( POV Ellyn Flowers first daughter of Alan Winters And Darla of tumbletown)
I loved living in Bravos , A great place for this worlds standard, And where multiple culture exiting for over few century with harmony, maybe even more.
This world might be grim very very awfully dark as well, The Dept of it's mysteriousness also great as well, But at least this place is far better than others, And here religious practices and tolerance is kinda of a religion itself. All thanks it's supreme God creator/writer GRRM.
The city was peaceful by all account and i could always feel certain safety inside it.
The part that me and my relatives lived were very clean, it's something of a business class district and only the wealthiest and influential are afford to live there. I don't know why, but be it city's defensive capabilities, good governance or a home to two mysterious Giants of this world that kept it safe from the outside world.
The Iron Bank and the HQ of the faceless man and their associate house of Black and White is known for being most famous Bank and assassin's guild respectively.
To be honest I really think that the SeaLord himself is just a figure head and those organizations are the real power that runs everything.
It was one of my childish curiosity to venture out of these organizations myself one day, but couldn't because my lack of authority.
I wished to visit at least one of those places. But I still couldn't because nobody wanted to fulfill my wish. And both places are very restricted area and not a place for a little girl to visit them like a trip to an amusement park. If you want to visit the iron Bank then you need to have a excuse worthy of it or simply take a huge amount of loans. And for the faceless guys... you need to do a very expensive assassination order or a invitation card/coin to visit their temple of many faced God.
I never saw a faceless man, so I didn't got any of those tokens that jaqen h'ghar gifted Arya stark.
There is a very good reason I didn't wanted go back to westeros. The sunsetland, the bravosy people like to call it ,is a chaotic place, where nobles scheme and fight each other for supremacy, And normal peasants pay the price for their madness. All the bloodshed for an uncomfortable chair.
Well, it's not that bravos is safe place for everyone, Because life is a struggle and people is fighting for survival everywhere. But Bravos is still better than westeros.
Bravos hates slavery to the bone. Most of the free Cities in Essos runs their economy on the back of slaves. I detest slavery, And it's the only thing that stops progress.
And Bravos was created by the runway slaves in first place. And they created this city so that the people can live their lives free from the Evil claws of slavery.
So in my opinion Bravos is the only city that can be truly call itself a free city.
Because how can you call your city free if you employ human slaves and drive the economy through it ?
And westeros is no better either because feudal society is not very good for the lower class.
In westeros noble or small folk nobody is safe because of periodical war and the end game ice zombies ! especially the ice Necromancers zombies. Thus I just wanted to safely grow up in Bravos and at one point made a vow to never return there, cause after being so lucky enough to escape it.
After all, staying away from that place is the best option. And any logical person with Sense of intelligent would try to avoid westeros. Because if you play the game of thrones, you win or you die.....
or die a little bit later no middle grounds.
So the only a better thing you can also do is stay at least a hell away from it so that you can live a bit longer.
But unfortunately even though I wanted to stay away, I couldn't. Because my mom and other stepmoms and a lot of uncle's are adamant on returning to their homeland, especially those in our company came from the stormland.
Though not everyone returning. Granny Miranda and her son Alaric staying along side those that originally came from the Kingslanding.
And also those from the Kingslandings staying at bravos as well, because they were orphans and have no family there in Kingslandings. They were specifically recruited because they had their orphan status. Thus they have immense loyalty towards grandma Miranda. And most of them made a successful career at bravos anyway. Some of them became Granny Miranda's excellent employee and runs various establishment, And those that learned the art of combat are working in neval Arsenal as uncle Alaric's subordinates.
But those from the Stormland are stubborn, They would rather die in westeros then staying here for some reason, that was argument broke out few days ago. Those that are still loyal to my father won the the argument and as a result the split happened.
Why they still holds that much loyalty makes no sense to me.
So
I believe there is more to it, though I ones heard that they came from small village in the stormland and their entire village was saved by my father. That is why they are more eager to return, so they could serve him directly.
And now that he is high Lord and member of the kings council, My father can gave them a lot better Job and opportunity. But I believe they just wants repay their debt to their saviour.
The most surprising thing I found out that my mom loves the man still now after being separated from all these years, Even after learning that he married a noble woman and living a happy life with another high ranking woman that they could not compete. And a high chance to ruin their happy lives.
And same could be said for my half siblings Moms as well. They are still faithful to my supposed father. Even though they have no reason to love him, For Gods sake, that man even got married to a noble. And this could truly complicate a lot of things. His wife Will/ could for example get rid of us the moment that woman got the opportunity, because she felt threatened by our presence irritates her and a paranoia that we the bastards will one day usurp her childrens birthright.
But I think that's the adults are knows all this facts and still going with it makes more confused.
So that means the escort/messenger my father sent to us, He might have Explained my and my stepbrother's moms throughly that my father received some form of permission from his wife to bring back his separated family that is currently living in Bravos ?
That still doesn't change the the real facts though.
In my opinion he's not worthy of my mom , the man is a selfish playboy who took advantage of them and also somewhat in a way.... abandoned them.
The redeeming thing my father did was that he did actually forgot that we actually existed.
But what shocking to me is that, these women's. Because after all these years .... they stayed loyal him and did not search for an another companion, which is weird. But it's seems in their case it's normal.
Maybe..... I'm judging them from a my worlds standpoint.
There is a lot people in westeros did stay loyal to there lover and did not remarried again.
For example Tywin Lannister, Rickard Stark, Hoster Tully. They did not remarried even after they lost their wifes.
So it's not that strange. ... right?
Arg...! I don't know.... Maybe he can brew love potion's and used it seduced them instead. or else why would they still love him? Or maybe he received some kind of blessings from one of the chaos Gods.
