All being said I honestly thought of that while I was reading all this info. My dear god ASOIAF can be unrealistically pessimistic with it characters. Most have awful lives or lead to awful lives or cause awful lives to be lived. Kings are poisoned constantly, the realm is repeated chaos, its kind of incredible rebellion took this long. When discussing 'Fire and Blood', George stated he would only briefly cover Jaeherys I reign, and I can hope but smile when I think that its because it was so optimistic.
Well, I feel like GRRM simply writes realistic lives for his characters. War sucks, for most of those involved. Medieval war has been terrible for everyone, from smallfolk to nobilty and he portrays that quite well, in a way I don't consider to be pessimistic at all, just realistic. Characters have flaws and make mistakes and someone in a place of power simply cannot cause no misery at all to either themselves or others, especially in times as chaotic as the War of the Five Kings. It might be depressing at times, but I reserve my judgement for when the books are done.
That being said, as you stated, it likely that many will get a happy-ish endings at least on the show, which has admittedly deviated a lot from the books but still, I doubt it will all be miserable.
Yeah, there is Tyrion, the Onion Badger, probably Sam and Gilly, definitely Gendry (because you don't bring him back just to kill him off right again), quite likely Missandei, Brienne and Tormund, maybe even Bronn if D&D are merciful. I feel like the number of characters who seem to stir towards a relatively happy ending (or an ending that is at least notably more sweet than bitter) in the show is higher than in the books, but as it has been stated, the books are not yet in their endgame and anything could happen in the next two installments. As much as it has been turned into a meme, I doubt GRRM's intention is to write his story as brutally and unrealistically depressive as possible, with a finale that sees the bad guys triumphant and I doubt his goal is to kill off as many favourite characters as possible, despite how he is generally viewed.
Viserys II was a great king and an even better hand, but his private life seems to have been way less happy, with his beloved wife leaving h… moreim and him growing stern and probably a bit bitter as a result.
Let's not forget his increasingly psychotic son, who may have actually poisoned him.
I mean, generally ASOIAF is aimed at realism and how realistic is it that absolutely everyone is miserable and has their live ending prematurely and in some kind of tragedy?
All being said I honestly thought of that while I was reading all this info. My dear god ASOIAF can be unrealistically pessimistic with it characters. Most have awful lives or lead to awful lives or cause awful lives to be lived. Kings are poisoned constantly, the realm is repeated chaos, its kind of incredible rebellion took this long. When discussing 'Fire and Blood', George stated he would only briefly cover Jaeherys I reign, and I can hope but smile when I think that its beca… [view original content]
Plus Vali is around Jenna's age so it's likely that he'd find Jenna more reliable.
Ah, here it seems I should clarify, Saerya isn't … moreall that much older than Jenna actually. She's 23, Jenna is a couple weeks before her 20th birthday. Vali is a bit younger than Jenna though, so the age difference between him and Saerya is a bit bigger.
BTW I've sent you another PM. Not sure if you got it.
I am afraid I have not, at least not until now. I checked our PM just now and saw it, seems new notifications drowned it before I was able to reply to it. Don't worry, I'll try to answer later today
Well, I feel like GRRM simply writes realistic lives for his characters. War sucks, for most of those involved. Medieval war has been terrible for everyone, from smallfolk to nobilty and he portrays that quite well, in a way I don't consider to be pessimistic at all, just realistic. Characters have flaws and make mistakes and someone in a place of power simply cannot cause no misery at all to either themselves or others, especially in times as chaotic as the War of the Five Kings. It might be depressing at times, but I reserve my judgement for when the books are done.
I agree with almost everything you said and feel as if you hit the nail on the head here, infact I really disagree with my comment especially the use of the word 'unrealistic' which it is definitely not. I actually feel very odd trying to justify this comment since I really don't agree with much of what I ended up writing. Maybe I was just reflecting on how hard it was to find 'happy' lives in Westeros. In truth my mindset is very close to the one in your comment (Are you sure we didn't switch accounts ). I still can't help but feel like in certain areas it is somewhat pessimistic, but I wouldn't call that unrealistic at all . As someone who studies history I fully agree wit h what GRR Martin has said "human beings have committed the worse atrocities in history and every time I think I have them beat, I am greeted by a new horror".
As much as it has been turned into a meme, I doubt GRRM's intention is to write his story as brutally and unrealistically depressive as possible, with a finale that sees the bad guys triumphant and I doubt his goal is to kill off as many favourite characters as possible, despite how he is generally viewed.
I always found how big that got to be hilarious. Martin has even said that his reputation is incredibly exaggerated and he doesn't actually enjoy killing his characters (Obvious protagonists excluded). It even seems like he disliked the Sept of Baelors explosion, since it was basically a clean sweep of his characters. Still to this day some fans expect Ramsey or Baelish to sit on the throne as some kind of all powerful dark lord of a Westeros too weak to oppose them. I find it more likely than Mace Tyrell would win the throne just so GRRM can talk for 26 pages about the food in his royal banquets. That is of course if the throne isn't destroyed as that's also possible.
All being said I honestly thought of that while I was reading all this info. My dear god ASOIAF can be unrealistically pessimistic with it c… moreharacters. Most have awful lives or lead to awful lives or cause awful lives to be lived. Kings are poisoned constantly, the realm is repeated chaos, its kind of incredible rebellion took this long. When discussing 'Fire and Blood', George stated he would only briefly cover Jaeherys I reign, and I can hope but smile when I think that its because it was so optimistic.
Well, I feel like GRRM simply writes realistic lives for his characters. War sucks, for most of those involved. Medieval war has been terrible for everyone, from smallfolk to nobilty and he portrays that quite well, in a way I don't consider to be pessimistic at all, just realistic. Characters have flaws and make mistakes and someone in a place of power simply cannot cause no misery at all to either themselves or others, especially in… [view original content]
Not the most active voting, so I am sorry in advance for anyone that didn't have time to vote, but I don't want to leave it open for another day, particularly as it seems I will be able to release the next part reasonably soon today. I expected the second choice, hoped for it at least, but was not sure what you would pick in the first option. Just to be clear, Jaron is not going to ask Ayden to accompany him across the Narrow Sea, he is just making use of his connections to find Samuel Harrington. It is possible he won't even accompany him to wherever Samuel is hiding these days and the last thing Jaron wants is to put him into any danger. It remains to be seen though if he is of any use with such hesitations on Jaron's end. The city guard, he'd likely have way less reason to ask them to help him with something dangerous, but in return, they have way less reason to help him as well.
The next part is hopefully going to be out today. I myself will be out in a couple minutes, visiting my mother at the rehab centre, but afterwards, I will be writing. And this next part will be the second PoV for Ellena. She ha previously been seen in the first part of this chapter, where she and Noelle arrived at the camp of Aegon Targaryen. Seeing all three of his dragons, she alos witnessed him dealing with the remains of the Darklyn-Mooton alliance. Whereas Bryen Darklyn's successor, his son Damon, bent the knee after having been captured, Grenn Mooton's daughter Amerei was a more tricky one. Not thinking straight in her grief, she outright refused to bend the knee and more or less insulted Aegon to his face. There... would have been smarter moves, alright. However, Aegon dealt with this situation diplomatically, not punishing the insult, nor the refusal to bend the knee, even allowing her to continue with the latter on account that she gives up on Maidenpool. She agreed to this, as she couldn't care less for her inheritance, at least not right now. Having always expected her father to marry again and sire a son, her chances of inheriting have always been slim. Now, there's a new Lord of Maidenpool, Grenn's brother Jon. Finally, it was revealed that Archmaester Wulvren has arrived at Aegon's camp a while ago and he is understandably still pissed at Noelle. So, he confronted her, accused her of all the vile things she did and Ellena, still having a grudge against her, refused to jump to her support, letting her argue for herself, which is where we shall continue with the next part.
Yes, I managed to see it. Well, it's not in my feed anymore of course, but it is in my browser history, meaning I can get back to it. I'll t… morery to do that tomorrow, no worries. In general, it is surprisingly rare that I miss a PM, so if it takes me more than a day to answer, don't worry, I have a rather good overview. In general, the longer the message, the longer I need to answer, but I mostly manage it. That being said, whenever you fear I might not see your message, it is totally legit and I appreciate when you ask if I received it, either here or through a PM.
Noelle expected her help, it was clear to see. The priestess looked at her and with every second, she seemed to grow more baffled, perhaps even shocked. Having her, this smug, omniscient murderer, so helpless, so desperate, it caused Ellena to smirk, as she narrowed her eyes at the woman. Then, she turned to the Dragon King. “I have nothing to add”, she said and it was only this feeling of satisfaction that caused her to speak to the man without fear in her voice. “Archmaester Wulvren tells the truth. Noelle can defend herself”
The priestess sighed and instantly, every gaze was on her. She clenched her fists. “And this I will”, she said, her voice turning frosty as she glared at Wulvren. The Archmaester however seemed happy with the situation. He gave Ellena a quick nod, before Noelle spoke up again. “Maybe we can discuss this in a more private setting?”, she asked. “The information I have to share is not meant for every curious bystander”
King Aegon looked at Wulvren, raising an eyebrow. “You said she has powers”, he spoke, to which Wulvren gave him a nod. “Is the dangerous in this very moment?” Wulvren was quiet after this, carefully looking at Noelle. “My heart wants to confirm”, he revealed. “But as a Maester, I am sworn to the truth. She is a vile witch and she has to answer for many a crime. But in this very moment... she seems weak to me. We have been friends once and for the sake of these times, my advice would be to give her this courtesy. Allow her to defend herself in private”
“So be it. There is no need to make this a public trial until I know what she has to say”, Aegon agreed, before he looked at his soldiers. “Some of you have achieved a great victory today!”, he proclaimed and roughly half of the soldiers began to cheer at his words. “Others a crushing defeat. Two lords have died, but two new ones rose. Follow their orders for the war to come. We have been enemies this morning, but that is in the past. You serve me now and I shall serve as your king. From this day forward, we march as one. We march on Harrenhal!”
At these final words, all of the soldiers broke into cheers, no matter which banner they stood under and Ellena clenched her fists. She hadn't thought much of Noelle's words until now, but this man... the power he wielded went beyond the dragons under his command. Half of these men had been ready to kill him just hours ago and yet, they were his now. Perhaps this gift was more powerful than fire and blood.
Briefly, the king gave both a nod. “Follow me”, he spoke, as his soldiers dispersed, to pursue their individual tasks. The king turned to the large tent behind him and Visenya followed by his side. Lazily, Rhaenys rose from her settee, to walk by his other side. Wulvren threw a sharp glare at Noelle, who in return only looked at the ground to his feet. Then she began to move, not even looking at Ellena.
Inside the tent, Ellena spotted several people. Some of them were armoured, loyal guards in black and red, armed with spears and shields. Others however were different. The kings inner circle, sitting on a long table. Archmaester Wulvren sat down there as well, relatively close to the king even, opposed to a young knight with a swordfish on his tabard, half of his brown hair dyed blue.
Aegon and his queens sat down at the far end of the table. At least Aegon and Rhaenys sat, the slightly older one remained standing, notably so in a round where everyone but Ellena and Noelle were sitting. The king gave her a questioning look and she sighed, rolling her eyes.
“Have I made a mistake, Visenya?”, he asked and she looked around, her purple glare hitting Noelle, who quickly looked down at the table again. “The Mooton girl”, she spoke up. “Letting her go was foolish” Aegon raised an eyebrow. “What was I supposed to do?”, he asked. “Would you have me execute her?”
Without hesitating, Visenya nodded. “You gave them a choice. Bending the knee or burning. She did not bend the knee, yet she did not burn. What kind of a signal is this going to send to the rest of them?” Leaning back on her chair, Rhaenys looked past her king and at her sister. “That Aegon knows when to show mercy”, she said. “That their king can be strong when it is needed and compassionate when it is appropriate”
Silently, the king gave her a nod. “She is a child”, he spoke towards Visenya, his voice showing no hint of how he felt, neither did the gaze he gave her. Visenya however tensed up. “Looked like a woman to me”, she replied. “And do you truly think she has no ambition to claim Maidenpool? Do you truly think she can't become a threat ever again?”
“Hundreds of men saw her giving up on her inheritance”, Aegon argued and Visenya gave him a nod. “Yes”, she agreed. “But how many didn't? Thousands? Tens of thousands? Men who could use her, the Maid of Maidenpool, to spearhead their fight against you. It is better to be harsh once than to be forced to do it over and over”
“Harsh maybe, my queen”, another man close to the king spoke in a soft voice. His hair was grey and receding, with sideburns, his face thin and pale, with a sharp nose and high cheekbones. Clad in black and grey, Ellena spotted a white sigil on his chest, yet did not recognize it. “But executing Amerei Mooton would have been more than that, if you allow me the opinion. A king should show mercy when needed, lest they call him cruel, a tyrant. That would be the beginning of the end for what you try to achieve. No realm to carry your legacy, just a footnote in history”
Aegon nodded in agreement. “I have full trust in Lord Jon's ability to keep his niece in line”, he stated and glanced at one of the men, the one closest to him. He was tall, a thick, black beard covering his handsome face. Wearing an open coat, Ellena saw the bandages that covered his chest.
Without being prompted to, this warrior spoke up. “A man's true value can be seen on the battlefield”, he explained. “Jon Mooton fought with a rare honour and he proved me right with this assumption ever since. He will keep his word, I know it” He smiled at Aegon and despite their visual differences, in this moment they looked almost alike. “It is settled then”, the king said. “I will not punish a daughter for mourning her father”
Visenya sighed at this. “It's not Lord Mooton I am worried about”, she said. “Nor Amerei, if I must be honest. A foolish girl, I doubt she realized what she did until it was too late. It's others I am concerned about” Aegon's gaze softened a bit. “Lord Darklyn, you mean?”, he asked and she gave him a nod. “He bent the knee, but any vow can be broken, given the right reason” As she said this, she momentarily looked at the younger woman, who was sitting straight now, one of her legs crossed over the other. “Anger is such a reason and to make matters worse, he seems fond of Mooton's whelp”
“I am not foolish enough to trust Damon Darklyn either”, Aegon agreed. “I doubt Amerei even wishes to be a threat to our rule, but given the opportunity, Darklyn would gladly turn on us. For this, I have made arrangements” He looked past his lords and advisers, towards a tall, young man with long, silvery blonde hair and a boyish face.
“Ser Rahaerys”, he said and the man saluted. “Your grace”, he replied firmly. “When you return to Dragonstone, you won't do so alone. Lord Damon has a younger brother, Robin. He will become your squire, you will teach him in the ways of a knight and grant him this honour once you consider him ready”
Rahaerys saluted and for the first time since their dispute started, Visenya seemed content. “Keeping an eye on the last living member of his family...”, she mumbled. “Might be a way to keep him in line, I give you that” She straightened her back. “I will send for Lord Darklyn and his brother then”
“Do that”, Aegon agreed. He gave her a slight smile, which she did not reciprocate. It grew wider as he looked at Rhaenys, just for a moment. Then, the usual stern expression was back as he turned to Noelle and Ellena. “Now, Grand Maester, explain to me who these people are”, he ordered.
Wulvren nodded, before raising from his chair. Quickly, he walked around the table, placing his hands on it next to Ellena. He looked at her sternly. “How have you ended up with that witch, girl?”, he asked, before turning to his king. “Your grace, this woman is Noelle Mield, priestess of the Red God” He then pointed at Ellena. “This is Ellena Terys, a girl she abducted”
With so many high lords looking at them, Ellena felt slightly uncomfortable. This was something she was not used to and even Noelle looked miserable. She knew better than to count on any help from that witch though. Instead, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath before facing the Dragon King, his beautiful queens and the rough dozen of lords and knights in their service.
“What the Maester says is true”, she said. “My name is Ellena and I come from the city of Braavos” She gulped, glaring at Noelle, who was very quiet. The priestess was looking around, carefully eyeing each of the lords. A terrible suspicion grew in Ellena, as she got an idea why the priestess was so cautious. This enemy she was seeking, perhaps he was among these people, listening to every word they spoke. The pale lord in grey looked eery enough, the man with the blue hair had a gaze that was chilly and there was the scarred man with the eyepatch...
She gulped, as she decided to watch her tongue as much as possible. “Noelle abducted me. She dragged the Archmaester with her, though when he tried to free me, she in turn left him for dead”, she explained. The king looked up, yet it was Rhaenys who replied. “And she dragged you across the Reach and Stormlands, to this very spot?”, she asked. Ellena shook her head. “I escaped”, she said. “But met her again, by chance. This time, I chose to come with her by my own will”
“Why?”, the grey lord asked and there was a gentle tone in his voice that made her rule him out as Noelle's enemy. The witch was terrifying, but the enemy had to be even worse and if anything, this man had something almost grandfatherly in the way he looked at her.
She looked at the ground, feeling heat rising in her cheeks. “I... I have no one left”, she admitted and a few months ago, she would have cried at this simple statement. “My father was murdered, my mother died long ago. A man that cared for me like a daughter was...” She threw a vicious glare at Noelle, noticing how the priestess flinched. “He was murdered by Noelle”
“And yet you follow her?”, Rhaenys asked, her voice soft and compassionate. Ellena gave her a nod. “She gave me a promise”, she whispered. “She... wanted to give me a new life at court” She looked up and into the silent faces of the high lords. Aegon was unmoving, Visenya cold, though Rhaenys... the woman pressed her lips together, though before she could speak, one of the lords cleared his throat.
