringing him with us wouldn't have made him think any higher of us, though.
Poor poor Sherryl is running out of options... and friends.
That she is. It's telling how much she screwed up by now that quite a nu… morember of people have a personal grudge against her instead of the man she is working for. Screwing over her only true friend is probably the biggest mistake she could have made, because with her enemies gathering and getting closer to her, she's really in for some trouble.
I doubt not bringing him with us wouldn't have made him think any higher of us, though.
Well, somewhat. Not bringing him certainly wouldn't have made him be as angry at Drent as he is right now. His opinion would have turned even more sour, yes, but there would have been less anger involved. The only way to have Drent and Garen end this chapter at somewhat neutral terms would have been to accept Ian's deal, which would have led to Garen being even somewhat pleased, on account of having material to blackmail Drent with if necessary.
Comments
Glad to hear you are already looking forward for it! You are right, there will be a number of very important characters from the Ice and Fire canon appearing. However, there will be even more submitted characters who will appear in these parts, probably several in each. Of course, most of these new ones will appear in the North, in Dorne and in the Vale, as the courts there haven't been seen at all. To build hype, allow me to say that two of your characters are likely going to have a role in it
And well, the main thing here should be that you get to see how the rulers are as characters, from their own perspective for once.
This is such good news! In fact, the Vale is actually my favourite region in Westeros; hence, why most of my characters are associated with it. All in all, I can't wait to read about Sharra Arryn's part of the story. Maybe we'll even get to see the Moon Door in action.
This is great news! I really can't wait to see the rulers perspective. As Dorne is my favorite region of the entire known world, I'm really excited that we'll get to see a bit of it earlier as well as the Yellow Toad of Dorne herself. hehe
Ah, so my original guesses were right after all
Damn scion, confused me 
A completely new word for me. And I had a feeling Spring Forth could be the words of House Gardener, but after checking from wiki there was nothing about it. However, that makes sense of course if it's your creation. Anyway, I'm definitely hyped for all of these royal one-off PoVs 
Drent
Duty. It was the hardest choice Drent had to make in his life so far, because every fibre of his being protested against facing this man. Ian Shortwood, Derek Ward, whatever his name was, he was a dangerous fighter. A true killer and a man without honour. He wasn't sure if he could beat him, not even with Garen as back-up. Especially not with Garen, a man he didn't trust in the slightest.
“I cannot do that, Ser”, he sighed. “Stand down and I will try to convince the princess to show you mercy” Shortwood did not answer immediately. Instead, he started by drawing his sword, pointing it at Drent, who clenched his spear tightly, then at Garen who watched the knight calmly. “Mercy...”, he growled. “If she's any bit like her father, there won't be mercy for me”
“The Storm King showed you mercy before”, Garen growled and finally drew his sword, holding it casually as he smirked. “It's two against one. Drentie made you an offer and right now, it's the best you can hope for. You've lost, Ward”
“Shortwood”, the knight corrected him. “I have left my old name behind” He pointed the sword solely at Garen now. “However, I have not left my skills behind. I am better than either of you and both of you combined”, he growled now. “Face me if you must, but fight me at your peril”
Garen chuckled and slightly shrugged, raising his sword into an aggressive stance and with an uneasy feeling, Drent did the same. Shortwood raised an eyebrow. And then he attacked. His first strike was fast, a lot faster than either of them had expected from a man that had stood completely calm just seconds ago. The blade clashed against Garen's, who just barely managed to parry, his own sword nearly getting shoved into his face, any semblance of a smirk gone now.
Drent wasted no time to attack, but as it turned out, so did Shortwood. While his own strike was aimed at the knight's legs, his opponent easily deflected the spear with the tip of the sword, pushing the weapon past him and nearly causing Drent to stagger. The sword did a curve, now pointing at Drent, the sharp edge located between him and his own spear.
Now, Garen was between them, parrying a strike that was meant for Drent, while he himself hurled his spear around, slicing through the air above Garen's head, aiming for Shortwood's forehead. The knight dodged the attack easily, as he parried Garen's next head, before giving the sellsword a kick against the upper leg to push him off balance.
