Forum of Thrones: An Interactive Story

drdestroyer18 · May 2018

[Speak up in Leo's favour] We need there help so lets try to put as much in our favor as possible.
[Keep him out of it] Don't want to get him killed.
I just want to know how dangerous is the heist supposed to be again? I mean I know breaking into one of Lord Hightowers vaults wont be easy but what our the chances of them getting themseleves killed if it goes wrong?

Edinosaur23 · May 2018

[Speak up in Leo's favour] Letting him dig deeper is not going to help the people of Maybros. And I'm not voting for this option because I care there are two Leonards, Westeros has many people with the same name. BTW the most common are Jon and Jeyne.

[Tell Samuel about the heist] Well, Erik is not going to be pleased when they tell him, but Samuel is most likely trustworthy, after all not everyone would leave their family members with someone unreliable.

WildlingKing · May 2018

[Speak up in Leo's favour] Now that Sadie can no longer be a warrior, improving her skills as a diplomat could be very beneficial, and I see this as an opportunity to do just that. I also do think she has plenty of reason to be grateful to Leonard Hill. Now, that said, this part did make me wonder if Leo could have an agenda he isn't revealing. So far I haven't really thought much of him, just seeing him as a decent guy who has an understandable dislike for nobility, but perhaps he actually is planning something here. We'll see, I suppose.

[Tell Samuel about the heist] He's been loyal and trustworthy so far, and I'm guessing getting his perspective on this mission could be interesting, whether he wants to join in or not. Also, seeing Keat reunite with his siblings was nice, his storyline so far has certainly made me empathize with him a lot more than I used to in Book 1.

GMSforresthood · May 2018

[Leave the talking to him]
[Keep him out of it]

LiquidChicagoTed · May 2018

I was actually going to vote the other way, then I saw Gnu's comment. He's right. Fake Leonard must suffer.

Fun fact, I saw your original respone and I was like "Wait... did InGen truly vote to support the other Leonard?" That being said, I am afraid he won't even be the only other Leonard. While rare, it is a name I can see perfectly fitting into the name rules laid out by the source material and in fact, there is still a third submitted character by that name upcoming and unlike Leo here, he won't be primarily called by a shorter nickname. I learned from Samuel and Samuel in Raenna's Book 1 Chapter 6 storyline though and can assure you that I have no plans of having them interact.

I keep thinking about Batman now, damnit.

The Tommy Lee Jones version, I hope?

Gotta admit though, Two-Face's name is more a bit of a relic from the early days of the story, back when I was way more hesitant to change details about characters I feel won't fully fit in with the tone and setting. Was still a bit overwhelmed people wanted to submit characters to begin with back then. Nowadays, I'd handle it differently and just change the name entirely, yet unfortunately, me from early 2015 has been a less decisive writer. It wasn't much of an issue back then because of his very minor role in Book 1, but with him back in a larger role now, I certainly hope having a guy with the nickname Two-Face running around (even if literally nothing else about the character is a reference to Batman, not even the extent of his disfigurement) won't be too immersion breaking

LiquidChicagoTed · May 2018

I just want to know how dangerous is the heist supposed to be again? I mean I know breaking into one of Lord Hightowers vaults wont be easy but what our the chances of them getting themseleves killed if it goes wrong?

Well, no one has properly laid the dangers out yet, but you can count on it being a highly dangerous task. As you said, breaking into the Hightower's vaults won't be easy. While people have broken into the Hightower in Book 1, it has always been into the labyrinth below, never into the actually fortified upper levels, which is where the Hightower family is likely to keep their treasures. Expect trigger-happy guards, tight schedules, rigorous controls and probably more. As much as Oldtown has suffered under Manfred Hightower's rather indecisive rule, his grip over the Hightower has never been even remotely weakened and it can reasonably be considered the safest location in all Oldtown.

LiquidChicagoTed · May 2018

Letting him dig deeper is not going to help the people of Maybros. And I'm not voting for this option because I care there are two Leonards, Westeros has many people with the same name. BTW the most common are Jon and Jeyne.

Aye, the way I see it, there are probably hundreds of Leonard's in Westeros who just haven't appeared in the story and, for the most part, won't. While likely an uncommon name, there has to be a reason why people don't react strangely when hearing it. I also just noticed that Jon Snow is literally the most ordinary and unassuming name in all Westeros. Kinda what John Smith would be in our society.

Well, Erik is not going to be pleased when they tell him, but Samuel is most likely trustworthy, after all not everyone would leave their family members with someone unreliable.

Actually, I gotta remind you here because I did not do this in my recap. Reuniting with his siblings is only part of Keat's reason for being there. He actually came here to recruit Samuel for his heist, because he knows of his skills. However, he just now had second thoughts of dragging one of his actual friends into this situation, especially as he is not entirely certain just how dangerous it is going to be.

LiquidChicagoTed · May 2018

Now, that said, this part did make me wonder if Leo could have an agenda he isn't revealing. So far I haven't really thought much of him, just seeing him as a decent guy who has an understandable dislike for nobility, but perhaps he actually is planning something here. We'll see, I suppose.

Hm, an interesting theory. Obviously, I cannot confirm nor deny it at this point, but Leonard's hatred towards highborn actually do exceed what is reasonable, albeit it remains understandable after his very harsh upbringing among these very people. Him having ulterior motives is something that is not exactly unthinkable, though at the same time, I think the parts to come will give you a better idea of his full reasons for going to such length to help the people of Maybros, as I plan to really have him shine in some of the parts to come.

Also, seeing Keat reunite with his siblings was nice, his storyline so far has certainly made me empathize with him a lot more than I used to in Book 1.

Ah, very pleased to hear this I am glad to hear that Keat as a character has been so warmly received ever since he became a PoV, as he was such a minor character in Book 1 whom, I presume, most have felt more or less indifferent towards. He has quite a storyline ahead, so readers growing to like him is surely what I hope to achieve.

TheAPlegends · May 2018

[Speak up in Leo's favour]

[Tell Samuel about the heist]

InKennyWeTrust · May 2018

[Speak up in Leo's favour]

[Tell Samuel about the heist]

imighthavebrokenit · May 2018

[Leave the talking to him]

[Tell Samuel about the heist]

LiquidChicagoTed · May 2018

The Voting is closed!

Sadie is going to speak up in Leo's favour

Keat is going to tell Samuel about the heist

Both of these might seem like small decisions, but I can absolutely tell you, these will have big consequences for the storylines of Sadie and Keat and perhaps others as well, as time will surely reveal to you in full. In case of Sadie, her account is likely going to be something actually speaking in Leo's favour and no matter if it will succeed, he will be pleased by her decision and the intention behind it. Meanwhile, Keat might take a step to gain a valuable ally and you might remember, Samuel Puffer has shown quite some talent in combat during Book 1, even if he ended up getting wounded and having to sit out the remainder of Raenna's storyline. He is no longer injured and this means, he'll be back in full if he agrees to help Keat. We'll see more about this in his next part.

The very next part meanwhile will be from Ysilla's PoV. I am not entirely certain if it will be the only PoV, but it heavily seems to develop into this direction. Another thing I am uncertain about is if I will be able to release it today, because I actually have to make another trip to the hospital in a few minutes, which will take a decent chunk out of my day. Writing is making good progress, but at worst I have to keep you waiting until tomorrow, regretfully. In any way, it will feature the next part for Ysilla's storyline. Last time we saw her, we learned a bit more about the dynamics in the Allyrion family, particularly how her older sister Ashara, the secondborn of the family, does have quite a complicated relationship to Theodan, due to his careless behaviour and her strong feeling of duty. Things are guaranteed to get heated during the Allyrion family dinner, which is where the latest part of her stopped, as Ysilla was faced with a decision to sit down either next to her brother or her father. She decided to favour her father here, seeing it as a great honour to be seated next to him and this part will start right where the last one ended. I have a lot of fun writing it and I hope to finish it today, but there are, as I said, other things of importance that require my attention today and I cannot fully say how much time I will actually have to finish the part. Nonetheless, voting has been open for long enough and I wish to at least give you an update on what to expect from the next part. See you all when I'm done with the writing

LiquidChicagoTed · May 2018

Ysilla

After a moment of hesitating, silently cursing and really wishing to do something else right now, Ysilla had made her choice. Giving her father a smile, she sat down next to him, trying her best to ignore Theodan's surprised expression. “So”, she spoke, looking only at Alester. “Shall we begin?”

Her father smiled in return, quite pleased with her decision, as she was clearly able to see. Swiftly, Jenelyne took the seat next to Theodan, widely grinning at him, while Allar, letting out a small sigh, sat down between her and Ysilla and with this, it was all settled, as Alester clapped his hands once. “We shall”, he proclaimed. “Bring in the first course”

As servants came from the kitchen, bringing with them large trays, Ysilla heard Jen's gasp. “Wait, there's more than one course?”, she asked, as Allar rolled his eyes. “Told you not to eat too much of the cake”, he warned her and she shrugged. “But it was just there in our rooms”, she complained. “Should I just leave it behind? What if anyone takes it?”

Allar gave Alester a brief look. “I apologize for my sister, mylord”, he said, as he sharply glanced at Jenelyne. Alester smirked and merely shook his head. “What is there to apologize?”, he asked. “For bringing my son and my daughter home safely, you are my welcome guests” He looked past the man towards Jen. “And the lemoncake was meant to be eaten, young lady. A small gift to welcome you to your rooms. After all, knowing my children, I doubt the journey has been easy on you”

“Actually, it's been an honour”, Allar assured him and Jenelyne nodded. “Yeah, your daughter is pretty... alright”, she was quick to add and Ysilla raised an eyebrow. “Both, I mean. Your son as well, if you don't mind me saying” Under Alester's calm, slightly amused gaze, her voice cracked and she quickly looked to the ground.