“Well, you're at the wrong court for that, little girl”, he snarled. The man was tall and gaunt, with a long, thin beard, almost white in colour. Rhaenys shot him a sharp glare. “Lord Velaryon”, she hissed. “This is not up for you to decide, I suppose” She looked back at Ellena. “If she made you this offer, no matter how she planned on making it happen, then why did you turn on her?”
Noelle gave her a questioning look, saying more than a thousand of words. “I have not turned on her”, Ellena explained. “That would imply I've been on her side” She narrowed her eyes. “Not after what she did to Terroma” Noelle sighed. “You foolish girl”, she mumbled.
“You blame her?”, Wulvren roared, his anger not holding back at last. “You brought this up on yourself!” Noelle was about to say something as Aegon raised a hand, catching her attention. “So, you do not even try to deny the accusations? Murder, abduction, attempted murder of my Grand Maester?”
“I do not deny them”, Noelle said. “I am done lying. I only request that you listen to my reasons before judging me” Aegon nodded and Noelle straightened her back. Before she replied to the king, she looked at Wulvren. “You claim you are sworn to the truth”, she said and the maester narrowed his eyes. “What are you getting at with that?”, he spat, to which she narrowed her eyes. “I only ask of you to confirm my words, if you deem them truthful”
As Wulvren nodded in silent agreement, she turned to the king. “I serve a god that is not widely known in Westeros”, she said. “Yet unlike the Seven worshipped here, R'hllor has powers and he shows them in his work and in that of me and mine” Ignoring the outraged mumble among some of the lords, Aegon looked at Wulvren, who gave him a nod. “I can confirm, without wanting to delve into religion, that the Lord of Light does, in fact, exist. There is no absolute proof, but accounts of wonders done by the priests of his faith are numerous and far exceed the Doom of Valyria, which proves to me they are not using a mere form of magic”
“My god has shown me visions”, Noelle spoke. “A terrible war will come and these lands have to be united to face it. The enemy will make his move and all the living have to lay down their quarrels to face him” Aegon tilted his head. “The enemy?”, he asked. “Who is this enemy you speak of? One of mine?”
Noelle nodded. “He is enemy to all of us”, she said. “He is death, he is darkness and cold. He is the only enemy that matters and when he comes, the only hope to defeat him is a realm that marches under a single banner. Ice will bow to fire and the world will live to see another day”
Lord Velaryon smirked beneath his beard, while the dark-haired man close to Aegon averted his face to hide his grin. “The ramblings of a madwoman”, Velaryon said and Wulvren shook his head, much to Ellena's surprise. As he spoke, there was concern in his voice. “A madwoman she might be, but she never rambled, not without a fragment of truth at least”
“You have seen my victory in your visions?”, Aegon asked and Noelle gave him a nod. “After a terrible war, yes”, she said. “I know I did inexcusable things, but I did them to prevent the war. With the army of the dead on the way, the living cannot fight against each other”
As she said this, the one-eyed warrior burst into a fit of laughter, though a cold look from his queen, Visenya, cut him off. “So, you tried to prevent the war?”, she asked and Noelle gulped under her gaze. “I tried to assure your victory without bloodshed. Is that not something that justifies a sacrifice?”
“And yet you failed”, Ellena hissed and it felt good to say this out loud, in front of all these people the witch tried to impress. Noelle bit down onto her lower lip and clenched her shaking fists. “And yet I failed”, she admitted. “My actions do not change the truth I speak of though. You might find it ridiculous, mylords, but I know your Grand Maester holds a different opinion, isn't that right? Would you question his wisdom?”
Wulvren sighed as everyone looked at him. “Damn you, woman!”, he barked. “You know I believe you, you know I always did!” He looked at his king. “Even when I opposed her, it wasn't because I stopped believing her. Her god, or... something, it gives her visions and they... they happen. Sooner or later. Prophecy is as ancient as it is reliable, even if not always perfectly clear to the layman”
“So, there is an army of the dead marching against us from... somewhere?”, Aegon asked, his voice showing that he was anything but convinced, even if certainly intrigued by her claim that he was destined to win. Wulvren shook his head. “Sometimes, what she sees is more an abstract concept than the truth”, he explained. “Yet I must admit, she indeed told me about your war, your whole claim even before you landed”
Visenya's eyes widened with alarm. “We kept this secret”, she growled in a low tone. “How did you learn of this, witch?” Noelle smiled in return and Ellena felt that she was gaining in confidence again. And yet, the slight fear that she was actually telling the truth, or part of it, it prevented her from stabbing her in the back again. “As Wulvren confirmed, my god shows me what will happen”
Aegon leant forwards. “What else did you see?”, he asked and Noelle put her hands onto the table, everyone looking at her, some with genuine interest, such as Queen Rhaenys and the grey lord, others, such as Visenya and Wulvren cautiously alarmed, most with the same amusement Lord Velaryon showed.
“I saw the darkness coming”, she spoke. “The all-devouring cold from the north. It came from east and west and there I stood in the middle” Her gaze was fixed on Aegon and Ellena noticed that her fists were clenched into the wood of the table. “I turned to the south and I saw a ray of light left. Where it touched the ground, there stood a man and behind him stood an army” Her voice was nothing but a whisper, but everyone was silent now, so her words carried far. “In the darkness, this last ray of light meant... hope. And it whispered a name. It told me of the prince who was promised, of Aegon Targaryen, who will lead us in this war” Briefly, she glanced at Wulvren. “Make no mistake, old friend. The long night will return and it is my utmost, my sole desire to aid the living”
It surprised Ellena how shaken the Archmaester was by her words. Even the king noticed it. “Is everything alright, Grand Maester?”, he asked. “I don't claim to know much on the topic of magic, so what are your thoughts on her vision?” Wulvren sighed. “There are records of the long night, your grace”, he spoke. “And theories of different cultures all over the world that make a second long night... possible”
“It's nonsense”, Visenya growled. “The ramblings of a woman that wishes to distract from her own guilt” She put a hand onto the slender blade at her belt. “Get rid of her, I say. Let Dark Sister taste her blood, or burn her if she prefers it. It matters not as long as she ends up no longer spreading this madness”
“She must be punished”, Wulvren agreed and Noelle bit down onto her lip. “However, I begin to think that killing her right now would be a terrible idea. Maybe it should wait. She has come here for a purpose and as disgusting as her methods are, there is no doubt she is loyal to you, after all she tried to help you” He looked at Noelle. “Why are you here, witch?”
The priestess looked around. “There is a servant of the Great Other in this part of the world”, she explained. “His prime servant, the man outside of death. He is not among the men in this tent, but I don't doubt he tries to get close to you” Visenya rolled her eyes. “Do you believe this, husband?”, she asked and Aegon shook his head.
“I don't know what I am supposed to believe, Vis”, he replied. “I trust Wulvren and if she truly knew of our war before it happened, who says she is not right about this... enemy as well? About this army of the dead?” He shook his head. “It matters little at the moment. We have an army of the living to crush, seven armies, seven kingdoms”, he growled. “Once this is dealt with, we can still find out if she told the truth, if there is a stronger enemy we must focus on”
“Little girl”, Rhaenys said and in her tone, it didn't sound like a mockery. She smiled at Ellena, who found herself smiling back at her sweet expression. “It seems you have suffered the most at this woman's hand. Wulvren proposed we spare her for the time being, deciding on her fate later. Visenya wants her killed right now. I myself would be content with chasing her away, but your opinion holds value in this affair” Her smile slowly faded, as Ellena's nervousness grew. Was she truly able to decide on this? “What fate would you see fit for someone such as her?”
[Say Noelle should be killed at once][Say Noelle should be killed once she stopped the enemy][Say Noelle's life should be spared]
I hold the same fear and given how they broke a perfectly fine forum without necessity, they did preciously little to prove me wrong. I am still mourning the forum we lost, the one we had in 2014/2015. At the same time, can it really become much worse? The current state of the forums is plain inexcusable, but I would really like to believe the update that was promised will come one day. I mean, they once turned a fairly average board into something great with the update that happened some time in 2012/2013, the first version of the current board we're using, so who's to say they can't do the same again? My hope is slim, I am quite bitter that they thought the last two updates were anything even close to a good idea and made zero effort to fix anything they broke, but I can't always be cynical, right?
I agree with almost everything you said and feel as if you hit the nail on the head here, infact I really disagree with my comment especially the use of the word 'unrealistic' which it is definitely not. I actually feel very odd trying to justify this comment since I really don't agree with much of what I ended up writing. Maybe I was just reflecting on how hard it was to find 'happy' lives in Westeros. In truth my mindset is very close to the one in your comment (Are you sure we didn't switch accounts ). I still can't help but feel like in certain areas it is somewhat pessimistic, but I wouldn't call that unrealistic at all . As someone who studies history I fully agree wit h what GRR Martin has said "human beings have committed the worse atrocities in history and every time I think I have them beat, I am greeted by a new horror".
Hehe, it seems you ended up trying to support a position you don't actually support. I agree that ASOIAF has its fair share of depressing moments, wholeheartedly so, whereas the amount of happy moments that are not tarnished by anything bad is slim, but then again, don't these moments have to happen as well? I am sure there are plenty examples of happy lives in Westeros, even if GRRM is realistic enough to show that one person's happiness might come at the expense of someone else being pushed down. Since we often see the full picture with his narrative, this obviously tarnishes our opinion on this. On the same time, one person living a perfectly happy live is something that happens one in a billion. Tragedies happen to all, sooner or later.
I always found how big that got to be hilarious. Martin has even said that his reputation is incredibly exaggerated and he doesn't actually enjoy killing his characters (Obvious protagonists excluded). It even seems like he disliked the Sept of Baelors explosion, since it was basically a clean sweep of his characters. Still to this day some fans expect Ramsey or Baelish to sit on the throne as some kind of all powerful dark lord of a Westeros too weak to oppose them. I find it more likely than Mace Tyrell would win the throne just so GRRM can talk for 26 pages about the food in his royal banquets. That is of course if the throne isn't destroyed as that's also possible.
Well, I think it was that he quickly realized the flaws he gave Ned could only end in his death and after that, he decided to kill off Robb as well to truly show he means to subvert classical fantasy in which the obvious hero gets to have a climactic battle with the obvious bad guy. Instead, even the obvious bad guy gets off not even halfway into the series and the narrative instead focusses on underdogs who slowly grow from unlikely, overlooked and belittled positions, such as Jon Snow or Dany or Arya or Tyrion. And if we make a count, how many main characters has he actually killed off? Not counting minor characters, there is Ned, Renly, Robb, Catelyn (sorta), Joffrey, Tywin and Jon (who will come back in the books as well, because of course he is). Have I forgotten anyone? That is seven out of a main cast that comes close to two dozen, in five whole books. The reputation is exaggerated, he is just very good at having a bleak narrative when coming to the topic of war, as it should be. And well, I support Mace for the throne! Though if he likes to describe food (which, let's be honest, is likely his favourite thing to describe), he should consider the one true king, King Hot of House Pie, first of his name.
Well, I feel like GRRM simply writes realistic lives for his characters. War sucks, for most of those involved. Medieval war has been terrib… morele for everyone, from smallfolk to nobilty and he portrays that quite well, in a way I don't consider to be pessimistic at all, just realistic. Characters have flaws and make mistakes and someone in a place of power simply cannot cause no misery at all to either themselves or others, especially in times as chaotic as the War of the Five Kings. It might be depressing at times, but I reserve my judgement for when the books are done.
I agree with almost everything you said and feel as if you hit the nail on the head here, infact I really disagree with my comment especially the use of the word 'unrealistic' which it is definitely not. I actually feel very odd trying to justify this comment since I really don't agree with much of what I ended up writing. Maybe I was just reflecting on how hard it was to fin… [view original content]
[Say Noelle should be killed once she stopped the enemy] She's too useful to be killed right now, and we all know a servant of the Great Other is dangerous to all. Maybe something along the way will make them spare her life, maybe she will simply accept her demise once it is over.
Good ol' Regis speaks the truth to Visenya, being too ruthless will make people call you cruel, a tyrant, with no legacy and only a footnote in history. We all know who am I talking about.
The people of Westeros can sleep safe for now, since the dead won't come from the north until long after all are dead and buried. Maybe.
Ellena
Noelle expected her help, it was clear to see. The priestess looked at her and with every second, she seemed to grow more baffled,… more perhaps even shocked. Having her, this smug, omniscient murderer, so helpless, so desperate, it caused Ellena to smirk, as she narrowed her eyes at the woman. Then, she turned to the Dragon King. “I have nothing to add”, she said and it was only this feeling of satisfaction that caused her to speak to the man without fear in her voice. “Archmaester Wulvren tells the truth. Noelle can defend herself”
The priestess sighed and instantly, every gaze was on her. She clenched her fists. “And this I will”, she said, her voice turning frosty as she glared at Wulvren. The Archmaester however seemed happy with the situation. He gave Ellena a quick nod, before Noelle spoke up again. “Maybe we can discuss this in a more private setting?”, she asked. “The information I have to share is not meant for every curious … [view original content]
Good ol' Regis speaks the truth to Visenya, being too ruthless will make people call you cruel, a tyrant, with no legacy and only a footnote in history. We all know who am I talking about.
Well, if only Visenya would listen to his advice, maybe one of the darker chapters in Westerosi history could have been prevented. I'd say she is at the very least partially to blame for Maegor, whom I outright had in mind when writing Regis' line here. Of course, there are also tyrants who actually built up famous legacies despite their despicable character, but truth be told, cruelty rarely goes hand in hand with intelligence and most of the time, a cruel ruler pisses off the wrong person sooner or later.
The people of Westeros can sleep safe for now, since the dead won't come from the north until long after all are dead and buried. Maybe.
Well, if only Noelle would know. She has seen the right thing in the flames, but flames being tricky bastards, she came to the wrong (if rather understandable) conclusion. Funny thing is, with the revelation from the end of Season 7 of the show, it is likely she indeed heard "Aegon" in the fire, or Aegon Targaryen, so she really cannot be blamed for misinterpreting him as the prince who was promised. And even then, Aegon uniting Westeros is undoubtedly an action that is crucial for the ASOIAF/GOT endgame, so even then she has a point when she considers him so heavily important. As for the army of the dead, they are definitely not on the march. However, whatever caused the White Walkers to rise and march south, it likely is slowly getting started, very slowly, in the lands far beyond the wall, where life is flat out impossible anyways.
[Say Noelle should be killed once she stopped the enemy] She's too useful to be killed right now, and we all know a servant of the Great Oth… moreer is dangerous to all. Maybe something along the way will make them spare her life, maybe she will simply accept her demise once it is over.
Good ol' Regis speaks the truth to Visenya, being too ruthless will make people call you cruel, a tyrant, with no legacy and only a footnote in history. We all know who am I talking about.
The people of Westeros can sleep safe for now, since the dead won't come from the north until long after all are dead and buried. Maybe.
Ellena
Noelle expected her help, it was clear to see. The priestess looked at her and with every second, she seemed to grow more baffled,… more perhaps even shocked. Having her, this smug, omniscient murderer, so helpless, so desperate, it caused Ellena to smirk, as she narrowed her eyes at the woman. Then, she turned to the Dragon King. “I have nothing to add”, she said and it was only this feeling of satisfaction that caused her to speak to the man without fear in her voice. “Archmaester Wulvren tells the truth. Noelle can defend herself”
The priestess sighed and instantly, every gaze was on her. She clenched her fists. “And this I will”, she said, her voice turning frosty as she glared at Wulvren. The Archmaester however seemed happy with the situation. He gave Ellena a quick nod, before Noelle spoke up again. “Maybe we can discuss this in a more private setting?”, she asked. “The information I have to share is not meant for every curious … [view original content]
[Say Noelle's life should be spared] Eh, it's not that I'd really have any liking for the red witch, but I'm choosing this purely for Ellena's sake. I don't want her to be too vengeful, and besides, it seems Noelle did indeed succeed in giving her a new life, since clearly Rhaenys has already took a liking in Ellena. I don't mind that much if the neutral option wins, but I'd just prefer Ellena to be a bit more forgiving at this point.
Anyway, this was a great part, always nice to get more of the Targs. And it's kinda funny to read Noelle messing up the interpretation of her visions Well, maybe R'hllor does indeed want her to help Aegon, but obviously the threat from the north isn't as imminent as she fears.