With a growl, Drent rushed past Garen, to block the sword with the sturdy wood of his spear, before pulling the weapon upwards, indeed landing a hit with the blunt lower end of it. It was a weak blow, merely pushing against Shortwood's chest, but judging by his pained groan, he still felt it. Just for a moment, he was affected by this attack and this was all they needed.
To use this opportunity, Drent attacked again, while Garen, who had regained his balance, did the same. Shortwood's eyes widened, as his sword moved upward to prevent the sharp edge of Drent's spear from slicing through his cheek. Still, it came satisfyingly close to actually wound him.
Unable to parry Garen's attack, the knight did a truly risky manoeuvre instead. He dodged, going almost into a crouching position and evading both, Drent's second attack and Garen's first, as he jumped head first into the sellsword, hitting him right at the stomach. Garen gasped, as his eyes widened and the air got pressed out of his lungs.
Swiftly, far better than Drent expected, Shortwood recovered from delivering this risky blow, as he parried the next strike with his sword, ignoring the stunned sellsword. “You're holding back”, he spat, as he deflected one of Drent's attacks, aimed for his legs again.
“I told you...”, Drent gasped, as he had to push against one of Shortwood's counterattacks. “I am not here to kill you!” The knight raised an eyebrow and it was a mixture of anger, amusement and surprise. “I'll try to remember it”, he promised. And it was then where he made a tiny mistake.
His strikes had pushed Drent backwards through the alleyway and carelessly, he had followed, now turning his back on the recovered Garen. With a howl, the sellsword jumped at him, forcing Shortwood to spin around to parry. Though he did so without effort, he was forced to leave himself open for Drent's attack.
With a groan of discomfort, he spun around again and it was clear that he wouldn't be able to do that for long. Realizing this just as well, the knight made a desperate dash forwards, blocking Garen's strike, but allowing himself a tiny cut at the upper arm by Drent's spear, though breaking free from his unfortunate position in the process.
Quickly, as if he hadn't been hit at all, he turned around, meeting Garen's sword with his own, while moving to the side to avoid Drent' spear. He glared at both of his opponents, though as Drent attacked again, he realized that this time, he had a plan. And once more, it relied on a daring move.
While he once more parried Garen's strike, he did so with only one hand, momentarily holding against the two-handed attack the sellsword tried to hit him with. He parried the next one in the same position, while Drent readied his spear to thrust forwards, through Shortwood's upper leg, in the hopes of ending the fight. It wouldn't come that far. He thrusted it forwards.
Still having a free hand, Shortwood grabbed Garen's forearm and kicked him against the leg again, violently yanking him right into Drent's attack in the process, as both men were unable to stop their movement. The spear pierced through Garen's upper leg, almost hitting his waist, digging deep into the flesh and causing the man to scream in surprised agony.
Shortwood jumped back, hitting Garen's flailing sword right at the upper side of the blade and knocking it out of his hand, while Drent's eyes widened, as he noticed that he had just wounded his companion, quite badly so. Unsure if he should remove the spear at once to fight, or leave it, he hesitated a moment too long and Shortwood used this to jump forwards, to give him a violent punch against the nose.
Pain flared up in his face, as Drent forcibly let go of the spear, allowing the wounded Garen to sink to the floor, as the knight continued to attack. Using his free fist and the hilt of his sword, he threw two massive punches into Drent's face, against the cheekbone and the chin. As the soldier went to the ground, Shortwood continued by violently kicking him between the legs before he even reached his destination.
Through a veil of tears and pain, Drent noticed that by now, the sword was pointed right at him. He gulped as he felt sharp steel at his throat, slowly wandering upwards, before resting at his cheek. “I gave you a choice”, Shortwood growled. “And you brought this up to yourself. Is it so hard to believe that I don't want to fight you?”
He shook his head, while behind him, Garen wailed in agony. “I wanted to be left alone! But you, you stubborn bastard of a soldier, you had to try and stop me”, he continued, cold anger in his voice. “As if the likes of you could ever stop me!” He grew louder now. “I was never a danger to your precious princess. In fact, I just wanted her to leave me alone. I still do, but now I am ready to fight for my freedom. To kill if necessary!”