“You know, I am surprised Lady Absidee saw it fit to send two sellswords with my children”, Alester brought up and as always, Allar had a quick response to that as well. “Lady Absidee is concerned for their safety”, he admitted. “The Sandstorm has grown more bold in these parts of Dorne. She wanted to make sure that both will arrive safely” Though Alester did not seem to be fully convinced, he nodded, indicating that the topic was finished for him.

"Let us take a moment to pray", he spoke, as he reached out for Ashara to his right and Ysilla to his left. She grabbed his hand, offering her free one to Allar, who grabbed it after a moment of confusion. Theodan needed a moment longer, having forgotten the routine, but he quickly found back into it, as Ysilla closed her eyes. "Father!", Alester spoke loudly. "We thank you for this meal and this blessed occasion. My family is whole again and for this, I praise your name!"

"Praise the Father", the other members of the family mumbled, while Allar and Jenelyne remained silent in confusion. A notable absence among the voices was Ashara, yet it wasn't particularly surprising for Ysilla. Her own faith had always given her solace in times of hardship, yet her half-sister never quite shared the same dedication. "Crone!", Alester continued and his voice gained strength at the mention of his favourite of the gods. "You have been a light in the darkness, to lead my son back home. For this, I praise your name!"

"Praise the Crone", they continued and this time, Allar and Jenelyne carefully chimed in, albeit Ashara remained absent from the voices. As Ysilla opened her eyes again, she felt confident, a happy smile on her face, as she only slowly let go of her father's hand and Allar's.

As it turned out, the first course consisted of boiled vegetables, carrots and tomatoes, together with freshly baked bread, the smell of which caused Ysilla's stomach to growl loudly. She gave her father a sweet smile as he raised an eyebrow. “She ate my lemoncake”, she spoke and Jenelyne shook her head. “Nuh uh, I did not!”, she protested, to which Ysilla nodded decisively. “Yeah you did”, she replied, though she gave her a wink.

Alester and Belandra actually smirked, while Yandry tried his best to stare at his plate instead of the beautiful Jenelyne just in front of him. Ashara though did not smile. “My, must be like looking into a mirror for you”, she spoke towards Ysilla. “How do you deal with that?”

“Oh, I don't know”, Ysilla said, as she glanced at Jen. “I like looking into the mirror, how about you?” To her surprise, Ashara chuckled thinly. “Funny”, she admitted. “Well, glad to see you haven't changed one bit” Ysilla flashed her a grin. “You sure about that?”, she asked in a teasing voice, as she put a piece of carrot into her mouth. “But how about you? What did change while I was away?”

At the other end of the table, she saw Theodan putting down his fork, as he looked at his sister, clearly interested in her response. Ashara sighed. “We received ravens, one from Starfall, the other one from Skyreach”, she replied, her moment of light-heartedness gone in an instant. “Jasper Dayne and Gerold Fowler both want me to marry their heirs”

Admittedly, these names meant little to Ysilla, besides what she knew about the importance of houses Dayne and Fowler obviously. However, Theodan surprised her as he spoke up. “Joffrey Dayne and Garret Fowler”, he said and almost impressed, Ashara nodded. “Wasn't sure you'd remember them”, she brought up and Theodan shrugged. “Hells, where the maester failed, you made sure to really make me learn”, he said, his smile showing at least a hint of fondness.

Ashara smiled thinly, yet it did not reach her eyes. “Someone had to”, she said and Ysilla tilted her head. “So, you're going to be Ashara Dayne soon enough? Ashara Fowler? Doesn't quite have the same ring to it, if you don't mind me saying”, she brought up.

To this, Ashara shook her head, slightly clenching her fists. “Either would have been a splendid match. I'd forge a strong alliance for our house and I'd be Lady of Starfall, or Lady of Skyreach one day”, she explained. “However, after conversing with father, I refused them both” As she said this, Ysilla noticed how Belandra failed to hide a relieved smile. Ashara did not notice, as she instead looked at Alester, who nodded warmly. “At this point, we both agreed that it would be better for me to remain in Godsgrace. We wish to see if my dear brother has truly grown into his position, before sending away the only other person who can fulfil his duties”

“Humble as always”, Theodan said, munching audibly, the sheer audaciousness in his eyes causing Jenelyne to chuckle, while Ysilla smirked, an expression that faded quickly under Ashara's glare. “As I said”, the young woman hissed. “Someone has to do it. If I am lucky, it won't be a chance truly missed, for Joffrey and Garret both remain unmarried. But only if you learned your lesson”

A mixture of concern and anger flashed over Theodan's face. “Yeah, and what is that supposed to mean?”, he asked, sharp enough to cause Belandra to look at him. “Theodan...”, she warned him sternly and he sighed. “What is that supposed to mean?”, he asked again, in a more casual tone this time.

Once more, Belandra was there to defuse the situation. “We'll get to that”, she said, glancing at Ashara, who was calmly leaning against the back of her chair. “But you go first. How has your time in the Free Cities been?” As she said this, Alester raised an eyebrow. “Surely not as educational as I hoped it would be”, he brought up dryly.

For once, Theodan actually had the decency to look ashamed. “It wasn't meant as a punishment, son”, the lord spoke calmly, to which Ysilla raised an eyebrow. Over the past years, her father hadn't spoken much about Theodan, the very topic of her brother becoming something discussed only infrequently. Had it been shame? Guilt? Or maybe his very own brand of grief. “It was meant to teach you a lesson”

Theodan did not seem convinced. “And what would that lesson be?”, he asked, not without bitterness in his tone. “You were supposed to learn responsibility”, Alester explained instantly. “A lesson in humility and duty. This is why I arranged your stay with a merchant and not with... a sellsword company”

To this, Theodan shot his father an audacious grin. “It wasn't exactly a sellsword company”, he spoke. “More a small band, hired to guard people, not fight wars. They were led by Nakarro Hartelar, the most fearsome man in Braavos” Both, Ysilla and Yandry looked up and she noticed an eager look in her younger half-brother's eyes. Ashara merely rolled hers and Alester frowned. “And what have you learned in these years, Theodan?”, he asked.

“Oh, a great many things”, her brother replied. “I learned how to fight, for example. Properly, I mean, the Braavosi way” Alester showed no reaction to that. “I am sure this is all you need as a lord”, he said without showing any emotion at all, though before he could continue, Theodan cut him off. “I know what you meant to teach me”, he began, his voice sounding more serious now. “And well, in a way I did. I had responsibilities with Nakarro's group, my duties and I did them well. And humility? You've never been with a sellsword group, right? Ain't the place to be anything but humble”

To Ysilla's surprise, her father nodded. “Perhaps”, he admitted. “I suppose it can be compared, though it is far from what I wanted for you” The two looked at each other and Theodan sighed. “You want me to be someone I'm not”, he finally replied, before he glanced at Ysilla. “I suppose some things never change”

“Obviously”, Ashara hissed coldly and for a moment, they all stared down at their plates. The only exception was Yandry, who still had a curious look in his eyes. “And...”, he said, slightly blushing as he noticed that the others were looking at him. “What happened with the sellsword?” He cleared his throat. “Just asking...”, he added in a shy tone.

Theodan chuckled, the momentary anger falling off him as he did so and Ysilla sighed in relief. However, she noticed that Ashara remained upset, while her father was as hard to read as always, yet his clenched fists gave him away. “Nakarro you mean?”, Theodan said. “Oh, he's alive and kicking. Better than ever before, I dare say. Oh, with him I learned how to truly be alive”

“I'd say you've been plenty alive before”, Ashara added. “For the record, Lord Vaith is still not talking to any of us” Though Ysilla knew that Theodan felt no guilt over the events that led to his exile, he was quick-witted enough to convincingly play it. Sighing and averting his gaze, he nodded. “And I can only apologize”, he admitted. “I've grown out of it. Really, I'm ready to take responsibility”

“Did you lead men into battle?”, Jenelyne asked and Ysilla was glad someone who wasn't part of the family was finally speaking up. She knew Ashara and she knew, her sister was getting legitimately angry, slowly but steadily, not buying a word he said or would say.

Theodan raised an eyebrow. “And women”, he spoke. “Nakarro took all who were willing to fight for him, all who proved their worth. And in time, I became his second” After only these few sentences, Jen was practically hanging on his every word and Ysilla pressed her lips together, clearing her throat. “For that he did let go of you quickly”, she teased him.

Her interjection came as a surprise and Theodan tilted his head, as Jen looked from him to Ysilla. He shook his head, giving Ysilla a sharp stare as soon as Jenelyne wasn't looking. “We have spoken about this before”, he claimed. “He knew the day would come” With this, he looked at his father. “But I can assure you, I have gained friends in Essos. Men and women who would support our house in times of need”

“I suppose none of them is of proper birth?”, Alester brought up and Theodan shrugged. “Does it change anything about their worth?”, he asked and he sighed under Ashara's stern look. “One of them was a highborn bastard. We fought side by side for half a day in the trenches before Tyrosh, about four years ago. He is a Reachman, Lord Vyrwel's son, I think”

“Brother, more like”, Ashara corrected him. “Leo Vyrwel died six months ago and his eldest son has assumed lordship in his stead” Her smirk was cutting and calculated. “Though I suppose someone's bastard brother won't be of much help to our house right now” She looked at Alester and he nodded, followed by a barely notable sigh, which on its own was enough to cause Ysilla to tense up.