Ellena
Noelle expected her help, it was clear to see. The priestess looked at her and with every second, she seemed to grow more baffled,… more perhaps even shocked. Having her, this smug, omniscient murderer, so helpless, so desperate, it caused Ellena to smirk, as she narrowed her eyes at the woman. Then, she turned to the Dragon King. “I have nothing to add”, she said and it was only this feeling of satisfaction that caused her to speak to the man without fear in her voice. “Archmaester Wulvren tells the truth. Noelle can defend herself”
The priestess sighed and instantly, every gaze was on her. She clenched her fists. “And this I will”, she said, her voice turning frosty as she glared at Wulvren. The Archmaester however seemed happy with the situation. He gave Ellena a quick nod, before Noelle spoke up again. “Maybe we can discuss this in a more private setting?”, she asked. “The information I have to share is not meant for every curious … [view original content]
[Say Noelle should be killed once she stopped the enemy]
It seems too weird if now Ellena want to spare Noelle life,however I doubt that kill now the Red priestess is a good choice so I say to give her time during this mission to redeem herself
RT:
Poor Noelle,she really believed that Ellena would have helped her after all the things she do
All this talk about the evil (and boring) army of the dead..I'm so glad that this is a story about the conquest where we won't have that stuff!
The fact that Noeĺle said that all the people in the meeting were not "The Evil One" seems to me that the reduce a little too much the list of candidates (unless you introduce other possible ones)
Since the knight obtain a squire and go to Dragon Stone I suppose that maybe you will show us that location
Ellena
Noelle expected her help, it was clear to see. The priestess looked at her and with every second, she seemed to grow more baffled,… more perhaps even shocked. Having her, this smug, omniscient murderer, so helpless, so desperate, it caused Ellena to smirk, as she narrowed her eyes at the woman. Then, she turned to the Dragon King. “I have nothing to add”, she said and it was only this feeling of satisfaction that caused her to speak to the man without fear in her voice. “Archmaester Wulvren tells the truth. Noelle can defend herself”
The priestess sighed and instantly, every gaze was on her. She clenched her fists. “And this I will”, she said, her voice turning frosty as she glared at Wulvren. The Archmaester however seemed happy with the situation. He gave Ellena a quick nod, before Noelle spoke up again. “Maybe we can discuss this in a more private setting?”, she asked. “The information I have to share is not meant for every curious … [view original content]
[Say Noelle should be killed once she stopped the enemy] You know what they say, BETRAYAL! Seriously though, Noelle has no excuse for the horrific things she has done to everyone since Chapter 1, because of her doubts and bad judgement people died. That can not go unpunished. Also I believe Aegon will make the decision of killing her at the end anyway, it makes most sense.
I also liked the Jon Snow reference. (EXCEPT I FUCKING HATE RHEAGAR AND LYANNA SO FUCKING MUCH!) I'm really interested in what you have store in the future for Ellena
Ellena
Noelle expected her help, it was clear to see. The priestess looked at her and with every second, she seemed to grow more baffled,… more perhaps even shocked. Having her, this smug, omniscient murderer, so helpless, so desperate, it caused Ellena to smirk, as she narrowed her eyes at the woman. Then, she turned to the Dragon King. “I have nothing to add”, she said and it was only this feeling of satisfaction that caused her to speak to the man without fear in her voice. “Archmaester Wulvren tells the truth. Noelle can defend herself”
The priestess sighed and instantly, every gaze was on her. She clenched her fists. “And this I will”, she said, her voice turning frosty as she glared at Wulvren. The Archmaester however seemed happy with the situation. He gave Ellena a quick nod, before Noelle spoke up again. “Maybe we can discuss this in a more private setting?”, she asked. “The information I have to share is not meant for every curious … [view original content]
Ellena
Noelle expected her help, it was clear to see. The priestess looked at her and with every second, she seemed to grow more baffled,… more perhaps even shocked. Having her, this smug, omniscient murderer, so helpless, so desperate, it caused Ellena to smirk, as she narrowed her eyes at the woman. Then, she turned to the Dragon King. “I have nothing to add”, she said and it was only this feeling of satisfaction that caused her to speak to the man without fear in her voice. “Archmaester Wulvren tells the truth. Noelle can defend herself”
The priestess sighed and instantly, every gaze was on her. She clenched her fists. “And this I will”, she said, her voice turning frosty as she glared at Wulvren. The Archmaester however seemed happy with the situation. He gave Ellena a quick nod, before Noelle spoke up again. “Maybe we can discuss this in a more private setting?”, she asked. “The information I have to share is not meant for every curious … [view original content]
[Say Noelle should be killed at once] Just get it over with already.
Noelle nodded. “He is enemy to all of us”, she said. “He is death, he is darkness and cold. He is the only enemy that matters and when he comes, the only hope to defeat him is a realm that marches under a single banner. Ice will bow to fire and the world will live to see another day”
So this is obviously? the White Walkers, but knowing they won't be showing up for a while (though they probably exist very very far North), so that's a problem we can ignore.
The priestess looked around. “There is a servant of the Great Other in this part of the world”, she explained. “His prime servant, the man outside of death. He is not among the men in this tent, but I don't doubt he tries to get close to you” Visenya rolled her eyes. “Do you believe this, husband?”, she asked and Aegon shook his head.
Now this interests me. As I said before, I believe this could be Lupin Frostborn. I'm not sure if he'll try to get close, but if he does it's totally him.
Ellena
Noelle expected her help, it was clear to see. The priestess looked at her and with every second, she seemed to grow more baffled,… more perhaps even shocked. Having her, this smug, omniscient murderer, so helpless, so desperate, it caused Ellena to smirk, as she narrowed her eyes at the woman. Then, she turned to the Dragon King. “I have nothing to add”, she said and it was only this feeling of satisfaction that caused her to speak to the man without fear in her voice. “Archmaester Wulvren tells the truth. Noelle can defend herself”
The priestess sighed and instantly, every gaze was on her. She clenched her fists. “And this I will”, she said, her voice turning frosty as she glared at Wulvren. The Archmaester however seemed happy with the situation. He gave Ellena a quick nod, before Noelle spoke up again. “Maybe we can discuss this in a more private setting?”, she asked. “The information I have to share is not meant for every curious … [view original content]
[Say Noelle should be killed once she stopped the enemy.]
I want to say that she would be willing to let bygones be bygones because I like Noelle but I can't see that after everything Noelle did to her. Maybe over time the two can reconcile but right now I don't see Ellena doing anything to save her. =p
Ellena
Noelle expected her help, it was clear to see. The priestess looked at her and with every second, she seemed to grow more baffled,… more perhaps even shocked. Having her, this smug, omniscient murderer, so helpless, so desperate, it caused Ellena to smirk, as she narrowed her eyes at the woman. Then, she turned to the Dragon King. “I have nothing to add”, she said and it was only this feeling of satisfaction that caused her to speak to the man without fear in her voice. “Archmaester Wulvren tells the truth. Noelle can defend herself”
The priestess sighed and instantly, every gaze was on her. She clenched her fists. “And this I will”, she said, her voice turning frosty as she glared at Wulvren. The Archmaester however seemed happy with the situation. He gave Ellena a quick nod, before Noelle spoke up again. “Maybe we can discuss this in a more private setting?”, she asked. “The information I have to share is not meant for every curious … [view original content]
Anyway, this was a great part, always nice to get more of the Targs. And it's kinda funny to read Noelle messing up the interpretation of her visions Well, maybe R'hllor does indeed want her to help Aegon, but obviously the threat from the north isn't as imminent as she fears.
Ah, glad you enjoyed the part! I also love to write more for the Targs, they make writing a part very easy. Kinda sad that they will each focus on different regions in the conquest to come, at least for a long time. But even then, there should be a lot of them and their respective followers. It's also clear, Noelle is making Melisandre's mistakes (or Mel is repeating hers?), believing that her own interpretation is as flawless as the vision she is shown. Surely, she sees the truth, it's just that R'hllor has a strange way of showing it and is, at times, almost deliberately misleading her. In the end, she is just not smart enough to correctly interpret a god's vision on the first try, nobody is, but she overestimates her abilities there by never questioning what she sees and what else it could mean. The obvious interpretation is the right one in her mind, it's a mistake she has made in Book 1 and though she has grown as a character since then, she still makes the same.
[Say Noelle's life should be spared] Eh, it's not that I'd really have any liking for the red witch, but I'm choosing this purely for Ellena… more's sake. I don't want her to be too vengeful, and besides, it seems Noelle did indeed succeed in giving her a new life, since clearly Rhaenys has already took a liking in Ellena. I don't mind that much if the neutral option wins, but I'd just prefer Ellena to be a bit more forgiving at this point.
Anyway, this was a great part, always nice to get more of the Targs. And it's kinda funny to read Noelle messing up the interpretation of her visions Well, maybe R'hllor does indeed want her to help Aegon, but obviously the threat from the north isn't as imminent as she fears.
Ellena
Noelle expected her help, it was clear to see. The priestess looked at her and with every second, she seemed to grow more baffled,… more perhaps even shocked. Having her, this smug, omniscient murderer, so helpless, so desperate, it caused Ellena to smirk, as she narrowed her eyes at the woman. Then, she turned to the Dragon King. “I have nothing to add”, she said and it was only this feeling of satisfaction that caused her to speak to the man without fear in her voice. “Archmaester Wulvren tells the truth. Noelle can defend herself”
The priestess sighed and instantly, every gaze was on her. She clenched her fists. “And this I will”, she said, her voice turning frosty as she glared at Wulvren. The Archmaester however seemed happy with the situation. He gave Ellena a quick nod, before Noelle spoke up again. “Maybe we can discuss this in a more private setting?”, she asked. “The information I have to share is not meant for every curious … [view original content]
I hold the same fear and given how they broke a perfectly fine forum without necessity, they did preciously little to prove me wrong. I am s… moretill mourning the forum we lost, the one we had in 2014/2015. At the same time, can it really become much worse? The current state of the forums is plain inexcusable, but I would really like to believe the update that was promised will come one day. I mean, they once turned a fairly average board into something great with the update that happened some time in 2012/2013, the first version of the current board we're using, so who's to say they can't do the same again? My hope is slim, I am quite bitter that they thought the last two updates were anything even close to a good idea and made zero effort to fix anything they broke, but I can't always be cynical, right?
Poor Noelle,she really believed that Ellena would have helped her after all the things she do
Yeah, she indeed genuinely believed in Ellena's assistance. She never had any illusions about how they stand to each other, but as someone who fully believes in the importance of her mission, she thought she convinced Ellena that working together is a necessary evil and that Ellena would be willing to put down her grudges for long enough for both to get what they want. It is what she would have done without hesitation if their roles were reversed and being someone who always had a problem seeing things from a different point of view, she is ever baffled when people act different like she would expect.
All this talk about the evil (and boring) army of the dead..I'm so glad that this is a story about the conquest where we won't have that stuff!
Haha, I can assure you, there won't be any wight zombies in the story, ever. No army of the dead. In fact, it doesn't exist yet, even if some powers are already active in the far north. Most of the story will be about the armies of the living fighting each other and the most present this threat for the far future will ever be in the narrative is through visions and the like.
The fact that Noeĺle said that all the people in the meeting were not "The Evil One" seems to me that the reduce a little too much the list of candidates (unless you introduce other possible ones)
Hm, but is Noelle correct with her assumption? She is making errors and perhaps her biggest flaw is her inability to realize this. Maybe the enemy is among Aegon's most trusted subjects and just managed to hide his presence from Noelle, on account of being vastly more powerful than her during her crisis of faith. I can assure you though, there will be several more people introduced in this storyline, so you won't run out of subjects
Since the knight obtain a squire and go to Dragon Stone I suppose that maybe you will show us that location
Yes, yes I can confirm that Dragonstone will be a major location in Book 2 and my main way of developing several members of Team Targ. There should be some pretty interesting situations happening on that island.
[Say Noelle should be killed once she stopped the enemy]
It seems too weird if now Ellena want to spare Noelle life,however I doubt that … morekill now the Red priestess is a good choice so I say to give her time during this mission to redeem herself
RT:
* Poor Noelle,she really believed that Ellena would have helped her after all the things she do
* All this talk about the evil (and boring) army of the dead..I'm so glad that this is a story about the conquest where we won't have that stuff!
* The fact that Noeĺle said that all the people in the meeting were not "The Evil One" seems to me that the reduce a little too much the list of candidates (unless you introduce other possible ones)
* Since the knight obtain a squire and go to Dragon Stone I suppose that maybe you will show us that location
I also liked the Jon Snow reference. (EXCEPT I FUCKING HATE RHEAGAR AND LYANNA SO FUCKING MUCH!) I'm really interested in what you have store in the future for Ellena
Haha, yeah, Noelle has clearly seen Jon there. Funny thing is, I have planned for her to have done so all along. However, before we learned about Jon's true name, I actually just mentioned that all she heard was "...on" and she filled in the blanks. Turns out, I didn't have to be this vague If only Noelle would have been born three centuries later. She actually wouldn't have made Melisandre's mistake of trusting in Stannis and I think in the events of the books and show, she actually wouldn't have made all that many mistakes. That is her big problem, she is convinced the long night is approaching quickly, whereas there are actually a few hundred years left until it happens. But well, while she is definitely a character that is rightfully hated, I hope everyone at least agrees with my opinion on the matter, that she is taking Ellena into a storyline that is way more interesting than the ultimately rather passive storyline she had in Book 1 and the one she would have had in Book 2 before I decided to have these two travel together.
[Say Noelle should be killed once she stopped the enemy] You know what they say, BETRAYAL! Seriously though, Noelle has no excuse for the ho… morerrific things she has done to everyone since Chapter 1, because of her doubts and bad judgement people died. That can not go unpunished. Also I believe Aegon will make the decision of killing her at the end anyway, it makes most sense.
I also liked the Jon Snow reference. (EXCEPT I FUCKING HATE RHEAGAR AND LYANNA SO FUCKING MUCH!) I'm really interested in what you have store in the future for Ellena
So this is obviously? the White Walkers, but knowing they won't be showing up for a while (though they probably exist very very far North), so that's a problem we can ignore.
Yeah, as I said above, Noelle is far too early with her warnings and this is indeed still a secondary problem for the world at this point. Noelle is a bit like someone preaching about climate change while the Black Death ravages Europe, ignoring the matters at hand in favour of a potentially far more destructive problem that future generations have to face. Of course nobody has any reason to take her seriously. That being said, something stirs in the far north. While not even most of the wildling have any idea what's to come, I doubt the White Walkers (though I'll go by what little we know about their book characteristics here, inhuman fae creatures, not wrinkled ice mummies) are not active already, or beginning to become active again. Whatever they have planned, I doubt it is not taking centuries of preparation.
Now this interests me. As I said before, I believe this could be Lupin Frostborn. I'm not sure if he'll try to get close, but if he does it's totally him.
Lupin is a very interesting theory, I think I commented on it before. While I can't confirm or deny anything there, I can say that I never expected anyone to consider him for this spot at this very point. We know Lupin is dangerous, as those who knew him are rightfully afraid of him. He also managed to remain unseen despite apparently working with Wolfius in some capacity, meaning he has ways of getting close to someone without attracting too much attention.
[Say Noelle should be killed at once] Just get it over with already.
Noelle nodded. “He is enemy to all of us”, she said. “He is death… more, he is darkness and cold. He is the only enemy that matters and when he comes, the only hope to defeat him is a realm that marches under a single banner. Ice will bow to fire and the world will live to see another day”
So this is obviously? the White Walkers, but knowing they won't be showing up for a while (though they probably exist very very far North), so that's a problem we can ignore.
The priestess looked around. “There is a servant of the Great Other in this part of the world”, she explained. “His prime servant, the man outside of death. He is not among the men in this tent, but I don't doubt he tries to get close to you” Visenya rolled her eyes. “Do you believe this, husband?”, she asked and Aegon shook his head.
Now this interests me. As I said before, I believe this could … [view original content]
Ellena
Noelle expected her help, it was clear to see. The priestess looked at her and with every second, she seemed to grow more baffled,… more perhaps even shocked. Having her, this smug, omniscient murderer, so helpless, so desperate, it caused Ellena to smirk, as she narrowed her eyes at the woman. Then, she turned to the Dragon King. “I have nothing to add”, she said and it was only this feeling of satisfaction that caused her to speak to the man without fear in her voice. “Archmaester Wulvren tells the truth. Noelle can defend herself”
The priestess sighed and instantly, every gaze was on her. She clenched her fists. “And this I will”, she said, her voice turning frosty as she glared at Wulvren. The Archmaester however seemed happy with the situation. He gave Ellena a quick nod, before Noelle spoke up again. “Maybe we can discuss this in a more private setting?”, she asked. “The information I have to share is not meant for every curious … [view original content]
[Say Noelle should be killed once she stopped the enemy] I'm choosing this hoping that no matter what Noelle does in the meantime, she will still get the axe once the enemy is stopped. There's no need to kill her now since she could still be useful, but this won't be the case forever and she still has a lot to answer for.