Drent opened his mouth, trying to say something, but not being able to through the pain of his bruised face. “Fact is, I won't allow this ever again”, Shortwood concluded. “You told me you didn't want to kill you, so I will leave you alive as well. Two dead Stormlanders would be too much trouble”
His sword moved upwards, giving Drent a tiny, but very painful cut on the cheek. “Tell your princess, Derek Ward will never return to Storm's End, to face her or her father”, he hissed. “Tell her I don't seek a fight, but I will never again tolerate this. The next Stormlander that goes after me is going to die” He glanced at Garen. “He however might survive, if you're lucky. Better get him to a healer quick”
With these words, he turned around, stepping onto the heavily bleeding sellsword, marching past the alleyway like the soldier he used to be, not looking back once. Drent sighed, as the pain slowly faded, his hand instinctively moving to the slight cut on his cheek, before he pushed himself up.
For a moment, he remained waiting, cautious, until he was certain that Ian Shortwood would not return. Deep down, he was cursing himself, screaming at his own stupidity. Ser Emphryus had warned him that this would happen. And he knew how lucky he was to still be alive. His gaze fell upon Garen, lying in a puddle of his own blood, breathing in pain.
“Garen...”, he mumbled, as he went onto his knees next to him. “Come on, we better get you to a healer” Weakly, the sellsword hit him with a glare. “Fuck you, Golton”, he growled bitterly. “You did that on purpose, didn't you?”
And it was this moment that Drent realized that though both of them would survive, the encounter with Shortwood would come at a prize. The tone in Garen's voice, so utterly hostile, it proved one thing to him: From this day forward, this man would consider him an enemy.
No Choices for this part
Willfred
A satisfied grin had been fixed on Tallian's face ever since the trio had left the room again. Undoubtedly, Willfred had finally done something to win his approval and he couldn't deny that this felt great. However, it came at the cost of Roger, who looked visibly displeased with this turn of events.
“You disapprove?”, Willfred asked as his uncle glanced at him. Roger did not look away. “I trust your judgement, nephew”, he admitted. “I always do. It seems you have more of your father than I thought” Though the words itself brought a smile to Willfred's face, it was the tone that told him that this was anything but a compliment.
“But...?”, he asked and Roger sighed. “But your father is not a man for the people. This should be a ruler's foremost duty. He has lost sight of that more than once. Sometimes however, it is better to give them what they want”
“And you believe you know what they want?”, Tallian growled. “Seeing me blamed for their own fucking weakness?” Roger shook his head. “Having someone to blame at all”, he replied. “No matter how you feel about this personally, this would have pleased them. This would have given us a fighting chance in the coming negotiations”
Tallian's smug grin got wider. “That must really bug you”, he chuckled. “That my way has won. My decision has been right and you know that. Sure, maybe a few lives could have been saved, but all in all, I chose correctly in saving myself” He glanced at Willfred. “Even your own nephew sees this”, he gloated. “And that is what's making you so bitter here, isn't it?”
Before Roger could reply, Willfred raised a hand, giving both men a sharp glare. “Enough of that!”, he hissed. “You're both acting like children” He shook his head, irritated by their bickering. “We are here for the Rock and not for your petty quarrels!”
His harsh words caused Roger to raise an eyebrow, while the smile dropped from Tallian's face. For a second, it even seemed as if his uncle looked impressed, though Willfred wasn't too sure if this was more than just wishful thinking. Begrudgingly, Tallian gave him a nod. “You are right, Red Lion”, he spoke. “I shouldn't have doubted you earlier”
“You shouldn't have”, Willfred confirmed briefly and though glad that the general had finally come around, he wasn't quite willing to discuss this for much further. Tallian got the hint, as he was quiet again, though unable to remove the satisfied smirk on his face.
“It's just good someone recognizes my service at last”, he added and Willfred raised an eyebrow. “Don't make me second guess this”, he warned him. Never before had he seen a man falling silent faster. Finally having silence Willfred sighed in relief, as his hand instinctively moved to the lump in his coat, where he kept the box. It was oddly warm, even through the fabric. Or maybe it just seemed warm to him.