“I would like to believe that you have changed”, her father finally spoke and Ysilla noticed that Belandra's ever-present smile had faded. If Theodan was noticing the same, he did not show it, his grin unwavering. “Well, enlighten me then, mylord”, he spoke. “How may I prove myself?”

Alester opened his mouth, closing it again, though Ashara was all too ready to reply in his stead. “Marriage”, she said. “There is no better way to serve our family. I want to, but once again, you prevent it” Theodan looked at her and Ysilla spotted genuine remorse in his gaze, but not in his strong, confident voice. “Well, don't let me stop you. The way I see it, you don't need my blessing”

“Of course not”, Ashara agreed. “But what this house needs is someone to support our father. Someone reliable. As I said, if I marry, I will leave Godsgrace, I will leave our family alone” She sighed bitterly. “I doubt you understand, but it's not easy for me. If I leave, father will be alone with his duties”

Theodan raised an eyebrow. “Well, there's mother, there's Yandry, there's Ysilla”, he began, but Ashara rolled her eyes, with Ysilla being unsure if the gesture was meant solely for her, or for all three of them. “Theo, this is serious”, she hissed. “This house needs alliances more than ever, but I cannot risk leaving you all alone until I can be certain you have changed”

“Then spit it out already, what do you want me to do?”, Theodan growled and a brief fit of anger flared with his voice. He exchanged a helpless glance with Ysilla, who had pushed her plate away from her, her hunger all but gone, despite the magnificent smell from the kitchen, promising meat for the second course. This was what she had feared, all of it and worse. Five years without seeing each other, and Ashara and Theodan were still at each other's throat. And the worst of it all was, five years with only Ashara around gave her almost an understanding for her half-sister. Her duty was her grace, her ambition her tragedy. A bitterness that had been five years in the making.

“You really want me to spell it out?”, Ashara said, before she shrugged. “Have it your way then. I am talking about you doing your duty for once and marrying a woman of proper birth, for her to support you in good and bad, for her to become Lady Allyrion by your side and to bear your children to further our ancient line”

For a moment, there was silence, more deafening than any shout. Ysilla looked at her father, stern and unmoving. To her right, it wasn't much better, as Allar focussed onto his plate, studying the boiled vegetables with almost religious zeal, something he shared with Yandry, whose face had turned a shade of pale red. Jenelyne was anxiously looking around, her gaze meeting Ysilla's, while Belandra was perhaps the only one trying to keep a friendly expression on her face. Looking for help, she turned to the kitchen, giving a hand sign to the waiting servants.

Theodan though... Theodan was glaring at his sister and Ashara was glaring right back. Finally, he was the one to break the silence. “I suppose your list of suitable brides doesn't include Lady Loreza, eh?”, he said, his attempt at cracking a joke amusing exactly one person at the table, namely Jen. She burst into a quick chuckle, perhaps to relieve her own tension, before looking down at her plate in shame under Alester's glare. “Apologies, m'lord”, she mumbled.

“You think I am joking?”, Ashara said and nonchalantly, Theodan gave her a nod. “I think you're being ridiculous”, he agreed, before raising a finger. “Not funny though. Just ridiculous and a tad bit embarrassing, if you don't mind me saying” Ashara inhaled sharply and Belandra narrowed her eyes. “Theodan!”, she warned her son.

“It wasn't her idea”, Alester finally spoke up. “It was mine” He ignored Theodan's baffled expression, instead choosing to look at Ashara with fondness and his slight, proud smile, a look Ysilla had longed to see for so long, yet received way too little in her life, it melted Ashara's anger and just for a moment, she smiled back, sweetly and genuinely. “I want my daughter to be happy. She wants to marry one of these men who have asked for her hand. She wants to become lady of a great house, gaining us an ally for life and binding our two families together”, he continued. “And yet, I know of her fear, for I share it”

Theodan narrowed his eyes. “What is that supposed to mean?”, he asked and Alester sighed slightly. “You have no idea how hard the last years have been, my son”, he admitted and Ysilla knew how much it took of him to reveal this. Even she could have only guessed, but in this moment, he truly looked exhausted, as if the reveal itself has caused him to age a good decade in the blink of an eye. “How much Ashara had to do. Duties that should have gone to my firstborn, to my heir. Do you think, just for a moment, that you are the only one who had to suffer consequences for your actions?”

Ysilla noticed her brother staring down at his plate and as he did not respond, Alester continued. “I wanted you to change. It's why I sent you to the Free Cities, to a merchant, where you were supposed to learn a humble craft”, he explained. “And yet once more, you twisted my wish and ran off with a sellsword” He shook his head. “You claim to have changed, but you have always claimed a great many things. Now is your time to prove it”, he urged him. “Prove to me that you are the man our house needs you to be”

For a moment, Theodan stared at his shaking hands, before giving his father a forced smile. “I suppose you have someone in mind already?”, he asked. “Or am I allowed to make my own choice?” To this, Alester gulped. “Not many are willing to even consider marrying their daughter to someone as infamously... lustful as you, either to spare them a near-inevitable humiliation, or to keep their good relations to House Vaith”, he spoke. “However, I have gotten a couple of favourable responses. The most promising comes from Wyl. Lord Wylis offers a union between our houses, through the marriage of you and his only daughter, Wendy”

“Wendy Wyl...”, Theodan mumbled coldly and Alester nodded. “Has a certain ring to it. I haven't met the girl, yet she is barely younger than you and by all accounts considered a decent beauty”, he assured him. “Though what I suppose will be of interest to you is her reputation as a warrior. Already she is rumoured to surpass both of her siblings in skill. They say she is fierce and firm, a woman to your liking” He gave his son a deep look. “I know you do not wish to have a meek wallflower for a bride and though you cannot be choosy in your situation, I tried my best to give you a woman who can make you happy, one to be your equal”

Ashara narrowed her eyes, noticing Theodan's frozen frown. “That's not all”, she said and her tone was less hostile than before. “You can actually meet her, you know. Couple days ago, another raven arrived from Wyl. Lord Wylis informed us that Wendy and her brother, Walter, are travelling to Sunspear in a diplomatic mission. Godsgrace is on the way and they are expected to arrive in two weeks from now. Given father's earlier interest in this union, he has requested we welcome the lady and her brother as our guests for a few days” Her smirk was somewhere between bitter gloating, friendly teasing and the hint of hope. “Last time you needed much less time to ruin our relations to half of the houses in Dorne. Maybe this time, a few days will be enough to repair some of the damage”

It was then, that Theodan's closed fist slammed down onto the table, hitting the silver plate and nearly knocking over his wine. Jenelyne was quick to grab the cup though and before putting it back down, she took a sheepish sip from it. Neither Alester, nor Theodan actually took notice of it, as both glared at each other.

Finally, Theodan broke the silence and his chuckle was more cutting than any curse he could throw at them. And it was worse than what Ysilla had feared. Admittedly, even before today she had the fleeting suspicion that her father was arranging a marriage for Theodan, yet without evidence, she didn't want to trouble him.

Ashara sighed, closing her eyes in disappointment and it was clear she knew what would come now. “Even if I wanted to meet Wyl's little snake...”, Theodan growled. “That will not happen” Ysilla gave him an alarmed look, though for once, Theodan ignored her thoroughly. “Because I won't be here in two weeks”, he announced.

The one looking the most shocked out of them all was Belandra, who clenched her fists. Theodan smiled at his father, who was completely motionless. “I know you see only one path for me, your path. If I divert from it, I cannot possibly be a good lord in your eyes, ever. I cannot win your respect unless I marry some girl you choose for me. I cannot win your trust unless I stop being myself” He glanced at his sister. “Unless I become like you. Or maybe Ashara”

Ashara frowned at this and for a moment, she and Ysilla locked eyes. Never before had there been such an expression of disappointment in them. “You are going to leave”, she said tonelessly and Theodan nodded. “I told you I learned about responsibility”, he explained. “Not just to our house, but to all Dorne” Not without pride, he placed a hand on his chest. “This is why I volunteered to help Lady Absidee and Princess Meria herself on a mission requiring my skills”

“Is there a whore in need of your virility?”, Ashara asked sharply, while Alester merely glared at his son. Theodan smirked coldly, before shaking his head. “You've probably heard it already, but we're at war. Dragons, three of them. Dorne needs the help of a particular man who has spent his life researching these beasts, an expert to turn the tides of war”, he explained. “And me and Ysilla, we're going to find this man”

Ysilla sighed as Belandra and Ashara looked at her in surprise. Yandry dared a glance as well, though his was more curious than shocked as Belandra's or almost hostile as Ashara's. Alester glanced at her as well and there was concern in his eyes, before he looked at the two sellswords. “And you two haven't just been ordered to bring my children back to Godsgrace, am I correct?”, he growled.