Maybe slaanesh for example, or who knows?
Aghh..... what's the point thinking about the this?
I first priority is to survive. But how am I supposed navigate in the politics of this alternate universe of Asoiaf?
Because my canon knowledge is basically useless now. Thanks to the bastard father of mine.
Again I mourned for the city that I grow to love .... I will miss The lemon trees in the garden, The Red doors of manor and the lessons I received from our half Maester, as our ships sailed to the direction of west.
The wind is cold and the reality of this world is even more colder which is giving me a lot of shivers.
Anyway...
I did not want to risk my precious body to catch a cold, So I wrapped myself in warm clothes. But the important thing I'm doing is watching the open sea, and it had been quite an adventure and not one of the enjoyable kind. But it's still better than the boys.
They are just running around the ships like the child they are. Jonnel, Aenar and Lyonel are good boys, but sometimes their childish behavior makes me feel embarrassed. They wanted me to be part of their nuisance pack but For the time being I don't want to be part of it. Because I don't saw the point of annoying the sailors.
All things my brothers are doing is running around and pointing at people questioning and touching the dangerous weapons equipped in the ship. And making themselves a complete nuisance.
I wonder when will their mothers finds out And I can't imagine the wrath that will befall on them. No I don't want to think about it... I'll just pray for their souls to rest in peace.
My last regret is that I could not thanked Granny Miranda before our departure, which happened three days ago. I wanted thank her for taking care of us for all this years. Biologically I'm not her grandchild, nonetheless she always treated me as one. And always called me her clever little flower. I'll missed that woman very much. She might be a little scary sometimes, But I grow to love her personality very much.
As for the Warship that carrying us is really big, No, wrong word, it's huge.... The ship twice the size of a regular Bravosy warships. And from the looks of it this ship has a lot upgrades for medieval time period. But who cares? It's looks damn cool with the design.
i of course quartered with the woman in the next to the captain's cabin with uncle Rolfe getting the only other officer room on the warship.
I was surprised seeing we were escorted by a warship. It's apparently not a Bravosy' warship but a Westerosy one, made in Arbor by house Redwyne. And this ship is owned by house Winter of Harrenhall. This is one of the warship that is owned by my father, And this warship is technically a trade vassal as well. It is also used for diplomatic missions.
Good for me that I got one of best cabin to sleep.
And Everybody else would bunk with the crew and where a free space could be found, but for us the VIPs received the guest quarters. The ship is also equipped with addition of two dozen guards that is sworn to house Winter didn't come as a surprise to me And I just rolled with it, Because more protection is better than no protection.
Leaving Bravos behind I felt somewhat sad and also anticipatory as I was returning to see my so called Papa. The man responsible for destroying the timeline, which made us Isekaied's people's plot knowledge completely useless.
I had not been a religious person in my old life but in this one I knew higher beings to exist just as I was aware of the presence of magic, a prayer here or there wouldn't go amiss I was sure. More so as birth was still a real hazard to the woman in this world and age, So I am great full to my mother for giving birth to me and still in the living world, And I am also great full for my other family members even though technically they are not. But they are the only family I have, So i pray for them as well. So our trip can be safe from all threat this world can offer.
Sea travel is one of most dangerous transportation of this world. Because The mermaids, giant squids, Leviathan and other horrible Sea monsters are very real.
I was watching the Sea alone and saw someone approaching.
Everybody seems to forget about me and busy doing their. And until now nobody approached me again four days after our departure. I had taken command of the nightly guard detail, knowing that the men required at least some oversight to avoid them slacking off. And what better than a annoying child, And most of all I don't want a Titanic scenario, where our ship crashed into a giant iceberg, And everyone dies. Also this world has real kraken, Leviathan and all kinds of various sea monsters , that absolutely real and I don't really want visit their stomach.
Staring into the dark shores in deep thought I only noticed him as he had already joined my side.
"My lady", he greets before turning his gaze into the night as well, "How goes the night?"
"Calmly, Sir", I answer at once, "Gods willing it will stay so all the way to the Kingslanding."
"Aye.", he agrees easily. "I have heard many things about you, My lady."
"Nothing too bad, I hope?", I replied easily and turned to the knight that got the assignment from my father to escort us back to the Kingslanding, I have heard that he is one of my father's trusted subordinate, He fought along side my father in the mountain of the Vale against the mountain clans, And up until the battle of Bell in King Roberts rebellion, Thus he's leveled as a trusted and very accomplished man , Though he's not very old and maybe around 28. Mmm maybe I should ask him about the state of westeros and gain some info on the Dread Sword Alan Winters, Thus meeting the calm stare of the young knight.
" No My lady. They said that your very talented at every field. And even better than your brothers. I'm surprised that you can even bit them in the training yards" the knight replied.
Good to know that I'm talented and weird. And me defeating my brother's are getting really harder day by day. I only had the upper hand because of my mature mind nothing else. And I believe in a year I'll lost that advantage as well. Because brothers are getting really good at sword. Well, to be honest only Jonnel and Aenar uses the sword. Lyonel Wealds a heavy flail. And it's getting really unfair against a wooden sword. And my brother Lyonel is truly turning into a menace with the weapon.
"um.. if you don't mind Sir Longsword was it?, I like ask you some questions."
"Please by all means ask anything you want. I'll do my outmost to answer them My lady. But first I like ask you a something."
Fair, " of course Sir please ask anything you want."
"So then, Tell me my lady, how old are you?" The knight asked.
Oh shit didn't thought that... Because I'm not acting like a child at all. More like negotiating a business deal.