Not for the first time, Willfred had to ask himself why he was so fascinated with this object. Touching it, it brought up something he couldn't even explain. It was a feeling of something old, something so powerful that he was unable to even begin comprehending it. A flicker of might that went through his body, as if just touching this box made him feel more alive.
And then, a fragment of a memory. Willfred stopped and gasped, as the sensation went through him. It was a flicker, an image so brief that it was more a hunch than something he truly remembered. It was dark. Large eyes looked at him, green, golden, slitted like those of a cat. The sound of drums. There was blood, pain... power. The taste remained on his lips for a little longer than this most fleeting of memories.
“Boy?”, Roger asked, his voice more surprised than concerned. Willfred blinked, noticing that he had walked among them without even paying any attention to it. Now they had stopped and Roger raised an eyebrow, as Willfred gave him a confused stare. “What?”, he growled.
Roger smirked. “You've been lost in thoughts for a second”, he replied. “I hope you're thinking about the right princess this time” Willfred rolled his eyes, though the only thing that remained on his mind was this glimpse, this taste. “Lorna”, he answered and Roger gave him a nod. “Lorna”, he confirmed. “You better not dare trying anything with the Durrandon girl” This time, Willfred sighed. “That's not what I was thinking about”, he mumbled and Roger clearly wasn't convinced. “Besides, I doubt I'm having any chance after the negotiations failed”
“Did they fail though?”, a new voice asked, hoarsy and high and Willfred froze for a second, before he spotted the origin of this voice, coming from one of the darker corners of the hallway they were walking in. With a soft smile on her face, Helenys Bellward stepped into the light. As last time where he had met her, she was a sight of elegance and dignity, clad in purple and black, her white hair tied into a strict braid. The fine wrinkles on her face seemed deeper in the shadows.
“Apologies, Ser”, she replied. “I didn't want to startle you” Willfred had pulled himself together quick enough to give her a nod, replying to her polite bow. “Lady Helenys”, he greeted her, wondering deep down just why she decided to speak to him now.
She smirked as if she was able to read his mind. Given her ghastly appearance in this dim light, he wouldn't have been surprised. “I was hoping for a word”, she explained and he straightened his back. Remembering the lessons in chivalry his mother had given him, he offered his arm, which she gladly took.
“I heard about your feat during the siege”, Willfred began the conversation, as the two began walking. Roger and Tallian kept their distance, though remained close enough to hear every word. “I did what everyone would have done in my situation”, Helenys replied. “The people of Raylansfair were highly thankful of my intervention” She frowned briefly. “Lord Tyrell probably not so much”
A thin smile flashed across Willfred's face. “You slapped him, didn't you?”, he chuckled and she grinned. “In front of everyone to see”, she answered. “And trust me, he felt it” Willfred raised an eyebrow, noticing the cunning of her move. She was a hero to the people of Raylansfair, in a way Tallian could only dream about. Regardless of wether or not she saved these people out of the kindness of her heart, he doubted this was an aspect she hadn't thought about.
“Lady Helenys, what is it you wish to discuss with me?”, he asked. She was a schemer, that one, though that was not necessarily a bad thing. The old woman gave him a sly look. “I know why you are here, Willfred Reyne”, she answered. “Getting the help you need for your kingdom... you're playing a dangerous game for that”
Willfred tilted his head as he looked at her. “How so?”, he asked and her smile grew even thinner. “Don't play games with me, boy”, she growled, her voice showing no sign of aggressiveness. “You know what I mean. You've switched sides quite often and people have noticed. Lowther first, then the castellan, then the Durrandon girl. Whom do you declare for next?”