Allar tensed up. “Mylord, I apologize for my role in this deception, we...”, he began, though Alester cut him off. “It matters not”, he spoke, which was Ysilla's sign to intervene. “Father, don't be mad at Theodan”, she urged him. “It has been my fault, really. I... kinda stumbled into this whole mess and I had no choice. Theodan only wants to protect me”

“We will talk about your involvement later”, Alester warned her sternly, his calm voice hiding an anger she had rarely seen in him. “But what matters is that you are not the heir to House Allyrion” He looked back at Theodan. “You don't have the same duties”, he mumbled. “Just as I thought you would understand, my son”

This was the final straw for Theodan. Placing both hands on the armrests of his chair, he almost pushed himself up. “Understand what?”, he asked and for a moment, Alester lost his cool. “That you have a duty to your family first and foremost!”, he growled. “That this house doesn't need your skill with the sword, but your leadership. This family needs you here, now, not running halfway across the world on some task worthy of an errand boy! You have been gone for so long...”

As soon as Alester had said that, Theodan fully rose from his chair. “Yeah, and who sent me away to begin with?”, he asked, before he shook his head. “We can continue this talk, but I doubt we'll reach an agreement. Fact is, I have sworn an oath to Princess Meria and believe it or not, I have every intention of going through with it” He sighed, as he looked at Ysilla, for once not just her big brother, but a man unlike she had ever seen him before. For a moment, he was, in a strange and almost ironic way, the decisive heir their father had always wanted him to be.

“You have learned nothing!”, Ashara finally spat in frustration and Theodan looked at her, half in anger and half in sorrow. “I have learned a lot, sister mine”, he spoke. “And I want you to live your life without being bothered by me. Guess that's too much to ask for though” He shook his head again, his gaze meeting Ysilla's and she noticed there were tears welling up in the corner of her eyes. “This has been a waste of time, little sis”, he mumbled weakly. “I'll be at my room. Have a lovely dinner” He shrugged, as he left, ignoring Belandra's plea for him to stop. “Don't get used to having me around. We'll leave in the morning”

With this, he approached the doors leading out of the hall, leaving his family and two very embarrassed sellswords behind. After a moment of silence, everyone staring at each other with the exception of Alester, who was staring after his son, Belandra stood up as well. “I'm sorry, Al”, she said and he gave her a nod, the hint of an understanding smile. “I have to go after him”

And so, she left as well, leaving Yandry to place both hands atop his head, trying his best to ignore Jen right in front of him. Ashara was glaring at the door Theodan left through. “Unbelievable”, she muttered. “Don't know what I expected though. Just returned and he's already gone again”

Ysilla frowned at this statement and her heart was torn. Theodan was in a bad state of mind right now and though his mother was going after him already, she felt like she should be there for him. This was her fault after all, her fault for not being able to keep out of someone else's business. At the same time, there was her father, keeping his cool, yet having grown pale, his leg shaking slightly. The moment she even just seemed to make a move to leave as well, he gave her a pleading look. “Stay...”, he merely whispered.

[Go after Theodan] [Remain in the Great Hall]

Javier Raviolli · May 2018

This part was just... damn. I mean, I expected it to be tense, but still it hit hard. When we learned that Alester had an announcement to make, I thought this could be one of the possible things he wished to discuss but was hoping this wouldn't be it. And would you look at that, his "bride-to-be" could be from House Wyl... did not expect that hehe. (Oh, and by the way, there's a couple of instances there that you wrote "Waylon" instead of "Wylis" when referring to Lord Wyl). Wonder if Theodan will have a chance to meet with Wendy, but I feel like after what we witnessed here the chances of this marriage actually happening are pretty null.

You had captured all the dynamics in the Allyrion family perfectly so far, but this was the part where it all clashed together and you did amazingly yet again, it was just like I thought it would be. I gotta say, I really like how you portrayed Theo's relationship with Nakarro here, you could see clearly how the man was an important figure for Theodan. The line where Theodan mentions that they could be an asset to his House is pretty interesting, wonder if Nakarro and his band will pop up in the story somewhere in Book 3. And did I get that right? Theo met Lucas during their time on Essos? That's fucking wicked if it is so! I mean, if I remember correctly Lucas did go to Essos before the events of Book 1, so it shouldn't be too surprising that they met each other while there. I'm actually grinning right now thinking about their past encounter, of course it was only for half a day and they were fighting for most of it, but seems like they made quite the impression on each other for Theodan to actually mention him here. It's damn sad that Lucas died and Theodan has no clue about it though, wonder if he'll ever find out about Lucas' fate.

“Prove to me that you are the man our house needs you to be”

Damn, this sentence. The Tywin and Jaime vibe here fits this scene, and in some aspects the relationship between Alester and Theodan, like a glove.

It was then, that Theodan's closed fist slammed down onto the table, hitting the silver plate and nearly knocking over his wine. Jenelyne was quick to grab the cup though and before putting it back down, she took a sheepish sip from it.

While this part here is also really tense, can I pause a little just to point out how cute Jen is? She really made me crack a smile here, and in a situation like this one, it was dearly needed. XD

“Don't get used to having me around. We'll leave in the morning”

Fuck, I don't know how many more hits to the feels I can take, I feel like I've been hit with Reaper's ult at least 4 times while reading this particular line.

[Go after Theodan] It's already bad enough that she chose to side with Alester last time around, I feel like she should really go after Theodan. After all, he's in this position again partly because of her in a way, it would be a cheap shot to "abandon" him now. They've always been together and they will stay together still for the journey to come, I know Theodan would never choose anyone over her in any situation and I'm just hoping she would to the same, starting here. Ysilla is the only one who'd be able to cheer up Theo in this situation, she knows him better than anyone else.

TheAPlegends · May 2018

[Remain in the Great Hall]

drdestroyer18 · May 2018

[Go after Theodan] This was a hard choice but I read Javier's comment and you know what it covinced me.
So don't mean to sound rude but how much longer do you think this chapter is going to be? Who still has parts left? Based on what you have said and what seems logical I know there is at least another Wilfred, Jenna, Raenna and Drent part but are there any storylines that are finished?
Just asking because I remember you saying you wanted to finish Chapter 4 by the end of this year and well it doesn't seem like thats going to happen at this point.
Edit: Also have we met the person you was going to be the POV for this storyline before you gave it to Ysilla yet?

LiquidChicagoTed · May 2018

This part was just... damn. I mean, I expected it to be tense, but still it hit hard. When we learned that Alester had an announcement to make, I thought this could be one of the possible things he wished to discuss but was hoping this wouldn't be it. And would you look at that, his "bride-to-be" could be from House Wyl... did not expect that hehe. (Oh, and by the way, there's a couple of instances there that you wrote "Waylon" instead of "Wylis" when referring to Lord Wyl). Wonder if Theodan will have a chance to meet with Wendy, but I feel like after what we witnessed here the chances of this marriage actually happening are pretty null.

Oh yes, this was always Alester's intention. He has thought about it for a long time, but ultimately, he saw this as pretty much an essential thing for Theodan to prove that he truly has changed. After all, being in his mid-forties in a world that can be pretty brutal (and where sixty is considered to be an advanced age), he is definitely already thinking about preparing his heir for taking over one day. As much as Ashara (and perhaps even Alester, in a way) would like it differently, Theodan is this heir and as such he has to be prepared. The best way for this is to find him a bride, to arrange a marriage as it is custom. He at least tried to please Theodan as well by finding him a bride whom he believes will be to his liking. Of course, Theodan being Theodan, the mere thought of having to settle for a bride not of his choosing is a no-go for him. But indeed, if things would go Alester's way, Theodan would marry into House Wyl and I can reveal, this detail was set in stone even before I learned of your plans, which made it all the greater for me Wendy is a pretty interesting character and while this meeting won't involve Theodan, we will see her first in Chapter 4. If they actually ever meet remains to be seen though. And yeah, I actually noticed it slightly afterwards, that I mixed up Wylis and Waylon, who is actually his firstborn son. There's just way too many alliterations in that family, but as long as I don't mix up Wendy and Walter, I should be good

You had captured all the dynamics in the Allyrion family perfectly so far, but this was the part where it all clashed together and you did amazingly yet again, it was just like I thought it would be. I gotta say, I really like how you portrayed Theo's relationship with Nakarro here, you could see clearly how the man was an important figure for Theodan. The line where Theodan mentions that they could be an asset to his House is pretty interesting, wonder if Nakarro and his band will pop up in the story somewhere in Book 3. And did I get that right? Theo met Lucas during their time on Essos? That's fucking wicked if it is so! I mean, if I remember correctly Lucas did go to Essos before the events of Book 1, so it shouldn't be too surprising that they met each other while there. I'm actually grinning right now thinking about their past encounter, of course it was only for half a day and they were fighting for most of it, but seems like they made quite the impression on each other for Theodan to actually mention him here. It's damn sad that Lucas died and Theodan has no clue about it though, wonder if he'll ever find out about Lucas' fate.

Ah, I am glad to hear this. The Allyrion family reunion was pretty much a powder keg, waiting to explode, mostly due to the fact that they still have massive unresolved issues and five years of exile for Theodan have not made these better in any way. In fact, I'd say that being unable to speak about her frustration to her brother has made Ashara in particular quite bitter, whereas Theodan certainly is anything but pleased about the fact that he was exiled to begin with. I really wanted to point out his relationship with Nakarro though and I can say, this definitely won't be the last time he is brought up. After all, these five years in Essos were basically the most defining years in Theodan's life and Nakarro was the most important person during these years, so he had a massive influence on his development. I can also say, you did get that right, Theodan and Lucas met during their time in the Free Cities. Since they were both in the same area during the same timeframe and serving a similarly sized sellsword group, I found it to be likely that they have met at some point. It isn't exactly a deep friendship, but they have left a bit of an impression on each other. After all, it isn't all too often that two highborn knights meet in the Free Cities, so it is a meeting Theodan will keep in mind for quite a while. While Lucas' fate is not common knowledge in Dorne (as seen by Ashara not even knowing his name despite Lord Leo Vyrwel's death being well-known at this point), keep in mind that Theodan and Ysilla are bound for the Reach, where details of Lucas and his death are far more well-known.