Ellena
Noelle expected her help, it was clear to see. The priestess looked at her and with every second, she seemed to grow more baffled,… more perhaps even shocked. Having her, this smug, omniscient murderer, so helpless, so desperate, it caused Ellena to smirk, as she narrowed her eyes at the woman. Then, she turned to the Dragon King. “I have nothing to add”, she said and it was only this feeling of satisfaction that caused her to speak to the man without fear in her voice. “Archmaester Wulvren tells the truth. Noelle can defend herself”
The priestess sighed and instantly, every gaze was on her. She clenched her fists. “And this I will”, she said, her voice turning frosty as she glared at Wulvren. The Archmaester however seemed happy with the situation. He gave Ellena a quick nod, before Noelle spoke up again. “Maybe we can discuss this in a more private setting?”, she asked. “The information I have to share is not meant for every curious … [view original content]
Ellena
Noelle expected her help, it was clear to see. The priestess looked at her and with every second, she seemed to grow more baffled,… more perhaps even shocked. Having her, this smug, omniscient murderer, so helpless, so desperate, it caused Ellena to smirk, as she narrowed her eyes at the woman. Then, she turned to the Dragon King. “I have nothing to add”, she said and it was only this feeling of satisfaction that caused her to speak to the man without fear in her voice. “Archmaester Wulvren tells the truth. Noelle can defend herself”
The priestess sighed and instantly, every gaze was on her. She clenched her fists. “And this I will”, she said, her voice turning frosty as she glared at Wulvren. The Archmaester however seemed happy with the situation. He gave Ellena a quick nod, before Noelle spoke up again. “Maybe we can discuss this in a more private setting?”, she asked. “The information I have to share is not meant for every curious … [view original content]
[Say Noelle's life should be spared] Do not misunderstand, I don't make this choice out of sympathy or understanding her actions. She's a monster and I hate her, but it's the right thing to do. Killing Noelle won't bring back those that died because of her, it'll only add to the pile. Same reason I chose for Raenna to spare her. Kinda wish Rhaenys suggestion was a possible choice, simply send her away. Don't want to kill her, but I don't want her presence either.
I tried to assure your victory without bloodshed
You tried to murder an innocent girl! Not to mention that she would've enlisted the aid of a child murderer if not for Marak. Vile hag. Sometimes I wonder if Noelle even realizes the amount of people who would've died if she wasn't stopped. Hell, I'm pretty sure Otis would've done a lot of harm if not for Marak. 'Tried to prevent bloodshed' she says.
Ice will bow to fire
UGH!
Rant over
So a some thoughts on Aegon. I know I give him a lot of shit, but something he said here did earn a bit of respect from me. I'm still against his war and I still despise him, but I liked his words on mercy. He saw a person he didn't have to kill, so he didn't kill them. I wish Daenerys had a similar attitude.
Ellena
Noelle expected her help, it was clear to see. The priestess looked at her and with every second, she seemed to grow more baffled,… more perhaps even shocked. Having her, this smug, omniscient murderer, so helpless, so desperate, it caused Ellena to smirk, as she narrowed her eyes at the woman. Then, she turned to the Dragon King. “I have nothing to add”, she said and it was only this feeling of satisfaction that caused her to speak to the man without fear in her voice. “Archmaester Wulvren tells the truth. Noelle can defend herself”
The priestess sighed and instantly, every gaze was on her. She clenched her fists. “And this I will”, she said, her voice turning frosty as she glared at Wulvren. The Archmaester however seemed happy with the situation. He gave Ellena a quick nod, before Noelle spoke up again. “Maybe we can discuss this in a more private setting?”, she asked. “The information I have to share is not meant for every curious … [view original content]
[Say Noelle should be killed once she stopped the enemy] You know what they say, BETRAYAL! Seriously though, Noelle has no excuse for the ho… morerrific things she has done to everyone since Chapter 1, because of her doubts and bad judgement people died. That can not go unpunished. Also I believe Aegon will make the decision of killing her at the end anyway, it makes most sense.
I also liked the Jon Snow reference. (EXCEPT I FUCKING HATE RHEAGAR AND LYANNA SO FUCKING MUCH!) I'm really interested in what you have store in the future for Ellena
[Say Noelle should be killed once she stopped the enemy] You know what they say, BETRAYAL! Seriously though, Noelle has no excuse for the ho… morerrific things she has done to everyone since Chapter 1, because of her doubts and bad judgement people died. That can not go unpunished. Also I believe Aegon will make the decision of killing her at the end anyway, it makes most sense.
I also liked the Jon Snow reference. (EXCEPT I FUCKING HATE RHEAGAR AND LYANNA SO FUCKING MUCH!) I'm really interested in what you have store in the future for Ellena
Yes I know right! The worst characters in the world. They threw away the fate of the kingdom just so they can fuck. Awesome. Hope it was worth it, because of their selfishness, they literally ruined the world. Absolute disgraces to their houses and just complete cunts.
I doubt there would've been a war without the Mad King burning the Starks though, so it's not like Rhaegar and Lyanna are the only ones to blame. In the end, they are good people who made a mistake, and in Westeros sadly mistakes can have very cruel consequences.
Yes I know right! The worst characters in the world. They threw away the fate of the kingdom just so they can fuck. Awesome. Hope it was wor… moreth it, because of their selfishness, they literally ruined the world. Absolute disgraces to their houses and just complete cunts.
You tried to murder an innocent girl! Not to mention that she would've enlisted the aid of a child murderer if not for Marak. Vile hag. Sometimes I wonder if Noelle even realizes the amount of people who would've died if she wasn't stopped. Hell, I'm pretty sure Otis would've done a lot of harm if not for Marak. 'Tried to prevent bloodshed' she says.
Well, Noelle is completely aware of how many people she would have considered herself forced to kill if her plans would have been fully successful. It wouldn't have stopped at Briar, this I can say. However, in her way of thinking, people stop being, well, actual people and become something closer to numbers. Quite ironic and cold for someone who worships a god of warmth and life. A dozen dying is a lot more preferrable to having thousands dying, this is her justification. Sure, it wouldn't have completely prevented any sort of bloodshed, but it would have been the smaller bloodshed. She could have chosen to remain passive, to do nothing and nobody would have died (not even Otis, for what it's worth), but then she would have lived with the guilt of knowing that she could have been able to prevent the many deaths the War of Conquest, which will ultimately weaken the side of the living in the war she believes to be on their doorsteps (the original mistake she has made). One thing is for sure, her entire plans would have caused only a fragment of the death Aegon's first battle in the prologue would have caused. It is a very pragmatic way of seeing things and Noelle is so convinced of it being the best possible outcome for the largest number of people that she is ignoring the obvious moral problems that come with it.
So a some thoughts on Aegon. I know I give him a lot of shit, but something he said here did earn a bit of respect from me. I'm still against his war and I still despise him, but I liked his words on mercy. He saw a person he didn't have to kill, so he didn't kill them. I wish Daenerys had a similar attitude.
Hehe, this is true. Dany's problem is, she's definitely not a bad person but she tries too hard to be like Aegon, while failing to see what made him such a successful conqueror. Though they gave him an edge in battle, the dragons were not the reason he established a realm that lasted for hundreds of years. It was exactly what you say there, the ability to know when to show mercy and the following ability to turn former enemies into friends and true supporters. He's both, a harsh conqueror and a wise, foresighted ruler. Of course, the times where he uses his dragons are more notable, so they are what he will be known for in the centuries to follow, despite him actually personally leaning more towards the sort of action he showed with Amerei, a compromise that allowed both to live on. I'd say Dany lacks the wisdom that sometimes, mercy sends a more powerful message.
[Say Noelle's life should be spared] Do not misunderstand, I don't make this choice out of sympathy or understanding her actions. She's a mo… morenster and I hate her, but it's the right thing to do. Killing Noelle won't bring back those that died because of her, it'll only add to the pile. Same reason I chose for Raenna to spare her. Kinda wish Rhaenys suggestion was a possible choice, simply send her away. Don't want to kill her, but I don't want her presence either.
I tried to assure your victory without bloodshed
You tried to murder an innocent girl! Not to mention that she would've enlisted the aid of a child murderer if not for Marak. Vile hag. Sometimes I wonder if Noelle even realizes the amount of people who would've died if she wasn't stopped. Hell, I'm pretty sure Otis would've done a lot of harm if not for Marak. 'Tried to prevent bloodshed' she says.
Ice will bow to fire
UGH!
Rant over
So a some thoug… [view original content]
You tried to murder an innocent girl! Not to mention that she would've enlisted the aid of a child murderer if not for Marak. Vile hag. Some… moretimes I wonder if Noelle even realizes the amount of people who would've died if she wasn't stopped. Hell, I'm pretty sure Otis would've done a lot of harm if not for Marak. 'Tried to prevent bloodshed' she says.
Well, Noelle is completely aware of how many people she would have considered herself forced to kill if her plans would have been fully successful. It wouldn't have stopped at Briar, this I can say. However, in her way of thinking, people stop being, well, actual people and become something closer to numbers. Quite ironic and cold for someone who worships a god of warmth and life. A dozen dying is a lot more preferrable to having thousands dying, this is her justification. Sure, it wouldn't have completely prevented any sort of bloodshed, but it would have been the smaller bloodshed. She … [view original content]
Ellena is going to say that Noelle should be killed once she stopped the enemy
Ah, this is very much what I expected. Together with Wulvren's suggestion and Aegon's own realization that maybe, just maybe, her words hold some degree of truth, it can be said there are pretty good chances for this option to be what he himself will choose. Surely though, this won't exactly increase the trust anyone at court has for Noelle. She herself won't be particularly happy with it, but given the circumstances, she was likely aware of the dangers her direct approach of Aegon would hold and that she has gotten the most favourable outcome she could possibly hope for. This does mean, her days are very likely numbered, but well, there's worse ways for her to go out than in the service of her god.
The next part will be out today. I was debating between a Kyra part and an Edrick part and finally went to write Kyra first yesterday, as I want to put a couple days more planning into Edrick. So, last time we saw Kyra, it was revealed that in the last couple weeks, she and Harrick Hoare had grown rather intimate. Naturally, this caused a couple problems with her brother Damon, as it gives her a serious conflict between her brother and House Hoare. Damon was not happy of her relationship to Harrick, though potentially even greater problems came shortly afterwards, as the corpses of several guardsmen were discovered, men who have apparently been killed by the Sons of the Trident. Among the killed was the man who caused the death of Addam Wode, the former leader of the Sons, making this a very personal revenge for them. Damon then revealed that he actually knows whom was behind these murders in particular, a man named Herman Irons, who was wounded and crippled during the attack that saw Addam Wode being captured. He then requsted of Kyra to meet with this Herman to form an alliance between Damon and the rebels, given they both have an enemy in House Hoare. Kyra however, still vengeful over the death of her guards, instead decided to vow to kill Herman. We'll start the next part right where this last one left off and as said, I will try my best to release it today.
Heey, I got inspired to do some more portraits after the latest part, and just wanted to drop these drawings of the Targaryen sisters (Rhaenys & Visenya) before the next part
Heey, I got inspired to do some more portraits after the latest part, and just wanted to drop these drawings of the Targaryen sisters (Rhaenys & Visenya) before the next part
Heey, I got inspired to do some more portraits after the latest part, and just wanted to drop these drawings of the Targaryen sisters (Rhaenys & Visenya) before the next part
Oh, hell yes, that's amazing An unexpected and very welcome surprise, thank you very much. The awesome Aegon portrait already made me think that Rhaenys and Visenya would look just as great as portraits and sure enough, the Targaryen sisters do not disappoint. It is one of the dynamics I really look forward to show, the complex relationship and the differences between both of them, as well as their relationship to Aegon. And these differences surely stand out in your drawing. One thing I notice is, maybe I am mistaken, but the purple you used for their eyes here seems a bit lighter than the one you used for Aegon and the NW Valyrians/Daynes/Blackmonts. I must say, I actually prefer the colour you used here over the other one, it looks notably more striking, makes for quite a nice contrast especially with the hair. So, yeah, I love this, I love the characters and the portraits and this is just wonderful.
Heey, I got inspired to do some more portraits after the latest part, and just wanted to drop these drawings of the Targaryen sisters (Rhaenys & Visenya) before the next part
Kyra narrowed her eyes and with a swift movement, catching him by surprise, she grabbed Damon at the collar of his vest, pulling him close. “Listen”, she growled. “If you know where to find this man, you have to tell me” Damon raised an eyebrow, unbothered by her anger. “And what are you going to do if I tell you?”, he asked.
Furiously, she pointed at the corpses of her slaughtered guards. Sure, most of them had their fair share of issues, some of them were true scum, but they were loyal to her and she owed them some in return. “You can be assured, I don't intend to let this go unanswered”, she replied and pushed a finger against his forehead. “I am going to put an axe right between his eyes”
To this, Damon smirked. “Will you?”, he asked and the tone in his voice caught her off guard. “What do you mean?”, she asked in return and let go of him. Damon shrugged, glancing at the men that had been killed. “I know you best, little sister”, he spoke, in a soft tone. “Now you're angry, but anger fades. Before long, you'll start to doubt. Does this man truly deserve to die?” He shook his head. “From all I have heard, the answer is negative”
Kyra frowned. “Cut the crap”, she barked. “Just tell me what I need to know. Where do I find him?” Damon sighed. “If you insist”, he spoke, pointing out of the gate. “Travel south for four hours. Maybe one on horseback if you hurry. The first road that leads you closer to the lake, take it. You'll find a small farm at the end of it, a patch of land at the shore of the God's Eye. It belongs to Barnell Nednock, a farmer, a family man, who has taken Irons in and nursed him back to health. I have reason to believe that he was involved in... this rather unsavoury action as well”
“You really want this man to die, huh?”, Kyra asked and Damon shook his head. “Not yet at least”, he spoke. “As I told you, I want to ally with him. I want to use him against our enemies. If we manage to deal a blow against that black-eyed bastard, it depends entirely on you”
He was going to say something else, but the sound of horns from the northern wall, the other side of the courtyard, forced Kyra's attention. She glanced over, seeing the massive northern gates being opened, as she raised an eyebrow. “I wasn't aware we'd get guests today”, she spoke and noticed that Damon looked similarly surprised. “I was told he'd arrive next week”, he replied.
From the other end of the courtyard, Kyra saw Gravven approaching her. He raised a hand waving her over and she shrugged. “I'll take care of this”, she said, before looking at her brother. “Then, I will take care of your little rebel” She paused for a moment, contemplating what he just told her. “One way or the other”
Damon replied with a nod, though as she turned to leave, he grabbed her by the forearm, pulling her close. “If you go”, he spoke. “Go alone. You know I'd never put you into danger, so trust me. Whatever happens, don't take a man like that butcher Gravven” He narrowed his eyes. “This is a situation you want to deal carefully with”
Kyra sighed. “Whom I take with me is my choice alone”, she spoke, as she pulled free from his grip. With these words, she turned away from him at last, approaching Gravven, who had gotten almost close enough to listen to Damon's dangerous words.
“Whom do we have here?”, she asked, looking at the gate and Gravven sighed. “A couple returns from the recent raids”, he said and Kyra looked up in surprise. The official statement was that none of Torvin's crew survived. But could there be...? “Stallhart returned”, Gravven clarified, crushing whatever little hope Kyra had allowed herself to feel.
“And... oh, fuck”, she gasped, as she saw the banners. As it turned out, Stallhart was not alone and to make matters worse, they had expected this particular guest in a week from now. A silver eagle on a field of purple. “Tell the king, Lord Mallister has arrived”, she ordered and Gravven saluted, before he marched off.
Kyra herself approached the riders that entered the courtyard, not averting her eyes from the large carriage that held the Lord of Seagard. She had been informed of his coming, but he wasn't expected to actually arrive already. Silently, she uttered a curse, imagining how the king would react to this.
The first rider to descend from his horse was a familiar and welcome sight. Without his armour, Durren Stallhart looked almost ordinary, even if he kept the elegant sealskin cloak still. A face adorned by a new scar, just barely beginning to heal, his moustache had grown even loner, the tips now reaching the bottom of his jaw.
“Captain Stallhart!”, she greeted him, as he marched to her. “Ah, captain, my captain!”, he exclaimed, his heavy arms wrapping around her, as he pulled her into a hug. He separated with a wide grin. “Good to see you”, he spoke. “Kept things in order while I was away, huh?”
She nodded, a smirk on her face. “Your raid's been successful?”, she asked and Stallhart put a hand onto his chest. “More than that!”, he proclaimed. “The northern Rock is quite wealthy if you know where to look. Spread really thin, there's a fortune lying there, so we raided village after village” He turned to his men, who were cheering now. “The result is glorious!”
“They say there's little more than sheep there. Found anything of value?”, Kyra asked, as a door to the carriage behind Durren got pushed open. The raider nodded. “Three new salt wives”, he said. “I'll put many sons in them once I return to the Lonely Light” Kyra flashed him a grin. “Good for you”, she spoke in a teasing voice. “And in winter, their wool can keep you warm”
Durren raised an eyebrow. “Ouch”, he said. “You're hitting pretty low today, captain” Kyra gave him a wink. “Would you say this was a... sheep shot?”, she asked and Durren broke into laughter. “Eh, I've missed you, lass”, he said. “But you'll stop joking once you see the treasure! Enough gold and finery for a kingdom” He gave her a wink. “A small one”, he added, before he glanced over his shoulder. “And we brought you a couple guests as well”
Out of the carriage stepped a young man, distantly familiar. Young for a lord, he was only slightly older than Damon, with an almost boyish face, plain, blonde hair and keen, brown eyes. Behind him, a girl, in her early teens maybe. She was pale, looking around with fear in her eyes, clinging onto the Lord of Seagard.