Her words, spoken surprisingly harshly, caused him to gulp, as he saw the truth in them. That had not been knightly. Sure, he had reasons for abandoning each of them, but that didn't make him feel better. “I was hoping to speak to Ser Maron Mullendore”, he admitted. “I feel like he owes me”
Helenys chuckled coldly. “Then you don't know what kind of a man he is”, she replied and Willfred looked at her curiously. “You do?”, he asked and she nodded. “I have always taken pride in this”, she answered. “I know how a man is by listening to him for a minute. And Maron Mullendore, he is a schemer. Nobody I would trust” She gave him a deep look. “I was hoping I could convince you not to crawl to deep into his backside”
“You don't like him?”, Willfred asked and she smiled. This time, there was anger in this smile, as it cut like a knife. “That puts it mildly”, she replied. “His girl, that two-timing trollop, Sherryl... she's one I have quite the quarrel with”
Willfred only had to give her a curious look for her to answer readily. “It's about my sweet Taros”, she told him. “A manticore I had gotten from an old friend, a man who meant a lot to me and the last thing I still have of him” Her smile at his uncomfortable surprise was almost genuine. “I am used to this reaction”, she admitted. “Though I can assure you, Taros is a tame and gentle creature. He just so happens to be the most poisonous animal this side of the Narrow Sea”
“Wonderful”, Willfred pressed through his teeth. “Do you have him with you right now?” Helenys shook her head. “Calm down, Ser”, she answered. “He is in my room, safe and sound. But that hasn't been the case during the raid. Aren, my servant, he found him stolen. It took him hours to find him, but he eventually did so” This time, she narrowed her eyes, reminding Willfred of a terrifying bird of prey. “In Sherryl's room”, she growled carefully. “He was close to death and though he will recover, it will take a long time. Such an assault can not go unpunished”
“Do you know where she is?”, Willfred asked and Helenys shook her head. “If I would, then I'd reintroduce her to my sweet”, she hissed. “However, this opens up the question what a young woman such as Sherryl needs manticore poison for. Luckily, Aren already informed me that one of the Stormlanders was shot with a poisonous arrow, while trying to shield his princess”
Willfred tensed up. “So, you think Sherryl murdered this man while trying to kill the Storm Princess?”, he realized and Helenys smiled in a pleased way. “Very good”, she complimented him. “Indeed, I think this. With Sherryl confirmed to work for Mullendore and his... little scene in the great hall just earlier, this opens up one important question. Why is he trying to start a war with the Stormlands?”
“Do you know it?”, Willfred asked and briefly, Helenys' chuckle was genuine. “My boy, I am not all-knowing”, she replied. “However, I aim to find out. This secret is his weak point, something we both have to know if we want to have any chance at our businesses here being successful”
“So... you propose an alliance?”, Willfred concluded. Helenys gave him a nod. “See, now you have it”, she admitted. “I believe we have a common goal. We want something from the new masters of this city. By finding their weakness, we can use it against them. We can get whatever we want. And I believe you and I, we can achieve what neither of us could do apart. What do you say?”
[Work with Helenys] [Refuse to work with her]
Ah, I can't promise that one, though it would surely be a very interesting aspect to her storyline and character. I'll try to give you some Moon Door action eventually though. One thing I can promise is, there will be some mention of a certain order in this interlude part
I am also very much looking forward for Dorne! It is a complex region, definitely one of my favourites as well, and I try to do it justice with my writing. Originally, it wasn't meant to appear, but this interlude as a whole is such a new plan that I myself am surprised and excited that I have the inspiration to show it. I really hope you're all going to enjoy it
[Work with Helenys] When dealing with Mullendore, the more help you get, the better. Though I'm not sure if we should trust Helenys or not...
And damn Garen, why would you think Drent was aiming that spear at you? Egocentrical much? xD
[Work with Helenys] Well,we need an ally and she is probably the only one that can have an interest to ally with Willfred (something that he really need)
RT:
And in the end I suppose that I only have to say....
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIQUID!!!!
Trying catching up the best I possibly can right now, but still, Happy Birthday, mate! Hope you'll have a great day!
Also, this Interlude sounds very interesting! I am looking forward to it.
[Work with Helenys]
Happy birthday.
Oh man, I knew Shortwood was good, but I trusted Drent and Garen could take him together. Then again, in retrospect, they aren't exactly the most coordinated team, barely tolerating each other
I hope Garen comes to his senses though and realizes that of course Drent wasn't aiming at him with the spear 
Oh well, looks like letting Shortwood go would've been the better option after all.
[Work with Helenys] Well, we certainly know Mullendore won't be willing to help the Rock in their war against Ironborn... since he is allied with the Ironborn
Soo, working against him with Helenys, as dangerous as that could be, seems like the better option here. That artifact though... I got some One Ring vibes from how Willfred got distracted and fascinated by it 
edit: Almost forgot, Happy Birthday Liquid!