Damn, this sentence. The Tywin and Jaime vibe here fits this scene, and in some aspects the relationship between Alester and Theodan, like a glove.

I actually had to rewatch the scene to make sure that this isn't what Tywin actually said, because while I wanted to get similar vibes, I didn't want to outright copy it But yeah, while the Allyrion family dynamics are thoroughly different from the really messed up ones between the Lannisters, there are certainly some aspects in which Alester and Theodan mirror Tywin and Jaime in the way they interact.

While this part here is also really tense, can I pause a little just to point out how cute Jen is? She really made me crack a smile here, and in a situation like this one, it was dearly needed. XD

Hehe, that was what I was going for with her. She can be a relief to write about, the slight bit of light-heartedness in an otherwise really serious scene and I thought it would indeed be needed here. She's way out of her comfort zone here in Godsgrace and really not sure how to react in most situations, but she's always one to do something to lighten the mood. I'd say in any other family reunion, Ysilla wouldn't have acted too differently, but she is obviously way more on the edge with people she loves pretty much fighting each other right before her eyes.

Fuck, I don't know how many more hits to the feels I can take, I feel like I've been hit with Reaper's ult at least 4 times while reading this particular line.

Reaper, huh? Could have been worse, could have been Genji But yeah, I did expect this line to hit particularly hard. Theodan is angry right now, he really had to vent somehow and as such, he said something that might have been a bit too harsh right there.

LiquidChicagoTed · May 2018

So don't mean to sound rude but how much longer do you think this chapter is going to be? Who still has parts left? Based on what you have said and what seems logical I know there is at least another Wilfred, Jenna, Raenna and Drent part but are there any storylines that are finished?
Just asking because I remember you saying you wanted to finish Chapter 4 by the end of this year and well it doesn't seem like thats going to happen at this point.

Yeah, this is something I think I have to admit to at this point and I am happy you brought it up here. It is indeed unlikely that I will reach the end of Chapter 4 by the end of this year. I know this is particularly disappointing for those who have hoped to see their characters in Chapter 5, but I hope to at least start with Chapter 4 by the end of 2018. The reason for this chapter taking so much longer than I thought is mostly due to ongoing real life issues that have troubled me for the past months. My writing pace is a bit slower than usual as a result and what usually took me three days now takes me four, something I hope to improve again as these issues slowly get better. If not for that, I'd say we'd be finished with the chapter by now. As it is, most storylines will have one or two parts left, with the sole exception of Willfred, who will have at least three parts still coming, though many of the upcoming parts will hold two PoV's. In total, I'd say we are about two thirds done with the chapter and I hope that the rest won't take me too long, especially if I try my best to place two PoV's in one part. Mid-July is what I am currently aiming for. Chapter 3 should be notably better paced and overall shorter, so that at least reaching Chapter 4 by the end of this year is a realistic guess. It means I won't be able to end the year with a bang though, as the Chapter 4 finale will be massive. But well, means more to look forward for in 2019, so it's not all negative, I hope

Edit: Also have we met the person you was going to be the POV for this storyline before you gave it to Ysilla yet?

Totally did not see this edit, so I'll edit my reply to reply to your edit The answer is yes, we have seen the character and I'll reveal it right now. My original PoV for this storyline was, in fact, Jenelyne. Her storyline was a relic from the early days of the story, where I made some plans that eventually did not quite work as the story actually reached them. And in fact, I ended up having some trouble coming up with stuff for her in some parts. The Allyrion family hasn't been submitted back then and much of Dorne was still pretty blank. I knew some highlights I wanted her storyline to have, but the moment Ysilla got submitted, I realized I could give her the same highlights without effort. On top of that, Ysilla has some aspects to her character that I really want to explore from her own PoV, as well as offering me some possibilities that Jenelyne's PoV simply wouldn't have held. So, ultimately I think it is for the better that I have switched the PoV's here, especially as Jen will nonetheless be an important character in Ysilla's storyline. She's just one where I ultimately feel like she'll work better as a supporting character than a PoV in her own storyline.

GMSforresthood · May 2018

[Go after Theodan]

DiverseGnu · May 2018

[Remain in the Great Hall]

Theodan's such a child. I didn't like Ashara initially, but after this part I sympathize a great deal with her, and the rest of the family too. The Allyrions will be better off if they just disinherit Theodan altogether, and make Ashara the heir of the house.

Edinosaur23 · May 2018

[Remain in the Great Hall] Is not about siding with whom, but perhaps staying can help Theodan in the long-run by leaving with Alester on better terms. A lot of frustrations and bottled up resentment blew up here. Very wise for Allar and Yandry to not say anything.

I'm not surprised most houses decided to stay away from the feud between Allyrion and Vaith, since they control important routes to cross Dorne by land.

InGen_Nate_Kenny · May 2018

[Go after Theodan] What fun! Brother, where art thou?

As it turned out, the first course consisted of boiled vegetables, carrots and tomatoes, together with freshly baked bread, the smell of which caused Ysilla's stomach to growl loudly. She gave her father a sweet smile as he raised an eyebrow. “She ate my lemoncake”, she spoke and Jenelyne shook her head. “Nuh uh, I did not!”, she protested, to which Ysilla nodded decisively. “Yeah you did”, she replied, though she gave her a wink.

Hehehe I love Jenelyne.

“Brother, more like”, Ashara corrected him. “Leo Vyrwel died six months ago and his eldest son has assumed lordship in his stead” Her smirk was cutting and calculated. “Though I suppose someone's bastard brother won't be of much help to our house right now” She looked at Alester and he nodded, followed by a barely notable sigh, which on its own was enough to cause Ysilla to tense up.

Especially when he is DEAD.

I love the drama! The anger! The hate! Delicious!

WildlingKing · May 2018

Well, that was some proper family drama, an aspect I've always enjoyed very much in aSoIaF and GoT I have to say I kind of side more with Theodan here, even if I do understand Ashara's and Alester's perspective as well. Anyhow, this was a very enjoyable and well written part!

[Remain in the Great Hall] While I side with Theodan in the argument, I do think it would be better for Ysilla to stay and have a conversation with her father and sister. Belandra already went after Theodan, and perhaps Ysilla could convince Alester that this mission is indeed an important one.

LiquidChicagoTed · May 2018

That would certainly be the more pragmatic approach. Theodan has his qualities, but it is no secret that he isn't particularly skilled at the day-to-day business a good lord simply must have. Ashara meanwhile would be the better choice from a logical standpoint and she definitely knows it and has mentioned this before. The only thing that keeps Theodan as the heir even after being banished to Essos for five years is the fact that Alester loves him and doesn't want to humiliate him in such a way. While he has his shortcomings, Alester does care for all of his children and this prevents him from seeing things in a truly rational way here, with him still holding out on the hope that Theodan will change and one day become a capable Lord of Godsgrace. And while he is certainly disappointed that Theodan intends to leave his family again, the fact that it happens not to fulfil his own selfish desires, but to protect his little sister and his homeland is already a step into the right direction, so while still rather unlikely, it isn't even entirely a fool's hope.

LiquidChicagoTed · May 2018

Very wise for Allar and Yandry to not say anything.

Yeah, I'd say they are the most calm and level-headed people on the table. In Allar's case, it was actual wisdom, to remain quiet while the high lords speak. Such an approach is always beneficial for people like him, on top of him being generally a more quiet guy. Yandry meanwhile is quite a shy guy and he doesn't really like conflict, so he felt at ease with simply saying nothing, even if he might be able to contribute something to the discussion.

I'm not surprised most houses decided to stay away from the feud between Allyrion and Vaith, since they control important routes to cross Dorne by land.

That is true, neither is a house one wants to anger. At the same time, many houses actually do sympathize with House Vaith in this. After all, Vaemon Vaith is the one who has been affected by Theodan's actions the most and his harsh refusal to have any sort of contact with House Allyrion or their closest allies is the only thing that keeps him from being a laughingstock to the nobility of Dorne. The Allyrion's meanwhile hesitate to take equal measures, mostly because Alester knows that Theodan is at fault and he wishes to reconcile with House Vaith. With Vaemon's current staunch refusal to do so, this means House Allyrion loses by default, because the way it is, most houses in Dorne have to fear little in terms of consequence when joining House Vaith's agenda of ignoring House Allyrion, but if they actively side against this, they risk burning bridges with the Vaith's.

LiquidChicagoTed · May 2018

Hehehe I love Jenelyne.

Ah, I am glad to see she is well-received. While I have a blast writing light-hearted characters, it admittedly can be a bit of a hit-or-miss situation, with them being either endearing and well-liked or easily a bit too much. Perhaps the whole storyline does its best to support her here and it makes me think I really did the right decision by removing her from the PoV status in favour of giving her an important role in Ysilla's storyline. Means she'll get no less opportunities to shine, but certainly different.

Especially when he is DEAD.

Yeah, I can see that being a bit of a problem when hoping for his support. Also, the whole stuff about his brother being the one to kill him and likely not being too fond of any old friends of Lucas, that might be an issue as well.

I love the drama! The anger! The hate! Delicious!

The Allyrion family in a nutshell. There is definitely more messed up families in the story, both introduced and unintroduced, but it is safe to say that there are some major issues in this family and I can absolutely promise, these themes will continue to be featured whenever the members of House Allyrion interact with each other, probably with the exception of Theodan and Ysilla, who get along wholeheartedly positive.