“Lord Mallister!”, Kyra greeted him with a short bow. “We weren't expecting you so early” Arrec Mallister smirked thinly and coldly as she said this. “The king was expecting me today”, he revealed. “Though we both considered it safer to not mention this to anyone. For my act of loyalty, the Riverlords are out to kill me. The Sons of the Trident have put a bounty on my head and those of my family”
He turned to the girl, putting an arm around her shoulder and gently encouraging her to walk up next to him. “My daughter, Elaena”, he introduced her and the girl gave Kyra a shy nod, to which the captain raised an eyebrow. “You have brought your child with you?”, she asked and Arrec smiled. “My only child”, he was quick to explain. “And the king knows why”
The girl gulped and Kyra felt a growing uneasiness. She turned to Durren, whose friendly smile calmed her down a bit. “I suppose you know the drill”, she said, to which he mockingly saluted. “Aye aye, captain”, he confirmed. “Take care of our guests. Me and mine shall settle in nicely” He put a hand onto her shoulder. “And... join us for a mug of mead later on, will ya” With a wink, he let go of her, turning to his men, while Kyra looked at Arrec and Elaena Mallister.
“I suppose the king should be informed about your arrival by now. Shall I bring you to him, or do you wish to recover from your journey first?”, she asked. Instantly, Lord Mallister shook his head. “We wish to meet the king at once”, he spoke and Elaena clenched her fists, though she remained silent, even if Kyra was sure she had grown more pale than before.
Silently, she gave them a sign to follow and both Mallisters did so, as they approached the king's tower. By now, Kyra was sure that Gravven had informed the king about their guests and if Lord Arrec had told the truth, he wouldn't be as surprised as she was. At the same time, she felt slight anger at Harren's decision not to tell her. The Riverlords might be out for Arrec's head and for good reason, as she had to admit, but she was the king's captain of the guard. How was she supposed to ensure the safety of Harren and his guests if he didn't trust her? That being said, her traitor brother wasn't making things any easier, surely.
As they walked to the tower, up the stairs, to enter the massive building, which on its own was almost a small castle, Kyra noticed tears forming in the corners of Elaena Mallister's eyes. She raised an eyebrow, looking at Arrec, who put an arm around his daughter. “Is... everything alright?”, she said and the girl bit onto her lower lip. She looked up at her father, who gave her an encouraging nod, which she repeated, if far less convincing.
Kyra narrowed her eyes. “Why is it you've come here, mylord?”, she asked to which Arrec smiled, his usual cold smile, as charming as a block of ice. “An important negotiation”, he spoke. “My former key allies have all but abandoned me. Success in today's matters is very much mandatory”
They stopped in front of the king's audience chamber. The door stood half open, creaking as she pushed it with a knock. Behind it, she saw King Harren, sitting on his chair, with Harmund sitting on his left. Harrick was there as well, giving Kyra a smile as she entered. He stood behind his father, just like how Gravven stood behind Harmund.
“Lord Mallister, your grace”, Kyra said and Harren waved them closer, impatiently. “Yes, I know the man”, he growled and the trio entered the room. Harmund's gaze fell upon the young Mallister girl and the expression on his face grew darker than she had ever seen. Something that was almost legit anger appeared on it.
“I... your grace, why wasn't I informed about this meeting?”, Kyra asked, as she closed the door behind them. Harren shrugged. “You were informed when it was necessary”, he replied and Kyra shook her head. She knew this man good enough to criticize him, if only slightly. “I was informed when he arrived”, she corrected her liege and Harren only briefly narrowed his eyes, before giving her a nod to continue.
“As captain of the guard, it is my duty to...”, she started, though this time, he cut her off. “I am well aware of this”, he said in a low tone. “And I saw it fitting to keep it just between me and Arrec” He looked up as Harrick put a hand onto his shoulder. “For what it's worth, I agree with Captain Greyjoy”, he said. “Or at least inform me about such events”
“So that you can whisper it into Greyjoy's ear at night?”, Harmund said with a wicked grin, to which Harrick and Kyra exchanged a quick, alarmed look. The crown prince chuckled. “I meant her brother, you pansy”, he added and Harrick shot a glare at him.
Harren quickly raised a hand, looking at Arrec and his daughter. “Lord Mallister, why don't you explain the reason for this meeting once more”, he spoke. “To my youngest son and my captain of the guard” Arrec bowed down, deeply, pulling his daughter down with him. “Of course, your grace”, he said, before he smiled at the girl.
“This is my daughter, Elaena. My only child and heiress to Seagard”, he introduced her. “Up until two months ago, I stood in negotiation with Lord Piper. She was to wed his son and heir, Ser Hilbert” He sighed and the girl shivered. “I am afraid my act of loyalty towards you caused the relations to sour”
Harrick raised his eyebrows. “Lord Piper would show his disdain so openly?”, he asked and Mallister gave him a grim nod. “He was influenced though”, he explained. “That man is Lord of Pinkmaiden in name only. His daughter, that harlot Mariya, she manipulated him into this. A girl half my age, thinking she's oh so clever, pitting her father against me”
“A little Piper bitch, huh?”, Harmund said with a sneer, his dark eyes fixed on the shivering Elaena Mallister. “Maybe I can solve that problem. I'll invite myself in and we'll have a long, pleasant talk, or maybe two” Harrick shot him a glare. “Like you solved the problem with Brandon Frey?”, he asked, but before Harmund was able to reply, the king slammed a fist down onto the armrest of his chair. “Silence”, he growled. “Continue, Mallister”
The lord gave him a quick nod, not even looking at his daughter, who was just barely holding back her tears under Harmund's glance. Right now, she looked even younger than she truly was. “Out of all the Riverlords, I proved to be most loyal. I proved to be the only one truly loyal to you”, he boasted. “And for that, I suffered. All of my allies turned their backs on me. My chances of finding a suitable bride for myself among the high ladies of these lands have been reduced to nothing” He narrowed his eyes. “And even my daughter is affected, as Piper's breaking of our agreement shows”
By now, Kyra noticed something she had never seen before in the young lord's eyes. He was desperate. His gamble, it did not pay off so far, as he had traded his Riverlander companions for a king as fickle in his loyalty as he was cruel. Tully, Frey, Piper and the others, they would never forget. He knew this and his actions, his hasty way of speaking and the look in his eyes made a lot more sense as she considered this.
Harrick's eyes widened, as Arrec looked from his daughter to Harmund and a second later, the crown prince realized it as well. “You got to be fucking kidding me”, he snarled and Arrec sighed. “Your grace, your heir is unmarried. I hereby offer my daughter's hand in marriage for this occasion”
Elaena gasped and by now, Kyra saw tears flowing down her face. Harrick clenched his teeth in disgust and to her surprise, even Harmund seemed appalled. “She's a child”, he stated bluntly and the girl clenched her fists, staring at the ground to avoid his piercing black glare. Arrec shook his head. “I can assure you, she is not a child. She had her first bleeding and is ready to give you many sons”
Harmund chuckled at this. “How old are you, girl?”, he barked and Elaena flinched back. “Thir... thirteen, mylord”, she said with a meek, terrified voice. Triumphantly, Harmund grinned at the Lord of Seagard. “A child”, he stated. “I don't fuck children”
“You're not supposed to fuck her, you're supposed to marry her”, Harren growled. “And don't tell me that's where you draw the line” Harmund glared at his father. “You think I'm sick in the head? Give her to Donny if you want someone who can get off to children”, he hissed in return, before he looked at Arrec. “You try to insult me, huh? Three years from now, I might accept, as long as she doesn't look like a fucking fish. Or maybe I just take her then, if I want her”
This was enough for Elaena, who started to sob miserably. Tears poured down her face freely, her sobs breaking the silence that came after Harmund's last words, while Arrec looked at his daughter, trying to calm her down. Harren however had a different expression, one of slowly growing anger. “Lord Mallister is a key ally”, he spoke and Harmund shrugged. “How about you fucking marry him then?”, the prince replied. “Better than me having to fuck a child” He pointed at Elaena, who was close to breaking down from fear and stress. “That's sick, if you ask me”
Harren clenched his fist, as the girl's sobbing became louder. “For fuck's sake, get your whelp out of the room, or I'll shut her up!”, he barked and for what it was worth, Arrec instantly put his arms around his daughter. Taking a deep breath, Harren looked at Kyra. “Bring Lord Mallister and his daughter somewhere else. Me and my sons will have a little discussion about this”
Kyra saluted, before giving Gravven a nod. Both escorted Arrec and Elaena out of the room, while Harren and his sons argued behind them, their words growing increasingly angry. She sighed, as she closed the door behind them, standing in the hallway, while both she and Gravven looked visibly uncomfortable.
“Uh, I think you can wait in there”, her second-in-command said, pointing at a small room at the other end of the hallway, specifically designed for those that had to wait for the king. Arrec gave him a polite, sharp smile. “Thank you”, he said, as he led his still crying daughter to the room. The girl threw a desperate, fearful stare at Kyra, as if she was silently begging her for help, before turning to her father.
“I don't want to be his bride”, she whispered and gently, Arrec put a hand onto her cheek. “It won't be so bad”, he spoke, lying through his teeth. That being said, his voice sounded genuine and this caused Kyra to look up. He knew what kind of a person Harmund Hoare was, didn't he? They all had to know. The thought that he might be oblivious to the king's eldest, offering his daughter in good faith, it was almost as disgusting as the opposite.
“One thing I gotta admit”, Gravven said, placing his thumbs behind his belt as he looked after the Mallister's. He kept his voice low, until Arrec closed the door to the waiting room, still softly speaking to his weeping daughter. “Takes quite some effort to look worse than Harmund in any given situation”
She threw him a surprised glance. “Brave words”, she said and Gravven grinned, moving a hand through his beard, while placing the other on the hilt of Red Rain. “I don't fear them”, he said. “Besides, Harmund knows what a mean bastard he is. Probably still the best thing about him. He's a raider, a reaver. Bet there's not a single thing in his life he hasn't paid the iron price for”
Kyra raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like you're admiring the man”, he said and Gravven shook his head. “I can respect him for being Ironborn and still consider him a waste of air”, he claimed. “That guy is a degenerate, but at least he's better than Harrick, that sissy” He threw her a curious glance and Kyra pressed her lips together.
“Say... what did he mean earlier, with Harrick...”, he asked and Kyra sighed, to which the raider grinned. “You got a problem with that?”, she asked in return and Gravven shook his head. “Some might”, he answered. “Me, I'm having way too much respect for you, cap. I don't judge you, as long as you don't become some Greenlander squeeze”
“Harrick is Ironborn”, she stated and Gravven smirked. “And you're way too defensive about this”, he said, to which she rolled her eyes. “Why am I keeping up with you?”, she asked. Gravven shrugged. “Probably because I'm the best damn blade in this entire castle”, he claimed, a bold statement she could actually only agree with, at least to some degree.
“I feel sorry for the girl though”, she admitted and Gravven shrugged. “That Mallister guy is a cunting cunt”, he said. “If that'd be my sister, I'd tear his fucking head off. As it is, she's just some fish girl with a lot of bad luck” He raised an eyebrow and for the first time during their talk, Kyra had the feeling he was judging her. “Why do you say that?”, he asked. “You want to go help her?”
Truth be told, that's exactly what she wanted to do. Maybe it was some instinct, a strange feeling of sympathy for this scared little girl. Kyra had at least been a little girl once, if never truly scared, but still, she felt pity for her, with her own father trying to throw her to the wolves for a cheap power grab. Maybe Mallister could be made to see reason. He was not a stupid man, or so she thought. Or maybe Gravven's stance on the topic was the better one for herself. Pity or not, was that enough to get involved?
[Try to talk Lord Mallister down] This is more out of empathy for the poor girl. Because of his betrayal, Lord Mallister is now a pariah among the Riverlords, and I don't blame them. Offering his only child to a known rapist and murderer is a desperate and foolish move, one he should have seen coming.
Tully, Frey, Piper, Bracken, Blackwood, Vance, Vypren, Paege, Goodbrook, Blanetree, Smallwood, Shawney, Roote, Ryger. They all have reasons to hate Ironborn, even those who once supported Hardhand against the Storm Kings.
Kyra
Kyra narrowed her eyes and with a swift movement, catching him by surprise, she grabbed Damon at the collar of his vest, pulling him… more close. “Listen”, she growled. “If you know where to find this man, you have to tell me” Damon raised an eyebrow, unbothered by her anger. “And what are you going to do if I tell you?”, he asked.
Furiously, she pointed at the corpses of her slaughtered guards. Sure, most of them had their fair share of issues, some of them were true scum, but they were loyal to her and she owed them some in return. “You can be assured, I don't intend to let this go unanswered”, she replied and pushed a finger against his forehead. “I am going to put an axe right between his eyes”
To this, Damon smirked. “Will you?”, he asked and the tone in his voice caught her off guard. “What do you mean?”, she asked in return and let go of him. Damon shrugged, glancing at the men that had been killed. “I know you best, little sis… [view original content]
Comments
Well, I feel like GRRM simply writes realistic lives for his characters. War sucks, for most of those involved. Medieval war has been terrible for everyone, from smallfolk to nobilty and he portrays that quite well, in a way I don't consider to be pessimistic at all, just realistic. Characters have flaws and make mistakes and someone in a place of power simply cannot cause no misery at all to either themselves or others, especially in times as chaotic as the War of the Five Kings. It might be depressing at times, but I reserve my judgement for when the books are done.
Yeah, there is Tyrion, the Onion Badger, probably Sam and Gilly, definitely Gendry (because you don't bring him back just to kill him off right again), quite likely Missandei, Brienne and Tormund, maybe even Bronn if D&D are merciful. I feel like the number of characters who seem to stir towards a relatively happy ending (or an ending that is at least notably more sweet than bitter) in the show is higher than in the books, but as it has been stated, the books are not yet in their endgame and anything could happen in the next two installments. As much as it has been turned into a meme, I doubt GRRM's intention is to write his story as brutally and unrealistically depressive as possible, with a finale that sees the bad guys triumphant and I doubt his goal is to kill off as many favourite characters as possible, despite how he is generally viewed.
I actually meant relateable but I guess the age difference isn't that big.
Well, I feel like GRRM simply writes realistic lives for his characters. War sucks, for most of those involved. Medieval war has been terrible for everyone, from smallfolk to nobilty and he portrays that quite well, in a way I don't consider to be pessimistic at all, just realistic. Characters have flaws and make mistakes and someone in a place of power simply cannot cause no misery at all to either themselves or others, especially in times as chaotic as the War of the Five Kings. It might be depressing at times, but I reserve my judgement for when the books are done.
I agree with almost everything you said and feel as if you hit the nail on the head here, infact I really disagree with my comment especially the use of the word 'unrealistic' which it is definitely not. I actually feel very odd trying to justify this comment since I really don't agree with much of what I ended up writing. Maybe I was just reflecting on how hard it was to find 'happy' lives in Westeros. In truth my mindset is very close to the one in your comment (Are you sure we didn't switch accounts
). I still can't help but feel like in certain areas it is somewhat pessimistic, but I wouldn't call that unrealistic at all . As someone who studies history I fully agree wit h what GRR Martin has said "human beings have committed the worse atrocities in history and every time I think I have them beat, I am greeted by a new horror".
As much as it has been turned into a meme, I doubt GRRM's intention is to write his story as brutally and unrealistically depressive as possible, with a finale that sees the bad guys triumphant and I doubt his goal is to kill off as many favourite characters as possible, despite how he is generally viewed.
I always found how big that got to be hilarious. Martin has even said that his reputation is incredibly exaggerated and he doesn't actually enjoy killing his characters (Obvious protagonists excluded). It even seems like he disliked the Sept of Baelors explosion, since it was basically a clean sweep of his characters. Still to this day some fans expect Ramsey or Baelish to sit on the throne as some kind of all powerful dark lord of a Westeros too weak to oppose them. I find it more likely than Mace Tyrell would win the throne just so GRRM can talk for 26 pages about the food in his royal banquets. That is of course if the throne isn't destroyed as that's also possible.
The Voting is closed!
Jaron is going to ask Ayden for help
Jenna is going to help Vali
Not the most active voting, so I am sorry in advance for anyone that didn't have time to vote, but I don't want to leave it open for another day, particularly as it seems I will be able to release the next part reasonably soon today. I expected the second choice, hoped for it at least, but was not sure what you would pick in the first option. Just to be clear, Jaron is not going to ask Ayden to accompany him across the Narrow Sea, he is just making use of his connections to find Samuel Harrington. It is possible he won't even accompany him to wherever Samuel is hiding these days and the last thing Jaron wants is to put him into any danger. It remains to be seen though if he is of any use with such hesitations on Jaron's end. The city guard, he'd likely have way less reason to ask them to help him with something dangerous, but in return, they have way less reason to help him as well.