[Work with Helenys] The more enemies Mullendore gets, the bigger the chances someone exposes him or kills him.
Well, I kinda expected this to be the result of the fight between Drent and Garen vs Shortwood.
Happy Birthday Liquid!!
Pd: Did you read my suggestion about the characters?
ALMOST LATE.
Happy Birthday Liquid!!!! Seriously man, have a beautiful day.
[Work with Helenys] Why not? The more enemies of Mullendore, the better I say.
I have now caught up as well of course, and I can only say, Leo can go and fuck a duck. What a little shit.
Hope you had a wonderful day yesterday!
[Work with Helenys] The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Oh yes, that is indeed the thing
Garen is probably among the most egocentrical characters in the story at this point and I can assure you that he is absolutely convinced that Drent wounded him on purpose, to get rid of him. Maybe he'll come around again, but for the time being, he will hold a legit grudge against Drent.
Aye, it was. I wanted to include at least some action parts in this relatively calm chapter, even if the two biggest fight scenes are still going to come
It was very much a mixture between these things. Ian is an extremely skilled fighter, the sort even Emphryus would take with caution and he could probably hold his own against the majority of fighters in the story. Drent and Garen are not bad as well, but Ian outmatches them. On top of that, they make for a terrible duo in a fight and their lack of coordination, paired with Drent's intention to bring him in alive, which really put them at a disadvantage.
Forget about the deaths of Torvin, Alysanne, Lunett and co., this is the truest tragedy of Book 1
Though, while I would have liked to write a bromance there, these two just aren't compatible in terms of personality. Come to think of it, there is a large number of people Garen is not compatible with.
Indeed! In terms of mere opinions, you made the right choice for sure, because though he disapproves, Roger is still somewhat proud of his nephew, meaning Willfred now has the support of both of his companions for the first time in the story. Tallian is a vain man and Willfred just seriously appealed to this vanity with his decision. On the other hand, if you would have chosen to support Roger, Tallian would have been utterly furious.
Hm, Roger is not suggesting that Tallian takes the blame for the entire raid, just for his retreat at the castle gates, which caused the remaining castle guard to get massacred. This one might make a bit more sense than taking the blame for the entire event, even if Tallian's argument that nobody can expect of him to sacrifice his life for foreign strangers is one to counter it.
It's a box, not a book
Important difference, as I can confirm that whatever is in that box is far older than books in Westeros. The First Men (and the Children of the Forest, who had a hand in its creation) have no tradition of writing down stuff, true books that can actually last through the ages haven't arrived in Westeros until the Andals invaded a couple thousand years later.
That is indeed something I wish to show more about in the future. Since Lorna is the only daughter of the king, it is a really big deal that she is going to marry a vassal instead of another kingdom's prince. It kind of shows just how powerful the Reyne family is. Willfred has mixed feelings about this whole thing. On the one hand, his betrothed is beautiful and according to Roger she also has a kind nature, but on the other hand, he barely even knows her and is nervous about spending the rest of his life with her. Lorna's feelings about this are even more complicated, though will be detailed at a later part. For now, it can be said that they have barely interacted with each other so far and though there is no bad blood between them, they don't love each other either and only see the political benefits for now.
True, Helenys' main goal is to obtain this monopoly, which would give her a lot of benefits. She is a businesswoman first, so she knows that finding out about the weaknesses of her potential partners is the most valuable thing when it comes to negotiations. Anything to give her an advantage. However, with her beloved pet being hurt, there might be personal reasons for her curiosity as well.
Ah, thank you very much!
Thank you, thank you
Aye, this time it probably would have been better to just let him go instead of picking a fight, because ultimately, there was no chance for them to take him on unless they would have truly worked as a team, which they simply don't do at this point. Then again, letting him go would have given Garen some advantage over Drent, as he could have blackmailed him with revealing this secret to Argella or Emphryus, who would have been far from pleased. Now, Drent might have gotten a new enemy, but he also gained points for trying.
Hehe, he really is strangely drawn to it. And so far, he hasn't even opened the box. It's a powerful artifact and Anturion had good reason to desire it. Now, whatever fascination Willfred feels, it's certainly not entirely his own. We'll see if this is a bad thing (or at least One Ring level of bad) in Book 2
Thank you!
