The Funeral Processsion

[The Raven]

3rd Moon, 4th Day

In King's Landing, the new High Septon had presided over the first funeral in the Great Sept, honoring the hero who had given his life for the safety of people of King's Landing. This new priest was much leaner than the first, though his hands just as gleaming with the fortune of faith. King Daemon himself said a few words on behalf of his squire, while the young man's uncle stood nearby. After the ceremony, Daemon ordered the body be delivered to Harrenhal, where the rest of his family might grieve and bury him on their own land.

Myrcella Reyne and Lady Alice Blackfort's new maid weeped together.

Ser Sebastian Florent agreed to join Lady Blackfort and her sworn shield Ser Harlan Hawick on the journey. It should not have been a long trip, but word of bandits forced them to travel carefully. Gangs like the Black Bronn family and the Red Eels still roamed the Riverlands, preying on those areas where law had not been restored.

In Shoreham, they were greeted by the Lord himself, and were given shelter in the township's walls. A spry old man, he introduced two of his four sons, Robert and Hoster. Robert made eyes at Alice, while Hoster pestered Harlan and Sebastian about the war. There were few knights in Shoreham, though it did not lack for strong backs.

The old Lord volunteered to escort the travelers to Harrenhal, where he was expected to pledge his fealty anyway. Thus the party of a few knights and a handful of Blackfyre footsoldiers were joined by the three men of House Shoreham, two dozen footsoldiers, and a proper entourage of servants.

***

Harrenhal is bigger than they thought it would be, and seems to grow every day as they approach it. Lord Shoreham admits that even though he is a lord with just as many smallfolk on his land, the place still makes him feel insecure every time he approaches it.

In time, they reach Harrentown. The town guards recognize their neighbor, and send a man to inform Lady Dacey Blackfort that Lord Shoreham and several men bearing the livery of House Blackfyre have arrived. No one recognizes Alice or Harlan.

[Vex]

Ser Harlan had been uncharacteristically quiet throughout the entire journey. He kept close to Alice as he studied the monstrous castle, grim and dressed in his best blacks.

Dacey received them in the great hall, assuming that Lord Shoreham had come to swear fealty. The timing was inconvenient and she'd been pulled from the yard for this. Her hair was down in a single braid this time and she was still in her new black leathers which had recently been patched at the back.

[The Raven]

There was an awkward air. Lord Oswell Shoreham had until very recently thought he was still paying taxes to a madwoman, and as a loyal vassal to Harrenhal since the days of Danelle Lothston's grandfather, he had served the Targaryen cause these past five years, or nearly as much.

He quietly asked Harlan who this woman was, before approaching on foot. "My lady Blackfort. My name is Oswell Shoreham, Lord of the town of the same name. I apologize for the armed escort, but bandits are still a great nuisance. I am also aware that Lord Belric is not home, as Lord Vance mentioned it in the letter he sent us and... Oh, I'm blabbering. There will be time for all of this later."

He gestured to his entourage, before stroking his beard while attempting to deliver bad news he didn't fully understand. "I'm afraid we picked up several guests."

A man bearing the marks of grayscale, the sigil of House Florent, and no nose, spoke. "My lady. My name is Sebastian Florent. I served with your brother, and I want to say that fighting beside Nyles Blackfort was a tremendous honor. To deliver his body to your family is the least I could do."

(Sebastian assumes you already received a raven about the whole affair.)

[Vex]

Dacey looked from Lord Shoreham and Sebastian Florent to Ser Harlan and Alice, her expression stony.

"Nyles is dead?" she asked incredulously.

Harlan exchanged an uncomfortable glance with Ser Sebastian, gathering from this that the letters had not reached Harrenhal. He cleared his throat before speaking up.

"Nyles uncovered a Targaryen loyalist movement in the city. He was slain while taking down an influential spy den, my lady. Your brother contributed greatly to the safety of both King's Landing and the realm. I regret deeply that we couldn't prevent his death," he said, and looked down.

Dacey studied Harlan for a moment and then turned to Sebastian, for some reason deeming him the most competent one of the group. Her initial irritation about not being informed had faded. What did it matter now? Her brother was dead. At least he'd gone out with a sword in his hand.

"Was he avenged?" she asked the noseless knight.

[The Raven]

Upon realizing he had been the one to deliver the poor tidings, Sebastian looked as though he had accidentally kicked a child. He caught himself though, and attempted to make the revelation as bearable as he could.

"He avenged himself, my lady. Ended the leader's life with the last strength he possessed in his arms. Your uncle comforted him in his arms as he passed. His Grace the King resided over the funeral himself alongside the High Septon himself. I... We owe him a great debt, my lady."