The next part is hopefully going to be out today. I myself will be out in a couple minutes, visiting my mother at the rehab centre, but afterwards, I will be writing. And this next part will be the second PoV for Ellena. She ha previously been seen in the first part of this chapter, where she and Noelle arrived at the camp of Aegon Targaryen. Seeing all three of his dragons, she alos witnessed him dealing with the remains of the Darklyn-Mooton alliance. Whereas Bryen Darklyn's successor, his son Damon, bent the knee after having been captured, Grenn Mooton's daughter Amerei was a more tricky one. Not thinking straight in her grief, she outright refused to bend the knee and more or less insulted Aegon to his face. There... would have been smarter moves, alright. However, Aegon dealt with this situation diplomatically, not punishing the insult, nor the refusal to bend the knee, even allowing her to continue with the latter on account that she gives up on Maidenpool. She agreed to this, as she couldn't care less for her inheritance, at least not right now. Having always expected her father to marry again and sire a son, her chances of inheriting have always been slim. Now, there's a new Lord of Maidenpool, Grenn's brother Jon. Finally, it was revealed that Archmaester Wulvren has arrived at Aegon's camp a while ago and he is understandably still pissed at Noelle. So, he confronted her, accused her of all the vile things she did and Ellena, still having a grudge against her, refused to jump to her support, letting her argue for herself, which is where we shall continue with the next part.
Honestly it feels like Telltale are trying to slowly downgrade this site.
Ellena
Noelle expected her help, it was clear to see. The priestess looked at her and with every second, she seemed to grow more baffled, perhaps even shocked. Having her, this smug, omniscient murderer, so helpless, so desperate, it caused Ellena to smirk, as she narrowed her eyes at the woman. Then, she turned to the Dragon King. “I have nothing to add”, she said and it was only this feeling of satisfaction that caused her to speak to the man without fear in her voice. “Archmaester Wulvren tells the truth. Noelle can defend herself”
The priestess sighed and instantly, every gaze was on her. She clenched her fists. “And this I will”, she said, her voice turning frosty as she glared at Wulvren. The Archmaester however seemed happy with the situation. He gave Ellena a quick nod, before Noelle spoke up again. “Maybe we can discuss this in a more private setting?”, she asked. “The information I have to share is not meant for every curious bystander”
King Aegon looked at Wulvren, raising an eyebrow. “You said she has powers”, he spoke, to which Wulvren gave him a nod. “Is the dangerous in this very moment?” Wulvren was quiet after this, carefully looking at Noelle. “My heart wants to confirm”, he revealed. “But as a Maester, I am sworn to the truth. She is a vile witch and she has to answer for many a crime. But in this very moment... she seems weak to me. We have been friends once and for the sake of these times, my advice would be to give her this courtesy. Allow her to defend herself in private”
“So be it. There is no need to make this a public trial until I know what she has to say”, Aegon agreed, before he looked at his soldiers. “Some of you have achieved a great victory today!”, he proclaimed and roughly half of the soldiers began to cheer at his words. “Others a crushing defeat. Two lords have died, but two new ones rose. Follow their orders for the war to come. We have been enemies this morning, but that is in the past. You serve me now and I shall serve as your king. From this day forward, we march as one. We march on Harrenhal!”
At these final words, all of the soldiers broke into cheers, no matter which banner they stood under and Ellena clenched her fists. She hadn't thought much of Noelle's words until now, but this man... the power he wielded went beyond the dragons under his command. Half of these men had been ready to kill him just hours ago and yet, they were his now. Perhaps this gift was more powerful than fire and blood.
Briefly, the king gave both a nod. “Follow me”, he spoke, as his soldiers dispersed, to pursue their individual tasks. The king turned to the large tent behind him and Visenya followed by his side. Lazily, Rhaenys rose from her settee, to walk by his other side. Wulvren threw a sharp glare at Noelle, who in return only looked at the ground to his feet. Then she began to move, not even looking at Ellena.
Inside the tent, Ellena spotted several people. Some of them were armoured, loyal guards in black and red, armed with spears and shields. Others however were different. The kings inner circle, sitting on a long table. Archmaester Wulvren sat down there as well, relatively close to the king even, opposed to a young knight with a swordfish on his tabard, half of his brown hair dyed blue.
Aegon and his queens sat down at the far end of the table. At least Aegon and Rhaenys sat, the slightly older one remained standing, notably so in a round where everyone but Ellena and Noelle were sitting. The king gave her a questioning look and she sighed, rolling her eyes.
“Have I made a mistake, Visenya?”, he asked and she looked around, her purple glare hitting Noelle, who quickly looked down at the table again. “The Mooton girl”, she spoke up. “Letting her go was foolish” Aegon raised an eyebrow. “What was I supposed to do?”, he asked. “Would you have me execute her?”
Without hesitating, Visenya nodded. “You gave them a choice. Bending the knee or burning. She did not bend the knee, yet she did not burn. What kind of a signal is this going to send to the rest of them?” Leaning back on her chair, Rhaenys looked past her king and at her sister. “That Aegon knows when to show mercy”, she said. “That their king can be strong when it is needed and compassionate when it is appropriate”
Silently, the king gave her a nod. “She is a child”, he spoke towards Visenya, his voice showing no hint of how he felt, neither did the gaze he gave her. Visenya however tensed up. “Looked like a woman to me”, she replied. “And do you truly think she has no ambition to claim Maidenpool? Do you truly think she can't become a threat ever again?”
“Hundreds of men saw her giving up on her inheritance”, Aegon argued and Visenya gave him a nod. “Yes”, she agreed. “But how many didn't? Thousands? Tens of thousands? Men who could use her, the Maid of Maidenpool, to spearhead their fight against you. It is better to be harsh once than to be forced to do it over and over”
“Harsh maybe, my queen”, another man close to the king spoke in a soft voice. His hair was grey and receding, with sideburns, his face thin and pale, with a sharp nose and high cheekbones. Clad in black and grey, Ellena spotted a white sigil on his chest, yet did not recognize it. “But executing Amerei Mooton would have been more than that, if you allow me the opinion. A king should show mercy when needed, lest they call him cruel, a tyrant. That would be the beginning of the end for what you try to achieve. No realm to carry your legacy, just a footnote in history”
Aegon nodded in agreement. “I have full trust in Lord Jon's ability to keep his niece in line”, he stated and glanced at one of the men, the one closest to him. He was tall, a thick, black beard covering his handsome face. Wearing an open coat, Ellena saw the bandages that covered his chest.
Without being prompted to, this warrior spoke up. “A man's true value can be seen on the battlefield”, he explained. “Jon Mooton fought with a rare honour and he proved me right with this assumption ever since. He will keep his word, I know it” He smiled at Aegon and despite their visual differences, in this moment they looked almost alike. “It is settled then”, the king said. “I will not punish a daughter for mourning her father”
Visenya sighed at this. “It's not Lord Mooton I am worried about”, she said. “Nor Amerei, if I must be honest. A foolish girl, I doubt she realized what she did until it was too late. It's others I am concerned about” Aegon's gaze softened a bit. “Lord Darklyn, you mean?”, he asked and she gave him a nod. “He bent the knee, but any vow can be broken, given the right reason” As she said this, she momentarily looked at the younger woman, who was sitting straight now, one of her legs crossed over the other. “Anger is such a reason and to make matters worse, he seems fond of Mooton's whelp”
“I am not foolish enough to trust Damon Darklyn either”, Aegon agreed. “I doubt Amerei even wishes to be a threat to our rule, but given the opportunity, Darklyn would gladly turn on us. For this, I have made arrangements” He looked past his lords and advisers, towards a tall, young man with long, silvery blonde hair and a boyish face.
“Ser Rahaerys”, he said and the man saluted. “Your grace”, he replied firmly. “When you return to Dragonstone, you won't do so alone. Lord Damon has a younger brother, Robin. He will become your squire, you will teach him in the ways of a knight and grant him this honour once you consider him ready”
Rahaerys saluted and for the first time since their dispute started, Visenya seemed content. “Keeping an eye on the last living member of his family...”, she mumbled. “Might be a way to keep him in line, I give you that” She straightened her back. “I will send for Lord Darklyn and his brother then”
“Do that”, Aegon agreed. He gave her a slight smile, which she did not reciprocate. It grew wider as he looked at Rhaenys, just for a moment. Then, the usual stern expression was back as he turned to Noelle and Ellena. “Now, Grand Maester, explain to me who these people are”, he ordered.
Wulvren nodded, before raising from his chair. Quickly, he walked around the table, placing his hands on it next to Ellena. He looked at her sternly. “How have you ended up with that witch, girl?”, he asked, before turning to his king. “Your grace, this woman is Noelle Mield, priestess of the Red God” He then pointed at Ellena. “This is Ellena Terys, a girl she abducted”
With so many high lords looking at them, Ellena felt slightly uncomfortable. This was something she was not used to and even Noelle looked miserable. She knew better than to count on any help from that witch though. Instead, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath before facing the Dragon King, his beautiful queens and the rough dozen of lords and knights in their service.
“What the Maester says is true”, she said. “My name is Ellena and I come from the city of Braavos” She gulped, glaring at Noelle, who was very quiet. The priestess was looking around, carefully eyeing each of the lords. A terrible suspicion grew in Ellena, as she got an idea why the priestess was so cautious. This enemy she was seeking, perhaps he was among these people, listening to every word they spoke. The pale lord in grey looked eery enough, the man with the blue hair had a gaze that was chilly and there was the scarred man with the eyepatch...
She gulped, as she decided to watch her tongue as much as possible. “Noelle abducted me. She dragged the Archmaester with her, though when he tried to free me, she in turn left him for dead”, she explained. The king looked up, yet it was Rhaenys who replied. “And she dragged you across the Reach and Stormlands, to this very spot?”, she asked. Ellena shook her head. “I escaped”, she said. “But met her again, by chance. This time, I chose to come with her by my own will”
“Why?”, the grey lord asked and there was a gentle tone in his voice that made her rule him out as Noelle's enemy. The witch was terrifying, but the enemy had to be even worse and if anything, this man had something almost grandfatherly in the way he looked at her.
She looked at the ground, feeling heat rising in her cheeks. “I... I have no one left”, she admitted and a few months ago, she would have cried at this simple statement. “My father was murdered, my mother died long ago. A man that cared for me like a daughter was...” She threw a vicious glare at Noelle, noticing how the priestess flinched. “He was murdered by Noelle”
“And yet you follow her?”, Rhaenys asked, her voice soft and compassionate. Ellena gave her a nod. “She gave me a promise”, she whispered. “She... wanted to give me a new life at court” She looked up and into the silent faces of the high lords. Aegon was unmoving, Visenya cold, though Rhaenys... the woman pressed her lips together, though before she could speak, one of the lords cleared his throat.
“Well, you're at the wrong court for that, little girl”, he snarled. The man was tall and gaunt, with a long, thin beard, almost white in colour. Rhaenys shot him a sharp glare. “Lord Velaryon”, she hissed. “This is not up for you to decide, I suppose” She looked back at Ellena. “If she made you this offer, no matter how she planned on making it happen, then why did you turn on her?”
Noelle gave her a questioning look, saying more than a thousand of words. “I have not turned on her”, Ellena explained. “That would imply I've been on her side” She narrowed her eyes. “Not after what she did to Terroma” Noelle sighed. “You foolish girl”, she mumbled.
“You blame her?”, Wulvren roared, his anger not holding back at last. “You brought this up on yourself!” Noelle was about to say something as Aegon raised a hand, catching her attention. “So, you do not even try to deny the accusations? Murder, abduction, attempted murder of my Grand Maester?”
“I do not deny them”, Noelle said. “I am done lying. I only request that you listen to my reasons before judging me” Aegon nodded and Noelle straightened her back. Before she replied to the king, she looked at Wulvren. “You claim you are sworn to the truth”, she said and the maester narrowed his eyes. “What are you getting at with that?”, he spat, to which she narrowed her eyes. “I only ask of you to confirm my words, if you deem them truthful”
As Wulvren nodded in silent agreement, she turned to the king. “I serve a god that is not widely known in Westeros”, she said. “Yet unlike the Seven worshipped here, R'hllor has powers and he shows them in his work and in that of me and mine” Ignoring the outraged mumble among some of the lords, Aegon looked at Wulvren, who gave him a nod. “I can confirm, without wanting to delve into religion, that the Lord of Light does, in fact, exist. There is no absolute proof, but accounts of wonders done by the priests of his faith are numerous and far exceed the Doom of Valyria, which proves to me they are not using a mere form of magic”
“My god has shown me visions”, Noelle spoke. “A terrible war will come and these lands have to be united to face it. The enemy will make his move and all the living have to lay down their quarrels to face him” Aegon tilted his head. “The enemy?”, he asked. “Who is this enemy you speak of? One of mine?”
Noelle nodded. “He is enemy to all of us”, she said. “He is death, he is darkness and cold. He is the only enemy that matters and when he comes, the only hope to defeat him is a realm that marches under a single banner. Ice will bow to fire and the world will live to see another day”
Lord Velaryon smirked beneath his beard, while the dark-haired man close to Aegon averted his face to hide his grin. “The ramblings of a madwoman”, Velaryon said and Wulvren shook his head, much to Ellena's surprise. As he spoke, there was concern in his voice. “A madwoman she might be, but she never rambled, not without a fragment of truth at least”
“You have seen my victory in your visions?”, Aegon asked and Noelle gave him a nod. “After a terrible war, yes”, she said. “I know I did inexcusable things, but I did them to prevent the war. With the army of the dead on the way, the living cannot fight against each other”
As she said this, the one-eyed warrior burst into a fit of laughter, though a cold look from his queen, Visenya, cut him off. “So, you tried to prevent the war?”, she asked and Noelle gulped under her gaze. “I tried to assure your victory without bloodshed. Is that not something that justifies a sacrifice?”
“And yet you failed”, Ellena hissed and it felt good to say this out loud, in front of all these people the witch tried to impress. Noelle bit down onto her lower lip and clenched her shaking fists. “And yet I failed”, she admitted. “My actions do not change the truth I speak of though. You might find it ridiculous, mylords, but I know your Grand Maester holds a different opinion, isn't that right? Would you question his wisdom?”
Wulvren sighed as everyone looked at him. “Damn you, woman!”, he barked. “You know I believe you, you know I always did!” He looked at his king. “Even when I opposed her, it wasn't because I stopped believing her. Her god, or... something, it gives her visions and they... they happen. Sooner or later. Prophecy is as ancient as it is reliable, even if not always perfectly clear to the layman”
“So, there is an army of the dead marching against us from... somewhere?”, Aegon asked, his voice showing that he was anything but convinced, even if certainly intrigued by her claim that he was destined to win. Wulvren shook his head. “Sometimes, what she sees is more an abstract concept than the truth”, he explained. “Yet I must admit, she indeed told me about your war, your whole claim even before you landed”
Visenya's eyes widened with alarm. “We kept this secret”, she growled in a low tone. “How did you learn of this, witch?” Noelle smiled in return and Ellena felt that she was gaining in confidence again. And yet, the slight fear that she was actually telling the truth, or part of it, it prevented her from stabbing her in the back again. “As Wulvren confirmed, my god shows me what will happen”
Aegon leant forwards. “What else did you see?”, he asked and Noelle put her hands onto the table, everyone looking at her, some with genuine interest, such as Queen Rhaenys and the grey lord, others, such as Visenya and Wulvren cautiously alarmed, most with the same amusement Lord Velaryon showed.
“I saw the darkness coming”, she spoke. “The all-devouring cold from the north. It came from east and west and there I stood in the middle” Her gaze was fixed on Aegon and Ellena noticed that her fists were clenched into the wood of the table. “I turned to the south and I saw a ray of light left. Where it touched the ground, there stood a man and behind him stood an army” Her voice was nothing but a whisper, but everyone was silent now, so her words carried far. “In the darkness, this last ray of light meant... hope. And it whispered a name. It told me of the prince who was promised, of Aegon Targaryen, who will lead us in this war” Briefly, she glanced at Wulvren. “Make no mistake, old friend. The long night will return and it is my utmost, my sole desire to aid the living”
It surprised Ellena how shaken the Archmaester was by her words. Even the king noticed it. “Is everything alright, Grand Maester?”, he asked. “I don't claim to know much on the topic of magic, so what are your thoughts on her vision?” Wulvren sighed. “There are records of the long night, your grace”, he spoke. “And theories of different cultures all over the world that make a second long night... possible”
“It's nonsense”, Visenya growled. “The ramblings of a woman that wishes to distract from her own guilt” She put a hand onto the slender blade at her belt. “Get rid of her, I say. Let Dark Sister taste her blood, or burn her if she prefers it. It matters not as long as she ends up no longer spreading this madness”
“She must be punished”, Wulvren agreed and Noelle bit down onto her lip. “However, I begin to think that killing her right now would be a terrible idea. Maybe it should wait. She has come here for a purpose and as disgusting as her methods are, there is no doubt she is loyal to you, after all she tried to help you” He looked at Noelle. “Why are you here, witch?”
The priestess looked around. “There is a servant of the Great Other in this part of the world”, she explained. “His prime servant, the man outside of death. He is not among the men in this tent, but I don't doubt he tries to get close to you” Visenya rolled her eyes. “Do you believe this, husband?”, she asked and Aegon shook his head.