LiquidChicagoTed · May 2018

Well, that was some proper family drama, an aspect I've always enjoyed very much in aSoIaF and GoT I have to say I kind of side more with Theodan here, even if I do understand Ashara's and Alester's perspective as well. Anyhow, this was a very enjoyable and well written part!

Ah, this is something I am particularly glad to hear. It seems there's a number of readers who rather sides with Ashara, so it is nice to hear that not all have the same opinion in this situation. Kinda means I succeeded at presenting a situation in which both sides can be supported, depending on personal preferences. Of course, I don't have a preference and even though I know which character will end up as the heir to House Allyrion in the end, I kinda find myself imagening a What If scenario, where things are different. Anyways, glad to hear that Theodan receives support as well, while keeping Ashara's perspective just as understandable

InKennyWeTrust · June 2018

[Remain in the Great Hall]

Theodan and Lucas fought together?! Holy hell, that's awesome! But I assume he knows nothing of Flower's fate... Pretty sad. The whole situation is sad to me. I've dealt a lot of times with family drama, it's not exactly a thing that brings pleasure. The worst is that you can understand both points of view, albeit Ashara comes annoying and arrogant from time to time.

LiquidChicagoTed · June 2018

Theodan and Lucas fought together?! Holy hell, that's awesome! But I assume he knows nothing of Flower's fate... Pretty sad.

Aye, it was during Lucas' time with the Gutters. I can confirm that John and Nakarro have met each other several times and they have worked together before, when one group alone would not be enough. During one of these meetings, Lucas and Theodan met as well, they fought together and spent the time after the fight getting absolutely drunken. It isn't exactly what I'd call a close friendship, but had they met during the story proper, they would have recognized each other and would have gotten along very well. It is unfortunate that this is not in the realms of possible.

The whole situation is sad to me. I've dealt a lot of times with family drama, it's not exactly a thing that brings pleasure. The worst is that you can understand both points of view, albeit Ashara comes annoying and arrogant from time to time.

That is what I was going for. The Allyrion family has a lot of issues going on, not even all revolving around Theodan and none of them are pleasant. At the same time, I hope to show each of the family members as a character who can be understood. Theodan is reckless and irresponsible, but well-meaning and loyal. Ashara is capable and ambitious, but unfortunately she knows it and this causes her to come off as quite arrogant. I absolutely hope that both can be understood and sympathized with, for a given value, as the story progresses, because even if Theodan and Ysilla are going to leave Godsgrace pretty soon, these issues will be an ongoing and important theme with the Allyrion characters.

imighthavebrokenit · June 2018

[Go after Theodan]

knowyourenemy · June 2018

[Go after Theodan]

LiquidChicagoTed · June 2018

The Voting is closed!

Ysilla is going to go after Theodan

While not everyone had a chance to vote, this has still been a fairly active voting and perhaps more importantly, it has also been a fairly active couple of days for me in terms of writing. As such, I shall close the voting right now! So, this choice was not without importance. By going after Theodan, Ysilla will support him, strengthening their bond. And yes, you might think they have a strong bond, but they still have been apart for five years, so him knowing that she's still there for him in such dark times will mean a lot. On the downside, it means that Alester, Ashara, Yandry and the sellsword siblings will receive less screentime this chapter, in favour of Theodan and Belandra. Considering that the latter could use some more time to make an impression, that is probably not much of a bad thing.

The next part is going to be out today, which means I am back in my usual schedule without delay. Mid-July chapter finale, here we come I even considered releasing it yesterday, but that turned out to be a tiny bit too ambitious. Nonetheless, I have made good progress. There is a Jenna part in the making, mostly because it has to happen before we are able to properly revisit Willfred's storyline. I currently also consider adding another PoV, which, I presume, will go to Ilish. So, Jenna's last part hasn't been too long ago, so the recap will be short. She went with Vali, Vali annoyed her by basically tricking her into helping her with relocating Willfred's stuff to a free room next to Maester Eddard's quarters, in order to give his room to Donnel Selwyn's eldest son Dustran, whom Petyr wishes to keep close to the rest of the Selwyn family. While going through Willfred's stuff, Jenna found the Doomy Doombox of Doom and, strangely tempted, decided to outright open it. Meanwhile, as close as Jenna's part has been, Ilish's has been months ago. So, in her storyline, she reencountered Lawsen, her old friend who saved her life in Book 1. This time, Lawsen needed her help, as he revealed he was hiding from a man named Wildor Goodbrook, a Night's Watch recruiter. Ilish helped him escape by distracting Wildor, who revealed that Lawsen is indeed a Night's Watch deserter. He was pretty straightforward in suspecting Ilish of knowing more about Lawsen and he ended up asking her to help him. Ilish however decided to openly side with her friend here and she ended up openly refusing his offer.

LiquidChicagoTed · June 2018

Jenna

It was simply too tempting and Jenna found herself weirdly drawn to this box. Though a bad feeling remained in her stomach as she just looked at the object, she reached out for it nonetheless, her heart beating faster the closer she came. Then, her fingers touched the ancient wood and tried to pry it open, almost driven by a hunger. Behind her, Vali said something, but Jenna didn't hear, she didn't even listen. It was in this moment that the world turned black.

Jenna barely felt someone catching her before she hit the ground, she barely heard the voice calling out for her name, but what she did hear was whispering, all around her, in a strange tongue, a cacophony of different voices. She did not understand a word, yet she understood the tone, one of coldness and malice.

For a second, it was all gone. She was no longer in Willfred Reyne's room in the castle of Raylansfair in the Kingdom of the Reach, but somewhere else entirely. A myriad of shadows, black and grey, whirled around her and in their midst, yellow dots, always in pairs, visible just long enough to realize they were eyes. They saw her. And they disapproved. For just a second, Jenna felt naked under the chilling glare of a god.

The first thing beyond the whispering was her own screaming, slowly growing louder as her senses returned. Her sight, blurry at first, revealed that she was lying on the ground, Vali kneeling over her, visible concern on his face. “Jenna!”, he called out for her and her screams slowly died down.

Still breathing heavily, she blinked, staring from Vali to the box, still standing on the table. “I...”, she stuttered. “What...” With wide eyes, she focussed on Vali now, as tears began to well up in her eyes. He tilted his head and his voice sounded unusually serious. “What happened?”, he asked softly, as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

Jenna tensed up under his touch. “I...”, she stuttered once more. “This... thing” She pointed at the box. “Get it away from me!” On all fours, she crawled back, just putting space between her and the table, until she had reached the wall. Sinking against it, she began to sob.

His concern slowly joined by utter confusion, Vali glanced at the box and raised an eyebrow. “What... that thing?”, he asked. “Jenna, you've been screaming as if someone was flaying you alive. Nah, worse. What happened?” He shook his head. “Can't turn my back on you for a second, eh?”

Sobbing, Jenna buried her head in her shaking hands. “You don't understand”, she hissed. “I touched it and then...” She paused, realizing how ridiculous it must sound to Vali, how much worse it'd be if she'd tell him what happened. And the last thing she needed right now was him making fun of her, even more than he already did. “Just get it away from me”, she mumbled. “And whatever you do, don't try to open it. Don't even touch it”

To her surprise, Vali did not smirk, nor just shrug her concerns off. “You're right, I don't understand”, he admitted. “But it looked, it sounded as if you're in pain” And then, he reached out for the box. Though she instantly yelled out for him, she was too late and Vali's hand touched the wood.

A moment passed. Then another. And then, Vali removed his hand from the box, slightly shaking his head. “Jenna...”, he said sternly. “Nothing happened. Absolutely nothing” As if to prove it, he grabbed the box once again, this time shaking it slightly. “What did you think would happen?”

Jenna opened her mouth, then closing it again. “I... it's hard to explain”, she admitted. “Everything was dark and...” She sighed. “Just get that thing away from me. It's evil” This time, Vali suspiciously glanced at the box, before he shook his head. “I suppose this is my fault”, he admitted. “You just lost your father. You shouldn't be working at all and yet me being a genius, I dragged you right into this, all to have a talk we could have easily had anywhere else” He sighed, before giving her a smile. “I am sorry, alright. You know what, we should just forget about this. Take the day off, I'll deal with the rest”

Just as he reached down to help her up, the door got pushed open and two men stormed in, causing Vali to jump back as Jenna looked at them in fear. Both men were around forty years of age, with one of them clad in fine linen and wearing a blue cloak, while the other wore heavy armour. The man in linen was an imposing figure, brown-eyed and with short, dark hair. His companion was similarly tall, but a bit leaner. Though probably roughly around the same age, his brown hair showed early signs of grey and the fine wrinkles on his face made it hard to guess just how old he was. Unlike his companion, who had a confident smile on his face, he looked around sternly, his sharp eyes narrowing the moment he spotted Vali, who in return gulped audibly. There was something almost hawkish about this man as he gazed around.

“We heard screaming”, the finely dressed man said, his voice deep, confident and warm. Quickly, he looked at Jenna, who held her breath as he smiled down at her. “Girl, is everything alright?” His companion continued to glare at Vali, clenching his fists and though still shaken and on the verge of tears, Jenna was quick to speak up, to defuse the situation.