Many thanks
I did and just send you a reply. The problem is that I had absolutely no time to answer yesterday, even if I would have liked to. Now I should probably work on the slight back log of messages I have acquired
Thank you, my friend! It was truly a beautiful day, one of the best I could have hoped for
Ah, glad you have caught up again! And well, I expected this to be the general consensus about Leo after the latest Edrick part. The guy messed up severely and it remains to be seen if he at least realizes the errors of his ways, or if he continues to become an even less liked character.
That I had, thank you. Surely, I have spent about five hours in total driving and that was kind of exhausting, but it was totally worth it. Admittedly, I had no high expectations of this birthday, especially as I didn't expect to celebrate at all just a month ago, so the fact that it was still so much fun already made it one of my favourite days ever
[Work with Helenys] Even I can't think of an excuse to not to do this, besides the fact that maybe Helenys is evil.
Drent, well, I'm not surprised that he and Garen got floored. After the last time Shortwood fought some guys he screwed them up.
Tallian and Roger the best of friends.
Happy (late) birthday!
[Work with Helenys]
Happy late birthday Liquid!
[Work with Helenys] Can't see why not. More allies the better. I'm trying to read these as fast as I can, but ever since that surgery I have been constantly just spending time sleeping more than anything, hard to think and in pain.
Well on that note, Happy late Birthday brother! Been a long time starting reading and hopefully for the next years!
[Work with Helenys] I don't really see a reason not to work with her. However I wouldn't trust her. Something about her just seems to me that she isn't a team player.
Man, Garen is so hard to please. I love the guy but it seems to get more and more difficult to get on his good side.
That's great. I really hope more days like that come along.
I guess that is the only reason to not work with her I could see as well, that some might not trust her intentions or think that she might screw Willfred over once she got what she wants. Not saying that this is going to happen, but evil or not, Helenys is surely a shady person. That said, she does seem to be a shady person against Mullendore, so that probably makes her at least not all that bad.
Aye, last time Shortwood got into a fight, he absolutely slayed those guys. It should be noted though, they have been thugs, who only overpowered Lucas and Leonard due to Lucas' very fresh wounds and Leonard being too busy with protecting him. Drent and Garen are not bad fighters, but they are no Shortwood levels of skill and make for a really bad team at this point.
Truly, a bond so strong that they are closer than brothers. In all seriousness though, they actually don't loathe each other as much as you might think right now. It's just that their philosophies clash so heavily that their rivalry escalates every couple of months, before they get a bit more friendly with each other again.
Oh man, this sounds really horrible! I really hope things will improve for you very soon. Until then, take your time! I'm the last person who wouldn't understand such a situation. Hang on there, friend, if there is any support I am able to give, I'll do it. Also, you might be pleased to hear that the next part will be a Jaron part again, so you can at least look forward for the long-awaited Harrington brother reunion
I just realized this is the third birthday I am celebrating since starting FoT. That means I have been writing this story for a significant part of my life so far. Really crazy to think about it and a bit scary, yet I am glad that you and so many others have been here for so long and hopefully will be for the coming years!
Well, she is a businesswoman, a successful one at that. You can't become successful without not having at least a little bit of a ruthless, selfish streak. That said, Helenys is also smart, so she might understand the value of reliable allies. I look forward to show you more about her in Book 2, where you might learn more about her true colours.
Yeah, Garen is incredibly hard to please. Accidentally stabbing him surely hasn't helped with getting on his good side either
Really, a key choice there has been spilling the beans about his opinion on Argella to her all the way back in Chapter 5. He is really bitter about that. Otherwise, a relative friendship between Garen and Drent wouldn't be impossible by now.
[Work with Helenys] Tag team duo, old lady Helenys and young, naive, and slightly possessed Willfred. Even if she ends up backstabbing Willfred, I can live with that as long as it doesn't affect Team Targ. Knocking Mullendore and Petyr down a peg or two wouldn't hurt either. Do Tallian and Roger know eachother from before Willfred's quest? There seems to be a rather steamy rivalry between the two. Past lovers perhaps? ^~^ Hah, but seriously. They seem to have quite the grudge against eachother's tactics.