“I don't know what I am supposed to believe, Vis”, he replied. “I trust Wulvren and if she truly knew of our war before it happened, who says she is not right about this... enemy as well? About this army of the dead?” He shook his head. “It matters little at the moment. We have an army of the living to crush, seven armies, seven kingdoms”, he growled. “Once this is dealt with, we can still find out if she told the truth, if there is a stronger enemy we must focus on”
“Little girl”, Rhaenys said and in her tone, it didn't sound like a mockery. She smiled at Ellena, who found herself smiling back at her sweet expression. “It seems you have suffered the most at this woman's hand. Wulvren proposed we spare her for the time being, deciding on her fate later. Visenya wants her killed right now. I myself would be content with chasing her away, but your opinion holds value in this affair” Her smile slowly faded, as Ellena's nervousness grew. Was she truly able to decide on this? “What fate would you see fit for someone such as her?”
[Say Noelle should be killed at once] [Say Noelle should be killed once she stopped the enemy] [Say Noelle's life should be spared]
I hold the same fear and given how they broke a perfectly fine forum without necessity, they did preciously little to prove me wrong. I am still mourning the forum we lost, the one we had in 2014/2015. At the same time, can it really become much worse? The current state of the forums is plain inexcusable, but I would really like to believe the update that was promised will come one day. I mean, they once turned a fairly average board into something great with the update that happened some time in 2012/2013, the first version of the current board we're using, so who's to say they can't do the same again? My hope is slim, I am quite bitter that they thought the last two updates were anything even close to a good idea and made zero effort to fix anything they broke, but I can't always be cynical, right?
Hehe, it seems you ended up trying to support a position you don't actually support. I agree that ASOIAF has its fair share of depressing moments, wholeheartedly so, whereas the amount of happy moments that are not tarnished by anything bad is slim, but then again, don't these moments have to happen as well? I am sure there are plenty examples of happy lives in Westeros, even if GRRM is realistic enough to show that one person's happiness might come at the expense of someone else being pushed down. Since we often see the full picture with his narrative, this obviously tarnishes our opinion on this. On the same time, one person living a perfectly happy live is something that happens one in a billion. Tragedies happen to all, sooner or later.
Well, I think it was that he quickly realized the flaws he gave Ned could only end in his death and after that, he decided to kill off Robb as well to truly show he means to subvert classical fantasy in which the obvious hero gets to have a climactic battle with the obvious bad guy. Instead, even the obvious bad guy gets off not even halfway into the series and the narrative instead focusses on underdogs who slowly grow from unlikely, overlooked and belittled positions, such as Jon Snow or Dany or Arya or Tyrion. And if we make a count, how many main characters has he actually killed off? Not counting minor characters, there is Ned, Renly, Robb, Catelyn (sorta), Joffrey, Tywin and Jon (who will come back in the books as well, because of course he is). Have I forgotten anyone? That is seven out of a main cast that comes close to two dozen, in five whole books. The reputation is exaggerated, he is just very good at having a bleak narrative when coming to the topic of war, as it should be. And well, I support Mace for the throne! Though if he likes to describe food (which, let's be honest, is likely his favourite thing to describe), he should consider the one true king, King Hot of House Pie, first of his name.
[Say Noelle should be killed once she stopped the enemy] She's too useful to be killed right now, and we all know a servant of the Great Other is dangerous to all. Maybe something along the way will make them spare her life, maybe she will simply accept her demise once it is over.
Good ol' Regis speaks the truth to Visenya, being too ruthless will make people call you cruel, a tyrant, with no legacy and only a footnote in history. We all know who am I talking about.
The people of Westeros can sleep safe for now, since the dead won't come from the north until long after all are dead and buried. Maybe.
Well, if only Visenya would listen to his advice, maybe one of the darker chapters in Westerosi history could have been prevented. I'd say she is at the very least partially to blame for Maegor, whom I outright had in mind when writing Regis' line here. Of course, there are also tyrants who actually built up famous legacies despite their despicable character, but truth be told, cruelty rarely goes hand in hand with intelligence and most of the time, a cruel ruler pisses off the wrong person sooner or later.
Well, if only Noelle would know. She has seen the right thing in the flames, but flames being tricky bastards, she came to the wrong (if rather understandable) conclusion. Funny thing is, with the revelation from the end of Season 7 of the show, it is likely she indeed heard "Aegon" in the fire, or Aegon Targaryen, so she really cannot be blamed for misinterpreting him as the prince who was promised. And even then, Aegon uniting Westeros is undoubtedly an action that is crucial for the ASOIAF/GOT endgame, so even then she has a point when she considers him so heavily important. As for the army of the dead, they are definitely not on the march. However, whatever caused the White Walkers to rise and march south, it likely is slowly getting started, very slowly, in the lands far beyond the wall, where life is flat out impossible anyways.
When there are three options, I always choose the neutral one.
[Say Noelle should be killed once she stopped the enemy]
[Say Noelle's life should be spared] Eh, it's not that I'd really have any liking for the red witch, but I'm choosing this purely for Ellena's sake. I don't want her to be too vengeful, and besides, it seems Noelle did indeed succeed in giving her a new life, since clearly Rhaenys has already took a liking in Ellena. I don't mind that much if the neutral option wins, but I'd just prefer Ellena to be a bit more forgiving at this point.
Anyway, this was a great part, always nice to get more of the Targs. And it's kinda funny to read Noelle messing up the interpretation of her visions
Well, maybe R'hllor does indeed want her to help Aegon, but obviously the threat from the north isn't as imminent as she fears.
[Say Noelle should be killed once she stopped the enemy]
It seems too weird if now Ellena want to spare Noelle life,however I doubt that kill now the Red priestess is a good choice so I say to give her time during this mission to redeem herself
RT:
[Say Noelle should be killed once she stopped the enemy] You know what they say, BETRAYAL! Seriously though, Noelle has no excuse for the horrific things she has done to everyone since Chapter 1, because of her doubts and bad judgement people died. That can not go unpunished. Also I believe Aegon will make the decision of killing her at the end anyway, it makes most sense.
I also liked the Jon Snow reference. (EXCEPT I FUCKING HATE RHEAGAR AND LYANNA SO FUCKING MUCH!) I'm really interested in what you have store in the future for Ellena
[Say Noelle should be killed once she stopped the enemy]
[Say Noelle should be killed at once] Just get it over with already.
So this is obviously? the White Walkers, but knowing they won't be showing up for a while (though they probably exist very very far North), so that's a problem we can ignore.
Now this interests me. As I said before, I believe this could be Lupin Frostborn. I'm not sure if he'll try to get close, but if he does it's totally him.
[Say Noelle should be killed once she stopped the enemy.]
I want to say that she would be willing to let bygones be bygones because I like Noelle but I can't see that after everything Noelle did to her. Maybe over time the two can reconcile but right now I don't see Ellena doing anything to save her. =p
Ah, glad you enjoyed the part! I also love to write more for the Targs, they make writing a part very easy. Kinda sad that they will each focus on different regions in the conquest to come, at least for a long time. But even then, there should be a lot of them and their respective followers. It's also clear, Noelle is making Melisandre's mistakes (or Mel is repeating hers?), believing that her own interpretation is as flawless as the vision she is shown. Surely, she sees the truth, it's just that R'hllor has a strange way of showing it and is, at times, almost deliberately misleading her. In the end, she is just not smart enough to correctly interpret a god's vision on the first try, nobody is, but she overestimates her abilities there by never questioning what she sees and what else it could mean. The obvious interpretation is the right one in her mind, it's a mistake she has made in Book 1 and though she has grown as a character since then, she still makes the same.
[Say Noelle should be killed once she stopped the enemy]
The 2015-Early 2016 with the dark design was my favourite.
Yeah, she indeed genuinely believed in Ellena's assistance. She never had any illusions about how they stand to each other, but as someone who fully believes in the importance of her mission, she thought she convinced Ellena that working together is a necessary evil and that Ellena would be willing to put down her grudges for long enough for both to get what they want. It is what she would have done without hesitation if their roles were reversed and being someone who always had a problem seeing things from a different point of view, she is ever baffled when people act different like she would expect.
Haha, I can assure you, there won't be any wight zombies in the story, ever. No army of the dead. In fact, it doesn't exist yet, even if some powers are already active in the far north. Most of the story will be about the armies of the living fighting each other and the most present this threat for the far future will ever be in the narrative is through visions and the like.
Hm, but is Noelle correct with her assumption? She is making errors and perhaps her biggest flaw is her inability to realize this. Maybe the enemy is among Aegon's most trusted subjects and just managed to hide his presence from Noelle, on account of being vastly more powerful than her during her crisis of faith. I can assure you though, there will be several more people introduced in this storyline, so you won't run out of subjects
Yes, yes I can confirm that Dragonstone will be a major location in Book 2 and my main way of developing several members of Team Targ. There should be some pretty interesting situations happening on that island.
Haha, yeah, Noelle has clearly seen Jon there. Funny thing is, I have planned for her to have done so all along. However, before we learned about Jon's true name, I actually just mentioned that all she heard was "...on" and she filled in the blanks. Turns out, I didn't have to be this vague
If only Noelle would have been born three centuries later. She actually wouldn't have made Melisandre's mistake of trusting in Stannis and I think in the events of the books and show, she actually wouldn't have made all that many mistakes. That is her big problem, she is convinced the long night is approaching quickly, whereas there are actually a few hundred years left until it happens. But well, while she is definitely a character that is rightfully hated, I hope everyone at least agrees with my opinion on the matter, that she is taking Ellena into a storyline that is way more interesting than the ultimately rather passive storyline she had in Book 1 and the one she would have had in Book 2 before I decided to have these two travel together.
Yeah, as I said above, Noelle is far too early with her warnings and this is indeed still a secondary problem for the world at this point. Noelle is a bit like someone preaching about climate change while the Black Death ravages Europe, ignoring the matters at hand in favour of a potentially far more destructive problem that future generations have to face. Of course nobody has any reason to take her seriously. That being said, something stirs in the far north. While not even most of the wildling have any idea what's to come, I doubt the White Walkers (though I'll go by what little we know about their book characteristics here, inhuman fae creatures, not wrinkled ice mummies) are not active already, or beginning to become active again. Whatever they have planned, I doubt it is not taking centuries of preparation.
Lupin is a very interesting theory, I think I commented on it before. While I can't confirm or deny anything there, I can say that I never expected anyone to consider him for this spot at this very point. We know Lupin is dangerous, as those who knew him are rightfully afraid of him. He also managed to remain unseen despite apparently working with Wolfius in some capacity, meaning he has ways of getting close to someone without attracting too much attention.
[Say Noelle should be killed once she stopped the enemy]
[Say Noelle should be killed once she stopped the enemy] I'm choosing this hoping that no matter what Noelle does in the meantime, she will still get the axe once the enemy is stopped. There's no need to kill her now since she could still be useful, but this won't be the case forever and she still has a lot to answer for.
[Say Noelle should be killed once she stopped the enemy]
[Say Noelle's life should be spared] Do not misunderstand, I don't make this choice out of sympathy or understanding her actions. She's a monster and I hate her, but it's the right thing to do. Killing Noelle won't bring back those that died because of her, it'll only add to the pile. Same reason I chose for Raenna to spare her. Kinda wish Rhaenys suggestion was a possible choice, simply send her away. Don't want to kill her, but I don't want her presence either.
You tried to murder an innocent girl! Not to mention that she would've enlisted the aid of a child murderer if not for Marak. Vile hag. Sometimes I wonder if Noelle even realizes the amount of people who would've died if she wasn't stopped. Hell, I'm pretty sure Otis would've done a lot of harm if not for Marak. 'Tried to prevent bloodshed' she says.
UGH!
Rant over
So a some thoughts on Aegon. I know I give him a lot of shit, but something he said here did earn a bit of respect from me. I'm still against his war and I still despise him, but I liked his words on mercy. He saw a person he didn't have to kill, so he didn't kill them. I wish Daenerys had a similar attitude.
I have found someone who shares my hate!
EDIT: D-D-D-D-DOUBLE POST!
Yes I know right! The worst characters in the world. They threw away the fate of the kingdom just so they can fuck. Awesome. Hope it was worth it, because of their selfishness, they literally ruined the world. Absolute disgraces to their houses and just complete cunts.
I doubt there would've been a war without the Mad King burning the Starks though, so it's not like Rhaegar and Lyanna are the only ones to blame. In the end, they are good people who made a mistake, and in Westeros sadly mistakes can have very cruel consequences.
Well, Noelle is completely aware of how many people she would have considered herself forced to kill if her plans would have been fully successful. It wouldn't have stopped at Briar, this I can say. However, in her way of thinking, people stop being, well, actual people and become something closer to numbers. Quite ironic and cold for someone who worships a god of warmth and life. A dozen dying is a lot more preferrable to having thousands dying, this is her justification. Sure, it wouldn't have completely prevented any sort of bloodshed, but it would have been the smaller bloodshed. She could have chosen to remain passive, to do nothing and nobody would have died (not even Otis, for what it's worth), but then she would have lived with the guilt of knowing that she could have been able to prevent the many deaths the War of Conquest, which will ultimately weaken the side of the living in the war she believes to be on their doorsteps (the original mistake she has made). One thing is for sure, her entire plans would have caused only a fragment of the death Aegon's first battle in the prologue would have caused. It is a very pragmatic way of seeing things and Noelle is so convinced of it being the best possible outcome for the largest number of people that she is ignoring the obvious moral problems that come with it.
Hehe, this is true. Dany's problem is, she's definitely not a bad person but she tries too hard to be like Aegon, while failing to see what made him such a successful conqueror. Though they gave him an edge in battle, the dragons were not the reason he established a realm that lasted for hundreds of years. It was exactly what you say there, the ability to know when to show mercy and the following ability to turn former enemies into friends and true supporters. He's both, a harsh conqueror and a wise, foresighted ruler. Of course, the times where he uses his dragons are more notable, so they are what he will be known for in the centuries to follow, despite him actually personally leaning more towards the sort of action he showed with Amerei, a compromise that allowed both to live on. I'd say Dany lacks the wisdom that sometimes, mercy sends a more powerful message.
Man screw pragmatism! It just doesn't justify what she tried to do.
The Voting is closed!
Ellena is going to say that Noelle should be killed once she stopped the enemy
Ah, this is very much what I expected. Together with Wulvren's suggestion and Aegon's own realization that maybe, just maybe, her words hold some degree of truth, it can be said there are pretty good chances for this option to be what he himself will choose. Surely though, this won't exactly increase the trust anyone at court has for Noelle. She herself won't be particularly happy with it, but given the circumstances, she was likely aware of the dangers her direct approach of Aegon would hold and that she has gotten the most favourable outcome she could possibly hope for. This does mean, her days are very likely numbered, but well, there's worse ways for her to go out than in the service of her god.
The next part will be out today. I was debating between a Kyra part and an Edrick part and finally went to write Kyra first yesterday, as I want to put a couple days more planning into Edrick. So, last time we saw Kyra, it was revealed that in the last couple weeks, she and Harrick Hoare had grown rather intimate. Naturally, this caused a couple problems with her brother Damon, as it gives her a serious conflict between her brother and House Hoare. Damon was not happy of her relationship to Harrick, though potentially even greater problems came shortly afterwards, as the corpses of several guardsmen were discovered, men who have apparently been killed by the Sons of the Trident. Among the killed was the man who caused the death of Addam Wode, the former leader of the Sons, making this a very personal revenge for them. Damon then revealed that he actually knows whom was behind these murders in particular, a man named Herman Irons, who was wounded and crippled during the attack that saw Addam Wode being captured. He then requsted of Kyra to meet with this Herman to form an alliance between Damon and the rebels, given they both have an enemy in House Hoare. Kyra however, still vengeful over the death of her guards, instead decided to vow to kill Herman. We'll start the next part right where this last one left off and as said, I will try my best to release it today.
Heey, I got inspired to do some more portraits after the latest part, and just wanted to drop these drawings of the Targaryen sisters (Rhaenys & Visenya) before the next part
Awesome
Amazing as always!!
Oh, hell yes, that's amazing
An unexpected and very welcome surprise, thank you very much. The awesome Aegon portrait already made me think that Rhaenys and Visenya would look just as great as portraits and sure enough, the Targaryen sisters do not disappoint. It is one of the dynamics I really look forward to show, the complex relationship and the differences between both of them, as well as their relationship to Aegon. And these differences surely stand out in your drawing. One thing I notice is, maybe I am mistaken, but the purple you used for their eyes here seems a bit lighter than the one you used for Aegon and the NW Valyrians/Daynes/Blackmonts. I must say, I actually prefer the colour you used here over the other one, it looks notably more striking, makes for quite a nice contrast especially with the hair. So, yeah, I love this, I love the characters and the portraits and this is just wonderful.
Kyra
Kyra narrowed her eyes and with a swift movement, catching him by surprise, she grabbed Damon at the collar of his vest, pulling him close. “Listen”, she growled. “If you know where to find this man, you have to tell me” Damon raised an eyebrow, unbothered by her anger. “And what are you going to do if I tell you?”, he asked.