Alice finally spoke, wrapped in an expensive cloak from King's Landing. She looked thinner but somehow more beautiful than Dacey remembered her. "We were only there a week. A week. I spoke to him perhaps five times before he died." She wrapped her arms around Dacey as she tried to avoid crying. "I was supposed to look after him. I was supposed to..." The words died as she sobbed gently into her sister's shoulder.

[Vex]

She returned her sister's hug, albeit somewhat awkwardly. Once Alice's sobs had died down, Dacey pulled away to bestow upon her a hard truth learned in the war. "You were not," she said evenly. "We can't save everyone."

She gave her sister's arm what she thought was a reassuring squeeze before nodding to Harlan and Sebastian. "Thank you for bringing him... home," she said. "We will sup in his remembrance tonight and bury him on the morrow."

"I would like to see him," she quietly added, stepping away from Alice. "Is he in the yard?"

[The Raven]

Sebastian nodded. "Yes, my lady."

The knight actually gets lost trying to lead her, before Lord Shoreham corrects him. "It's this way, Ser Sebastian. This castle was not designed for encouraging a rational direction in any sense."

***

In the courtyard, Dacey saw the oaken casket in the back of a wagon draped with the black dragon of the King's own household.

Alice murmured softly, "Grand Maester Alford did something to the body, so he still looks the same. Except for his eye, that is..."

[Vex]

Dacey didn't actually need to be led to the yard; once Sebastian had confirmed Nyles's presence there, she started towards it.

She nodded to Alice, acknowledging what she'd said. Then, she turned to two guards standing nearby. "Find my brothers and bring them here," she told them. "Jormun and Symon. Tell them it's urgent."

She approached the casket to see her brother.

[The Raven]

Dressed in finer clothes than he ever wore in real life, Nyles looked almost exactly as she remembered him, the same earnestness on his face. The only difference were several cuts around his closed left eye.

The party were silent as the lady had her moment with her brother.

[Vex]

Dacey reached a hand to her little brother's forehead, feeling the same kind of detachment she always did upon seeing a dead body. He might've looked almost the same, but his skin was cold, rubbery, lifeless. That was not her brother anymore.

She ordered two guards to stand vigil over his body until the morning and made arrangements for the burial.

***

That night, as promised, they held a memorial dinner for Nyles, after assigning everyone rooms for their stay. Dacey had all her siblings and guests seated at the high table, sharing bread and salt with Lord Shoreham before the proper food was brought out.

"It is unfortunate you had to come here under these circumstances, though I thank you for escorting my brother and sister here. We have begun to eliminate the bandits, but the roads aren't safe quite yet," she told him. "As for my brother Belric, he is still at Riverrun and might not return for weeks. You could wait him out or swear fealty to him through me. I wouldn't recommend travelling home and back again."

[The Raven]

"I would normally be acceptable of such a proxy, but you see, I should like to at least look upon the man who will likely oneday order my people to fight and die in battle." He sat down his goblet. "I own no castle, only a thriving township and a great hall I call my home. I have a single knight sworn to me, whose father served my father before me, and whose sons will likely serve mine. We have many strong men because the fishing and game are good, and we don't lack for lumber, but they are still commoners, who must put their faith in any person bearing the name Shoreham. Thus it's my duty to judge what sort of man we are to be in thrall to."

[Vex]

The lord's first and last statements made no sense to Dacey. "I see. What was your read on your previous liege lady?" she inquired.

[Jormun Rivers]

Jormun, sitting close by, raises his ale in a small salute after the man spoke. "A man should know who he is fighting for, especially if he is asked to die. Our brother is a good man, ill-tempered at times and rash, but a good man. He has not ruled for long, so he will learn. There are few finer fighters, at least."

[The Raven]

His voice grew soft, and he looked past her at some distant memory. "Danelle Lothston was like a daughter to me, as her father was like my brother. Ser Simon too, before Bloodraven arrived and turned them both to madness and witchcraft. But before this war, I'd have said that though she was perhaps fragile, she had honorable counsel to guide her through this crisis." He looked at Jormun with clear sharp eyes. "Whatever kind of man Belric Blackfort may be, I at least owe him a debt for killing that pale bastard."

[Vex]

Dacey listened quietly and nodded once he finished talking, though now it was clear to her that Lord Shoreham's judgement could not be trusted.

"I understand. Some people are weak of will," she said, not sharing the opinion that Danelle Lothston had just been misled, despite not having been around to see any of it. "You'll find that my brother is not."

She helped herself to some mutton stew before deciding to change the subject. "How fare your lands, Lord Shoreham?" she inquired. "Other than the bandits, is there anything to complain about?"