Meanwhile Drent and Garen get the action to pick up. I knew that they wouldn't be able to catch Ian, but man it was funny to watch them try. I am glad that Drent has been loyal to his duty to his princess. Even if it meant sacrificing his budding bromance with Garen.
[Work with Helenys]
They do know each other! It's actually really complicated between them, because they are sort of friends, sort of rivals, who have a history of competing with each other in Loren Lannister's favour. Since they are also men of completly opposite morals, they usually clash with each other and sometimes get into pretty serious arguments. That said, outside of such an important mission, they do get along a bit better.
That is true, as much as it might have been a mistake considering the consequences this has for Garen and the way he sees him, Drent showed loyalty to the end and Argella is someone who puts a lot of value into this. And though they utterly failed in the end, they did prove to Ian that he cannot just leave his old life behind, but that the past is going to catch up to him sooner or later.
[Work with Helenys]
Happy late birthday, Liquid.
[Work with Helenys]
Best to work with her now, but in the long run, they should cut any alliance they have together after their business in Raylansfair is done. Poor poor Sherryl is running out of options... and friends.
Also that Drent and Garen fight was superb! Sadly, I was hoping for Garen to have one redeeming quality, but it seems that it's going to be a while for him and Drent to work together again. I doubt not bringing him with us wouldn't have made him think any higher of us, though.
The Voting is closed!
Willfred is going to work with Helenys
A completely unanimous vote, not that is is all that much of a surprise for me. I kind of expected you to grab this chance at harming Mullendore, though wasn't sure if you'd really all be willing to trust Helenys. Turns out, you are, for the better or worse. This partnership will be explored a bit more in Chapter 1 of Book 2 and I am really looking forward to show it. If anything, this should make for some really nice moments in Willfred's storyline. All in all, this makes me even very glad that you have chosen this route, because as you can probably guess by the cover for Book 2, I plan on giving Willfred and the other Reyne's some major increase in screentime
The next part is hopefully going to be out today. I had little time to write yesterday, so I'll have to do a lot of it today, but hopefully will manage to do it. This next part will mark the conclusion of Jaron's Book 1 storyline. Last time we have seen him, Jaron just entered the Thousand Shades of Flowers, the most exclusive brothel in Oldtown, together with Samuel Harrington, whom he supports in hunting down Ryder. According to Ryder's friend, the city guard captain Farris, he is in this brothel, where he took a liking to one of the prostitutes. The two were stopped by Joshawa, one of the workers in the brothel and right hand man of Hishi, the elusive owner of the building, who was currently on a business trip to Dorne. Joshawa and Lanford, who arrived a bit later, negotiated a deal with Samuel though, which would give him a chance to confront his brother, but at the cost of giving up all of his (numerous) secrets about Butterfly and the Solvers. He accepted without hesitating, showing that he has truly broken with his former companions. However, Jaron started to have heavy second guesses about Ryder's guilt or if Samuel's approach is truly the right one, so he was given a choice to try and convince Samuel to stop this. Ultimately however, he decided to stay loyal to the man that saved his life and instead, he assured him that he would support him.
That she is. It's telling how much she screwed up by now that quite a number of people have a personal grudge against her instead of the man she is working for. Screwing over her only true friend is probably the biggest mistake she could have made, because with her enemies gathering and getting closer to her, she's really in for some trouble.
Well, somewhat. Not bringing him certainly wouldn't have made him be as angry at Drent as he is right now. His opinion would have turned even more sour, yes, but there would have been less anger involved. The only way to have Drent and Garen end this chapter at somewhat neutral terms would have been to accept Ian's deal, which would have led to Garen being even somewhat pleased, on account of having material to blackmail Drent with if necessary.
Oh, then I'm pretty much glad we ended up choosing to fight Ian. I'd rather Drent take a beating from Shortwood than lose the trust of Argella.
Hello! Hopefully I manage to drop my new set of illustrations before the next part! Here they are:
Hope you like 'em!
edit: shit, there's something wrong with imgur... I'll try to fix the links.
edit2: fixed
and sorry Liquid for all the notifications you got from this 