Furiously, she pointed at the corpses of her slaughtered guards. Sure, most of them had their fair share of issues, some of them were true scum, but they were loyal to her and she owed them some in return. “You can be assured, I don't intend to let this go unanswered”, she replied and pushed a finger against his forehead. “I am going to put an axe right between his eyes”
To this, Damon smirked. “Will you?”, he asked and the tone in his voice caught her off guard. “What do you mean?”, she asked in return and let go of him. Damon shrugged, glancing at the men that had been killed. “I know you best, little sister”, he spoke, in a soft tone. “Now you're angry, but anger fades. Before long, you'll start to doubt. Does this man truly deserve to die?” He shook his head. “From all I have heard, the answer is negative”
Kyra frowned. “Cut the crap”, she barked. “Just tell me what I need to know. Where do I find him?” Damon sighed. “If you insist”, he spoke, pointing out of the gate. “Travel south for four hours. Maybe one on horseback if you hurry. The first road that leads you closer to the lake, take it. You'll find a small farm at the end of it, a patch of land at the shore of the God's Eye. It belongs to Barnell Nednock, a farmer, a family man, who has taken Irons in and nursed him back to health. I have reason to believe that he was involved in... this rather unsavoury action as well”
“You really want this man to die, huh?”, Kyra asked and Damon shook his head. “Not yet at least”, he spoke. “As I told you, I want to ally with him. I want to use him against our enemies. If we manage to deal a blow against that black-eyed bastard, it depends entirely on you”
He was going to say something else, but the sound of horns from the northern wall, the other side of the courtyard, forced Kyra's attention. She glanced over, seeing the massive northern gates being opened, as she raised an eyebrow. “I wasn't aware we'd get guests today”, she spoke and noticed that Damon looked similarly surprised. “I was told he'd arrive next week”, he replied.
From the other end of the courtyard, Kyra saw Gravven approaching her. He raised a hand waving her over and she shrugged. “I'll take care of this”, she said, before looking at her brother. “Then, I will take care of your little rebel” She paused for a moment, contemplating what he just told her. “One way or the other”
Damon replied with a nod, though as she turned to leave, he grabbed her by the forearm, pulling her close. “If you go”, he spoke. “Go alone. You know I'd never put you into danger, so trust me. Whatever happens, don't take a man like that butcher Gravven” He narrowed his eyes. “This is a situation you want to deal carefully with”
Kyra sighed. “Whom I take with me is my choice alone”, she spoke, as she pulled free from his grip. With these words, she turned away from him at last, approaching Gravven, who had gotten almost close enough to listen to Damon's dangerous words.
“Whom do we have here?”, she asked, looking at the gate and Gravven sighed. “A couple returns from the recent raids”, he said and Kyra looked up in surprise. The official statement was that none of Torvin's crew survived. But could there be...? “Stallhart returned”, Gravven clarified, crushing whatever little hope Kyra had allowed herself to feel.
“And... oh, fuck”, she gasped, as she saw the banners. As it turned out, Stallhart was not alone and to make matters worse, they had expected this particular guest in a week from now. A silver eagle on a field of purple. “Tell the king, Lord Mallister has arrived”, she ordered and Gravven saluted, before he marched off.
Kyra herself approached the riders that entered the courtyard, not averting her eyes from the large carriage that held the Lord of Seagard. She had been informed of his coming, but he wasn't expected to actually arrive already. Silently, she uttered a curse, imagining how the king would react to this.
The first rider to descend from his horse was a familiar and welcome sight. Without his armour, Durren Stallhart looked almost ordinary, even if he kept the elegant sealskin cloak still. A face adorned by a new scar, just barely beginning to heal, his moustache had grown even loner, the tips now reaching the bottom of his jaw.
“Captain Stallhart!”, she greeted him, as he marched to her. “Ah, captain, my captain!”, he exclaimed, his heavy arms wrapping around her, as he pulled her into a hug. He separated with a wide grin. “Good to see you”, he spoke. “Kept things in order while I was away, huh?”
She nodded, a smirk on her face. “Your raid's been successful?”, she asked and Stallhart put a hand onto his chest. “More than that!”, he proclaimed. “The northern Rock is quite wealthy if you know where to look. Spread really thin, there's a fortune lying there, so we raided village after village” He turned to his men, who were cheering now. “The result is glorious!”
“They say there's little more than sheep there. Found anything of value?”, Kyra asked, as a door to the carriage behind Durren got pushed open. The raider nodded. “Three new salt wives”, he said. “I'll put many sons in them once I return to the Lonely Light” Kyra flashed him a grin. “Good for you”, she spoke in a teasing voice. “And in winter, their wool can keep you warm”
Durren raised an eyebrow. “Ouch”, he said. “You're hitting pretty low today, captain” Kyra gave him a wink. “Would you say this was a... sheep shot?”, she asked and Durren broke into laughter. “Eh, I've missed you, lass”, he said. “But you'll stop joking once you see the treasure! Enough gold and finery for a kingdom” He gave her a wink. “A small one”, he added, before he glanced over his shoulder. “And we brought you a couple guests as well”
Out of the carriage stepped a young man, distantly familiar. Young for a lord, he was only slightly older than Damon, with an almost boyish face, plain, blonde hair and keen, brown eyes. Behind him, a girl, in her early teens maybe. She was pale, looking around with fear in her eyes, clinging onto the Lord of Seagard.
“Lord Mallister!”, Kyra greeted him with a short bow. “We weren't expecting you so early” Arrec Mallister smirked thinly and coldly as she said this. “The king was expecting me today”, he revealed. “Though we both considered it safer to not mention this to anyone. For my act of loyalty, the Riverlords are out to kill me. The Sons of the Trident have put a bounty on my head and those of my family”
He turned to the girl, putting an arm around her shoulder and gently encouraging her to walk up next to him. “My daughter, Elaena”, he introduced her and the girl gave Kyra a shy nod, to which the captain raised an eyebrow. “You have brought your child with you?”, she asked and Arrec smiled. “My only child”, he was quick to explain. “And the king knows why”
The girl gulped and Kyra felt a growing uneasiness. She turned to Durren, whose friendly smile calmed her down a bit. “I suppose you know the drill”, she said, to which he mockingly saluted. “Aye aye, captain”, he confirmed. “Take care of our guests. Me and mine shall settle in nicely” He put a hand onto her shoulder. “And... join us for a mug of mead later on, will ya” With a wink, he let go of her, turning to his men, while Kyra looked at Arrec and Elaena Mallister.
“I suppose the king should be informed about your arrival by now. Shall I bring you to him, or do you wish to recover from your journey first?”, she asked. Instantly, Lord Mallister shook his head. “We wish to meet the king at once”, he spoke and Elaena clenched her fists, though she remained silent, even if Kyra was sure she had grown more pale than before.
Silently, she gave them a sign to follow and both Mallisters did so, as they approached the king's tower. By now, Kyra was sure that Gravven had informed the king about their guests and if Lord Arrec had told the truth, he wouldn't be as surprised as she was. At the same time, she felt slight anger at Harren's decision not to tell her. The Riverlords might be out for Arrec's head and for good reason, as she had to admit, but she was the king's captain of the guard. How was she supposed to ensure the safety of Harren and his guests if he didn't trust her? That being said, her traitor brother wasn't making things any easier, surely.
As they walked to the tower, up the stairs, to enter the massive building, which on its own was almost a small castle, Kyra noticed tears forming in the corners of Elaena Mallister's eyes. She raised an eyebrow, looking at Arrec, who put an arm around his daughter. “Is... everything alright?”, she said and the girl bit onto her lower lip. She looked up at her father, who gave her an encouraging nod, which she repeated, if far less convincing.
Kyra narrowed her eyes. “Why is it you've come here, mylord?”, she asked to which Arrec smiled, his usual cold smile, as charming as a block of ice. “An important negotiation”, he spoke. “My former key allies have all but abandoned me. Success in today's matters is very much mandatory”
They stopped in front of the king's audience chamber. The door stood half open, creaking as she pushed it with a knock. Behind it, she saw King Harren, sitting on his chair, with Harmund sitting on his left. Harrick was there as well, giving Kyra a smile as she entered. He stood behind his father, just like how Gravven stood behind Harmund.
“Lord Mallister, your grace”, Kyra said and Harren waved them closer, impatiently. “Yes, I know the man”, he growled and the trio entered the room. Harmund's gaze fell upon the young Mallister girl and the expression on his face grew darker than she had ever seen. Something that was almost legit anger appeared on it.
“I... your grace, why wasn't I informed about this meeting?”, Kyra asked, as she closed the door behind them. Harren shrugged. “You were informed when it was necessary”, he replied and Kyra shook her head. She knew this man good enough to criticize him, if only slightly. “I was informed when he arrived”, she corrected her liege and Harren only briefly narrowed his eyes, before giving her a nod to continue.
“As captain of the guard, it is my duty to...”, she started, though this time, he cut her off. “I am well aware of this”, he said in a low tone. “And I saw it fitting to keep it just between me and Arrec” He looked up as Harrick put a hand onto his shoulder. “For what it's worth, I agree with Captain Greyjoy”, he said. “Or at least inform me about such events”
“So that you can whisper it into Greyjoy's ear at night?”, Harmund said with a wicked grin, to which Harrick and Kyra exchanged a quick, alarmed look. The crown prince chuckled. “I meant her brother, you pansy”, he added and Harrick shot a glare at him.
Harren quickly raised a hand, looking at Arrec and his daughter. “Lord Mallister, why don't you explain the reason for this meeting once more”, he spoke. “To my youngest son and my captain of the guard” Arrec bowed down, deeply, pulling his daughter down with him. “Of course, your grace”, he said, before he smiled at the girl.
“This is my daughter, Elaena. My only child and heiress to Seagard”, he introduced her. “Up until two months ago, I stood in negotiation with Lord Piper. She was to wed his son and heir, Ser Hilbert” He sighed and the girl shivered. “I am afraid my act of loyalty towards you caused the relations to sour”
Harrick raised his eyebrows. “Lord Piper would show his disdain so openly?”, he asked and Mallister gave him a grim nod. “He was influenced though”, he explained. “That man is Lord of Pinkmaiden in name only. His daughter, that harlot Mariya, she manipulated him into this. A girl half my age, thinking she's oh so clever, pitting her father against me”
“A little Piper bitch, huh?”, Harmund said with a sneer, his dark eyes fixed on the shivering Elaena Mallister. “Maybe I can solve that problem. I'll invite myself in and we'll have a long, pleasant talk, or maybe two” Harrick shot him a glare. “Like you solved the problem with Brandon Frey?”, he asked, but before Harmund was able to reply, the king slammed a fist down onto the armrest of his chair. “Silence”, he growled. “Continue, Mallister”
The lord gave him a quick nod, not even looking at his daughter, who was just barely holding back her tears under Harmund's glance. Right now, she looked even younger than she truly was. “Out of all the Riverlords, I proved to be most loyal. I proved to be the only one truly loyal to you”, he boasted. “And for that, I suffered. All of my allies turned their backs on me. My chances of finding a suitable bride for myself among the high ladies of these lands have been reduced to nothing” He narrowed his eyes. “And even my daughter is affected, as Piper's breaking of our agreement shows”
By now, Kyra noticed something she had never seen before in the young lord's eyes. He was desperate. His gamble, it did not pay off so far, as he had traded his Riverlander companions for a king as fickle in his loyalty as he was cruel. Tully, Frey, Piper and the others, they would never forget. He knew this and his actions, his hasty way of speaking and the look in his eyes made a lot more sense as she considered this.
Harrick's eyes widened, as Arrec looked from his daughter to Harmund and a second later, the crown prince realized it as well. “You got to be fucking kidding me”, he snarled and Arrec sighed. “Your grace, your heir is unmarried. I hereby offer my daughter's hand in marriage for this occasion”
Elaena gasped and by now, Kyra saw tears flowing down her face. Harrick clenched his teeth in disgust and to her surprise, even Harmund seemed appalled. “She's a child”, he stated bluntly and the girl clenched her fists, staring at the ground to avoid his piercing black glare. Arrec shook his head. “I can assure you, she is not a child. She had her first bleeding and is ready to give you many sons”
Harmund chuckled at this. “How old are you, girl?”, he barked and Elaena flinched back. “Thir... thirteen, mylord”, she said with a meek, terrified voice. Triumphantly, Harmund grinned at the Lord of Seagard. “A child”, he stated. “I don't fuck children”
“You're not supposed to fuck her, you're supposed to marry her”, Harren growled. “And don't tell me that's where you draw the line” Harmund glared at his father. “You think I'm sick in the head? Give her to Donny if you want someone who can get off to children”, he hissed in return, before he looked at Arrec. “You try to insult me, huh? Three years from now, I might accept, as long as she doesn't look like a fucking fish. Or maybe I just take her then, if I want her”
This was enough for Elaena, who started to sob miserably. Tears poured down her face freely, her sobs breaking the silence that came after Harmund's last words, while Arrec looked at his daughter, trying to calm her down. Harren however had a different expression, one of slowly growing anger. “Lord Mallister is a key ally”, he spoke and Harmund shrugged. “How about you fucking marry him then?”, the prince replied. “Better than me having to fuck a child” He pointed at Elaena, who was close to breaking down from fear and stress. “That's sick, if you ask me”
Harren clenched his fist, as the girl's sobbing became louder. “For fuck's sake, get your whelp out of the room, or I'll shut her up!”, he barked and for what it was worth, Arrec instantly put his arms around his daughter. Taking a deep breath, Harren looked at Kyra. “Bring Lord Mallister and his daughter somewhere else. Me and my sons will have a little discussion about this”
Kyra saluted, before giving Gravven a nod. Both escorted Arrec and Elaena out of the room, while Harren and his sons argued behind them, their words growing increasingly angry. She sighed, as she closed the door behind them, standing in the hallway, while both she and Gravven looked visibly uncomfortable.
“Uh, I think you can wait in there”, her second-in-command said, pointing at a small room at the other end of the hallway, specifically designed for those that had to wait for the king. Arrec gave him a polite, sharp smile. “Thank you”, he said, as he led his still crying daughter to the room. The girl threw a desperate, fearful stare at Kyra, as if she was silently begging her for help, before turning to her father.
“I don't want to be his bride”, she whispered and gently, Arrec put a hand onto her cheek. “It won't be so bad”, he spoke, lying through his teeth. That being said, his voice sounded genuine and this caused Kyra to look up. He knew what kind of a person Harmund Hoare was, didn't he? They all had to know. The thought that he might be oblivious to the king's eldest, offering his daughter in good faith, it was almost as disgusting as the opposite.
“One thing I gotta admit”, Gravven said, placing his thumbs behind his belt as he looked after the Mallister's. He kept his voice low, until Arrec closed the door to the waiting room, still softly speaking to his weeping daughter. “Takes quite some effort to look worse than Harmund in any given situation”
She threw him a surprised glance. “Brave words”, she said and Gravven grinned, moving a hand through his beard, while placing the other on the hilt of Red Rain. “I don't fear them”, he said. “Besides, Harmund knows what a mean bastard he is. Probably still the best thing about him. He's a raider, a reaver. Bet there's not a single thing in his life he hasn't paid the iron price for”
Kyra raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like you're admiring the man”, he said and Gravven shook his head. “I can respect him for being Ironborn and still consider him a waste of air”, he claimed. “That guy is a degenerate, but at least he's better than Harrick, that sissy” He threw her a curious glance and Kyra pressed her lips together.
“Say... what did he mean earlier, with Harrick...”, he asked and Kyra sighed, to which the raider grinned. “You got a problem with that?”, she asked in return and Gravven shook his head. “Some might”, he answered. “Me, I'm having way too much respect for you, cap. I don't judge you, as long as you don't become some Greenlander squeeze”
“Harrick is Ironborn”, she stated and Gravven smirked. “And you're way too defensive about this”, he said, to which she rolled her eyes. “Why am I keeping up with you?”, she asked. Gravven shrugged. “Probably because I'm the best damn blade in this entire castle”, he claimed, a bold statement she could actually only agree with, at least to some degree.
“I feel sorry for the girl though”, she admitted and Gravven shrugged. “That Mallister guy is a cunting cunt”, he said. “If that'd be my sister, I'd tear his fucking head off. As it is, she's just some fish girl with a lot of bad luck” He raised an eyebrow and for the first time during their talk, Kyra had the feeling he was judging her. “Why do you say that?”, he asked. “You want to go help her?”
Truth be told, that's exactly what she wanted to do. Maybe it was some instinct, a strange feeling of sympathy for this scared little girl. Kyra had at least been a little girl once, if never truly scared, but still, she felt pity for her, with her own father trying to throw her to the wolves for a cheap power grab. Maybe Mallister could be made to see reason. He was not a stupid man, or so she thought. Or maybe Gravven's stance on the topic was the better one for herself. Pity or not, was that enough to get involved?
[Try to talk Lord Mallister down] [Leave them be]
[Try to talk Lord Mallister down] This is more out of empathy for the poor girl. Because of his betrayal, Lord Mallister is now a pariah among the Riverlords, and I don't blame them. Offering his only child to a known rapist and murderer is a desperate and foolish move, one he should have seen coming.
Tully, Frey, Piper, Bracken, Blackwood, Vance, Vypren, Paege, Goodbrook, Blanetree, Smallwood, Shawney, Roote, Ryger. They all have reasons to hate Ironborn, even those who once supported Hardhand against the Storm Kings.