“I'm alright!”, she claimed, her voice cracking, which caused the man above her to frown. “Doesn't look that way though”, he brought up, as he reached down. After a moment of hesitation, she grabbed his outstretched hand and he effortlessly pulled her up. Glancing over his shoulder, he made sure to position himself between her and Vali. “If he did anything to you, you have my word that we shall protect you, mylady”, he promised and Vali quickly grew pale, subtly shaking his head behind the man.

Jenna repeated the gesture. “He didn't”, she spoke. “I was... just scared, by...” She paused, looking at the box, sitting there so innocently. “Something” The man raised an eyebrow. “Something”, he replied. “Well, can we help you with this, Lady....”

“Jenna”, Jenna introduced herself quickly and as Lady Halla had taught her harshly and over the course of years, she did a curtsy, probably more clumsy than elegant. “I'm Jenna Harking, m'lord. I work in the castle” She pointed at the boy. “And this is...”

“Vali”, the armoured man growled, his voice lacking the warmth of his companion, instead it was loud and precise, almost shouting and a slight bit jarring. “What are you doing here?” Once more, Vali gulped audibly. “Dunaver”, he mumbled, nodding at him.

“Ser, this here is Vali Flowers”, the knight, Dunaver, revealed and Jenna's eyes widened as she recognized the name. This was the one whom Vali sought to win as an ally, the knight in service of House Selwyn, the member of the Order of the Green Hand. “I know him from my time in Highgarden, from the Order” He was straightforward with this knowledge, obviously discomforting Vali a bit.

The other man, still smiling in a friendly way, tilted his head. “You do not look like a knight, boy”, he spoke and Vali exchanged a deep glance with Dunaver, after which he shook his head. “Not that part of the Order”, he admitted, before his confidence returned. “You got me there though. Can't say I know you”

“The name is Dustran Selwyn”, the man finally introduced himself, putting a hand on his chest and bowing slightly, in front of Jenna and not Vali. “Firstborn son of Lord Donnel Selwyn and heir to Selwyn Tower” Gallantly, he grabbed Jenna's hand and blew a kiss onto its back, causing her to blush despite the shock that still sat deep within her.

“Ah, an honour”, Vali remarked acidly. “And thoroughly unexpected. We were just about to remove some belongings from this room, for it shall be granted to you” Dustran gave him a nod, slightly less friendly than the courteous expression he had towards Jenna, yet nonetheless unfailingly polite. “I thought the room was empty already”, he remarked. “There's some good men waiting in the courtyard, to bring my belongings in here. Who lived here until now?”

By now, Jenna had pulled herself together. Whatever she had seen when she touched the box, whatever she thought she had seen, she had no time to dwell on it. “Ser Willfred Reyne”, she informed him. “We're relocating him closer to the maester's quarters, to give this floor to your family, m'lord”

Dustran seemed pleased by this. “Well, I owe him my gratitude then”, he remarked. “And to you as well, for the work you're doing here” Behind him, Dunaver walked through the room, suspiciously eyeing Vali, before stopping in front of the table.

“Don't!”, Jenna warned him as he reached out for the box in apparent curiosity. Pulling himself together, Dunaver glanced at her and though his dark eyes remained hawkish, he actually managed to smile at her, revealing only his slightly yellowish upper teeth. “Do not worry, mylady”, he assured her. “I will not break anything”

“Ah, she's a bit odd about that box, Dunaver”, Vali said in a jovial tone, though his smile actually faded as Dunaver glared at him. “It's still 'Ser' to you, boy!”, he snarled. “Actually, what in the name of all things holy are you doing here? Shouldn't you be wasting everyone's time in Oldtown?” He narrowed his eyes, his smile fading as quick as it came. “What are you playing here, Saltmouth?”

Vali gulped, looking at Dustran, with what was supposed to be a meaningful glance. In response, Dustran merely crossed his arms, while Dunaver sighed. “If you mean to imply this knowledge is not meant for my master's ear, just spit it out”, he barked. “I know you got your secrets, but not before me, you understand?”

As Vali nodded, almost intimidated by the loud, commanding voice, Dunaver looked at Jenna. “And you”, he said and she tensed up. In a way, his voice almost reminded her of Lady Halla, albeit there was less cruelty in it. “You know what he is?”

Slightly, she nodded and Dunaver sighed. “I know him better”, he stated. “He'll make a big secret out of anything. Do you agree that this should be kept between us? If not, I would like to have this talk in the presence of Ser Dustran” He nodded at the knight and Dustran smiled thinly. “I won't interfere in your business”, he assured them. “If this is not meant for my ears, just tell me and I shall leave. Otherwise, I'd prefer to stay, if only to satisfy my own curiosity” He looked at Jenna. “Well, Jenna, apparently Dunaver wishes to hear your opinion on the matter at hand”

[Request to talk to Dunaver in private] [Talk in the presence of Dustran]

Ilish

With a smile as wide as it was sharp, Ilish shook her head, almost in an instant. “Fine, I do know more”, she admitted. “But if you think I'd tell you, you're sorely mistaken. Lawsen is my friend. He saved my life and no matter what he did, I will not sell him out” She leant back with confidence, knowing that the man would not dare to start trouble right here. At least she hoped he was smart enough. If he would do as much as just look at her the wrong way, there were half a dozen drunkards who owed her a favour in the taproom right now. Sometimes, being in charge of the ale had its benefits.

Wildor's expression did not change much. There was something in his eyes that seemed to grow more disappointed, but overall, he remarkably kept his cool. “It is as I thought”, he admitted. “I had a hunch you'd know more about the boy. I heard you know a great many people around. No doubt you're popular, wench”

“Wildly so”, she admitted. “Don't get me wrong, I don't want bad blood between us. But I will not sell my friend out, if that is what you intend” Wildor sighed. “Figured it was worth a try”, he admitted. “You're not making my job any easier with this, you know?”

She shrugged. “Do I look like I care?”, she asked and he smirked. “You look like you're enjoying this”, he spoke. “Rubbing it in my face. You could have just told me you don't know the boy. But you just had to dangle it in front of my face”

“What are you going to do about it?”, Ilish asked and Wildor shook his head. “If you hope to provoke me, that won't work, girl”, he growled. “I've served years with the Watch. If you think your shit even bothers me, you're mistaken” He leant forwards. “But have you ever asked yourself if this little shit Lawsen is worth your protection?”

Instantly, Ilish nodded. “He is”, she assured him and Wildor raised a thick eyebrow. “What has he done to earn such loyalty?”, he asked. “Asking out of curiosity here. If you don't help me, at least grant me this much” This time, Ilish sighed. Perhaps it couldn't hurt to tell him at least this much. And maybe it'd get him more talkative as well. After all, the burning question in her mind was, what had her friend done to deserve the Wall in the first place? Growing up in the North, she knew the stories, an army of convicted killers and disgraced noblemen and Lawsen certainly wasn't the latter.

“He saved my life”, she replied and Wildor seemed genuinely surprised. “First time I hear this deserter cares for anyone but himself”, he admitted. “Lawsen wasn't exactly popular up north. Made no friends with his brothers, a loner, just unassuming enough to not be a target. Actually, not much of a surprise he deserted, in the rather chaotic aftermath of Estermont's disappearance beyond the Wall. Never been the loyal type”

“And yet he came to save my life, at the risk of his own”, Ilish explained. “Nearly gotten himself killed” Wildor mustered her carefully. “Suppose you're pretty enough to turn a head or two”, he admitted. “But I've seen better in most towns between here and Winterfell. Not a beauty I'd risk my life for”

Playfully, Ilish placed a hand on her chest. “Ouch”, she said. “How cutting, Ser” She shot him a sharp smile. “But it's not like that... I think. He came to my help because he saw I was in danger, simple as that. He came because that is simply how he truly is”

Wildow laughed, a cold, loud tone that caused more attention than he was probably comfortable with, as several people glanced at him. “Maybe you don't know my man after all”, he spoke. “The Lawsen I know is a coward. Shady and shifty and always on the run. Saving people, that's not like him. If he doesn't have feelings for you, there's some other motive, but trust me, it wasn't selfless”

“Doesn't matter”, Ilish stated firmly. “He saved my life, the least I can do is to save his” With these words, she rose from the table. “And now, I suppose this conversation is over. I wish you good fortune in your future work, just not when it comes to Lawsen” She smiled kindly. “I'll make up for it. For the rest of the evening, you drink free”

This almost put a smile onto Wildor's face. “I don't like you, girl”, he admitted. “But I like your attitude” He gave her a nod. “We're done then. I'll find that boy one day, with or without your help” Exchanging one last look, Ilish moved away from the table, quickly approaching the counter. Megur still stood there, a sour look on her face and Daisy caught up with her just as she reached her destination.

“You've been talking to the Night's Watchman”, Megur remarked, sounding slightly less bored than usual, something almost mischievous in her gaze. “Is he rich? They must pay these poor bastards a fortune to keep them up there” Ilish swiftly shook her head. “No money to get from him”, she admitted, to Megur's visible disappointment. “In fact, he'll drink free for the evening”

Megur raised an eyebrow. “Does he now?”, she asked sharply. “Ilish, this is not your call to make” She puffed her already ample cheeks, reminding Ilish of nothing more than the fat, round-faced fish the men pulled from the sea sometimes. Paired with her soured expression, it was a notable contrast to the lithe, beautiful Daisy, who looked notably more understanding.

“It's important”, Ilish assured her, lowering her tone even though the noise from the taproom was already drowning it out a bit. “Whatever it is, he is not paying” Daisy raised an eyebrow. “You're keeping him distracted, huh?”, she asked and Ilish nodded. “What do you know about it?”, she asked.

“Not much”, Daisy admitted. “But earlier today, he questioned Ed and Torold. He's looking for Lawsen, huh?” As soon as she said this name, Ilish wished she hadn't, as Megur narrowed her eyes. “Lawsen?”, she hissed. “That boy's trouble. What has he done this time?”

Exchanging an alarmed look with Daisy, Ilish shook her head. “Nothing of importance”, she lied through her teeth. “Listen, just play along, alright? Do it and I owe you” Megur rolled her eyes. “Free ale because Ilish Granver asks for it”, she mumbled. “Fine, but you owe me a great deal. Make no mistake, I'll collect” Ilish shot her a smile and Daisy placed a hand on her back. “And I'll keep him supplied”, she promised. “He won't have an empty mug today”

“You know, if it is your goal to distract him, why don't you ask Daisy to unbutton her blouse a bit more?”, Megur hissed and Daisy frowned. Unwilling to deal with their bickering for the time being, Ilish was quick to place a hand on the latter's upper arm, giving her a reassuring smile. “Thank you”, she said softly. “I gotta go now”

She had made her way halfway past Megur, when the heavyset woman shifted a bit, managing to grab her, quite harshly so. “Where do you think you're going?”, she hissed and Ilish sighed. “I'll have to catch up to Lawsen”, she explained. “With a bit of luck, he's not out of the city yet. And when I have him, he's got some explaining to do”

“No doubt he has”, Megur pressed through her teeth. “But your shift isn't over yet. Free ale for the Watchman is one thing, but you leaving early? Mother might allow it, but mother is resting upstairs and as long as she isn't ready to be back, I'm in charge”

Ilish sighed. “Listen, Megur...”, she mumbled, but Daisy came to her aid. “I'll take over”, she promised, giving her cousin a deep, stern and slightly fierce look. “I can do her part of the shift as well. Will stay longer as well, of course”

After what seemed like forever, Megur finally nodded and Ilish felt relief flashing through her. She smiled towards Daisy. “Thank you”, she said and she meant it, as Megur let go of her. The woman chuckled sweetly, tucking a loose strand of red hair behind her ear. “Oh, now you owe me too”, she chirped, giving her a wink, as Ilish moved past Megur, behind the counter and into the storage room.

The moment she had left the hot taproom behind, she took a moment to collect herself. Lawsen, a deserter. Suddenly, at least his rudimentary skill with the blade made a lot more sense, how he was able to at least somewhat hold his own against Kreep. The rest of it though, it left her more confused than ever before. What Goodbrook had told her, she would not lie to herself by pretending it did not concern her. And it was true, why would a deserter save her? If Goodbrook had told her the truth, was there an ulterior motive behind this?

Pulling herself together with a frustrated groan, Ilish narrowed her eyes, as she marched through the storage room, quickly approaching the back door that would lead her out of the tavern and into a backalley. Her concerns could wait. First and foremost was that she'd catch up to Lawsen. Afterwards, he would answer her.

Stepping out into the cold street, it did not take her long until her eyes had adjusted to the darkness that was already creeping over the city. The days were getting shorter, but Ilish had northern blood in her veins. She was a child of winter, used to the long darkness.

That left her solely with the question of where she would go now. Lawsen would leave the city, surely, but how would he do this? Leaning against the wall next to the tavern, Ilish took a moment to think about it. There were three ways he could take from here, though she quickly ruled out the eastern gate. Still damaged from the raid, it was the more heavily guarded of the two, the land behind it flat farmland, not offering much in terms of cover. Anyone travelling on the eastern road would be visible for miles and the night was not dark enough to completely hide him.

Maybe the docks? It would be a daring option, but ever since Lord Vyrwel had taken over, trade had returned to the city. Aboard a ship, it would be pretty much impossible to track Lawsen down. Yet maybe he'd play it safer, as she had to admit trying to join a crew had its risks. The southern gate was a more realistic alternative to the western one, leading to the jagged landscape around the ruin that was the former lighthouse. Plenty of opportunity to hide and the road would lead directly to Oldtown. No doubt that was his ultimate destination, though as Ilish stepped on the central square, looking south down the street that'd lead to the gate and west down the street that'd lead to the docks, she wasn't sure which way her friend would take to escape.

[Go to the docks] [Go to the southern gate]

Edinosaur23 · June 2018

[Request to talk to Dunaver in private] We still don't know if House Selwyn is truly reliable, so they should talk in private, even if it arouses some questions.
The eyes, a Thousand eyes and one perhaps.

[Go to the southern gate] If it's the most likely option, then we should start there. I'm surprised Megur didn't knew Night Watchmen are barely paid, only given their basic needs to survive the harshness of the Wall.

WildlingKing · June 2018

Well, opening the box seemed to have less severe repercussions for Jenna than I feared, at least for now. I do wonder if what she saw has some significance beyond being a creepy experience for her. Yellow eyes in the shadows... Children of the Forest, perhaps? They seem to be disapproving Jenna for some reason, which is interesting.

[Request to talk to Dunaver in private] Well, since Dustran seems to be good sport about it anyway, better have this talk in private.

Oh man, I'm not sure if it was smart to tell Wildor that Ilish knows Lawsen. He remained calm and polite towards Ilish for now, but he doesn't seem like someone who'd give up on his duty, which could mean more trouble for her. Anyway, the choice...

[Go to the docks] I'm honestly not that concerned about whether Ilish actually finds Lawsen or not, especially since Wildor might well be following her. However, I think the docks would be the more interesting option, even if Lawsen isn't there.

drdestroyer18 · June 2018

[Request to talk to Dunaver in private]
[Go to the southern gate]

LiquidChicagoTed · June 2018

The eyes, a Thousand eyes and one perhaps.

Perhaps indeed. While I will, of course, keep quiet about the true nature of whatever it is Jenna has seen here, I can say that this is certainly in the realms of possible. All I can say for now is, I have a very definite answer and it will be revealed in the story proper as more about this mysterious artifact will be revealed.

I'm surprised Megur didn't knew Night Watchmen are barely paid, only given their basic needs to survive the harshness of the Wall.

Well, this is mostly due to the fact that Megur really isn't all that well educated, nor particularly smart. She has spent her entire life in Raylansfair, so she can barely imagine the Wall and the very idea of how sparsely populated the North is seems inconceivable to her, given that the Reach has a really high population density in comparison. So, with her very limited view on the Night's Watch, she believes there has to be a reason why desertion is a relatively rare event. It does not occur to her how harshly Night's Watch deserters are hunted down, so she believes that there has to be some kind of a benefit to staying there. Ilish, who hails from the North, certainly knows better, but she is not in the mood to correct Megur here.

LiquidChicagoTed · June 2018

Well, opening the box seemed to have less severe repercussions for Jenna than I feared, at least for now. I do wonder if what she saw has some significance beyond being a creepy experience for her. Yellow eyes in the shadows... Children of the Forest, perhaps? They seem to be disapproving Jenna for some reason, which is interesting.

Hm, keep in mind, she didn't even open the box. She tried to, but the moment she touched the wood, she had this experience. Meanwhile, Vali, who had no intention of opening it, was able to touch it without any obvious repercussions. The Children of the Forest are definitely a possiblity as well and it would fit with the contents of Willfred's nightmare. That being said, there might be a more complex reason why this presence disapproved of Jenna and her actions. Her parts to come will definitely show if there are more repercussions to be feared.

Oh man, I'm not sure if it was smart to tell Wildor that Ilish knows Lawsen. He remained calm and polite towards Ilish for now, but he doesn't seem like someone who'd give up on his duty, which could mean more trouble for her. Anyway, the choice...

Aye, Wildor has hunted Lawsen for months now, travelling all the way from the Wall to Raylansfair, so one barmaid giving him some attitude won't exactly stop him. With this choice, Ilish made a very determined stand in favour of Lawsen and Wildor will definitely remember it, for the better or the worse. For the time being, he remained calm, but that is mostly because he did not want to start a fight inside the tavern, where Ilish is surrounded by people who appreciate her and who are drunken enough to lose most restraints.

drdestroyer18 · June 2018

Hey I just thought of somthing so I'm leaving this second comment.
Back in chapter 5 in Book 1, Lawsen could have been killed so what would you be doing for these Ilish parts if that had happened?

LiquidChicagoTed · June 2018

That is an interesting question and one I cannot answer in complete detail, simply because Ilish's storyline following Chapter 5 has been in an early draft stage back when that choice came up and in that case, I never put too much thought into what could have been beyond some basics. However, it is likely that something similar would have happened. See, if Lawsen would have died, Alexander Botwerys of the Second Sons would have survived. I had planned for him to receive a small storyline over the course of Book 1 and he would have eventually sided against the Second Sons attacking Raylansfair. Of course, he wouldn't have run into trouble with the Night's Watch, but instead, the Sons would have been less than happy about him turning against them, eventually leading to one of the Second Sons appearing in Raylansfair and hunting him down, albeit with way less civilized methods and at a far greater risk for Ilish herself. But the basics, Ilish reuniting with the surviving character from Chapter 5 and helping them against someone hunting them (or siding with the hunter) would have remained, for a very particular reason I cannot reveal here beyond the fact that it will lead to a crucial turn in Ilish's storyline. There are details that would have changed, such as how the escape would have happened, what actions the hunter is going to take, potentially even the fate of certain characters, as the Second Son would have been notably more brutal in hunting down Alexander than Wildor Goodbrook is in hunting down Lawsen.

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