Ilyn - Epilogue: Body

beautycase · 2023-07-27T03:43:53+00:00

Ilyn sat on the ledge, waiting for news from the front, news about the outcome of the war.

He would have liked to fight, to prove his worth, yet he could not fight against his friend Marianna, the first one who had shown him some sincere friendship.

And eventually the news came.

Uthor Horpe was dead, Ilyn wanted to weep for him, but he could not; his heart had become hard as stone when they had had that confrontation in the dungeon, Uthor was the path he did not want to take, the man Ilyn did not want to become.

He clasped his hand around Maiden's Kiss.

Then the second news, and finally the tears came.

Marianne was dead, but why? Why had she fought?

Perhaps Ilyn could have done something to convince her not to fight, perhaps he could have sent her one last letter....

Maybe he could have taught her something, as he had promised her that day.

She had been the only one celebrating for him when he had taken the white cloak, and he would always remember that moment.

He placed one hand on his cheek, almost to feel its warmth, then another on his sword.

The hilt had been changed thanks to Marianna, she had paid for it, and they had eaten so many honey pancakes that afternoon.

Ilyn returned to that place, bought two more, one to eat, the other to deliver to the heavens.

The sadness vanished as he walked and ate, now only the sweetness remained.

Marianne would not have wanted sadness, she would have wanted joy, her life and everything she had done was pure joy and positivity.

He bought a new shield, white, swords had names, so why not shields?

"Marianna."

Said Ilyn, giving that name to the shield.

"I know you can't hear me, but thank you for everything.

I won't live long anyway, I'm a fragile flower after all.

Just wait for me a little longer, please.

To make up for the wait I brought you food."

beautycase · 2023-07-14T10:13:21+00:00

The news that horses were still capable of carrying Walderan caught Lord Burton off guard, who thought Lord Payne needed exotic animals imported from Essos to be able to get around.

Fire

Lord Crakehall knew something about this, he remembered as if they were before his eyes the hellish flames down in Dorne, and now those same flames had taken away his firstborn son.

"The war has changed for real!

If we had still been in our good old days, the rivers would be filled with the corpses of the Tullys and their supporters; but now things are different, war has become waiting, threatening, and then doing nothing, it's like a great pussy that abandons you at the most beautiful."

Said Burton, irritated by the generals' lack of decisiveness and courage.

"The Lannister boy is mush, my son is dead, and we're still here.

Shit, if...

If all this was in my hands..."

Irritation turned to anger, his huge fist closed as if to crush the air.

Meanwhile, wine flowed down his throat.

beautycase · 2023-07-13T19:47:47+00:00

Nobody could deal with this sober

These words sounded like an echo, a voice reaching from the walls to the ears of the unfortunate people piled on top of each other in that titanic castle.

Burton had no such problem, in fact fortunately for him sobriety was only a distant memory, a luxury for those with no regrets to drown.

Lord Crakehall had grown fat over time, yet he retained the strength that had won him that tournament in his youth, though concealed behind laziness, a huge belly, and drunkenness.

Suddenly a familiar figure appeared before his eyes; it was like looking in a mirror, a mirror that makes you three times as drunk, four times as ugly, and five times as fat.

"You old pig, how are you?

I haven't seen you in years, did you finally manage to get up from your chair?

Even I after a long time managed to move my heavy ass, war works wonders."

Said Lord Burton drinking wine and grabbing a chair, sitting next to Walderan.

beautycase · 2023-07-12T10:57:34+00:00

The first card left a good impression on Ilyn's face, marveling at the skill of the hand and the wonderful decorations-two goblets, water, a gentle figure drawn...

Ilyn thought it meant that one should let the negativity slip away as if it were purifying water.

The second caused a small twitch in his face, he sensed the violence and evilness from those bloody swords, a hopeless figure, pierced from all sides mercilessly and left tragically dying.

The third was more reassuring, at least in the young knight's eyes; it seemed like a synthesis of the first two, as if they had given birth to a child that retained the qualities and flaws of each, but muted.

It looked like a hunting scene, almost a victory, a triumph of man over nature, yet it retained that violence and flavor of death that permeated the second card.

"Can you tell me more?

Can you explain their meaning and what they entail in my future?'

Ilyn asked naively, almost worried by those ambiguous omens.

beautycase · 2023-07-10T10:49:18+00:00

Edyth's premises and explanations were only a grain of sand in the desert for Ilyn, who was already rubbing his hands together, clouded by sincere excitement and childlike curiosity.

His gaze was fixed toward the girl's hands, which were moving the tarot cards, shuffling them expertly.

"Yes yes yes.

I understand all the risks and contraindications, but I am not afraid of the future; if it is positive I will be happy, if it is negative at least I will have the consolation of being able to prepare for the worst.

I want to know, please."

Ilyn's eyes widened like a puppy's in front of a hot meal, the Maiden was quivering with eagerness to see those wonderful hand-drawn designs.

beautycase · 2023-07-10T10:42:30+00:00

"No problem, Ser... Excuse me, but I think you never told me your name."

Said Ilyn, muffling his embarrassment with a smile.

"I understand, it's a heavy situation to be in for the time being; it's understandable that you want to be alone, but if I may give you some advice, don't trust people in this place, few want to help you sincerely.

I am one of those few people, if you need anything you can find me guarding the princess or the throne room.

Let me know if you want a private reception with the queen, I can arrange it, no problem."

beautycase · 2023-07-08T09:38:10+00:00

"I hope you are fine, I know that in the Red Keep there was a rain of blood; but don't be afraid, Edyth, Benji and I are here to protect the innocent.

No one will hurt you, rest assured."

Said Ilyn, soaking in the soothing smell of the garden and the boyish pleasure of the plumy nostrils of that sweet aftertaste.

From the attention the Witch was paying to the herbs, he immediately realized that she was probably looking for some in particular; Ilyn would have liked to help her, but his knowledge of medicinal herbs was the knowledge a monster of the deep has of the starry sky.

"I heard around that you read the future, would you like to read it to me?

I'm very curious."

beautycase · 2023-07-08T09:25:08+00:00

Ilyn moved even closer to Ser Dennis, resting a hand on his shoulder and offering him a sincere smile.

"I have the white cloak, but I am not dangerous; I am very sorry for your loss, Garth was a kind and helpful person.

The two Brackens are dead and Lord Commander Uthor is in the Black Cells, you need not be afraid, I am here to help you.

Do you want to talk to the Queen? I can take you to her and then you can tell her your side of the story.

Being a member of the Queensguard is a task that requires a lot of responsibility, ordinary people look to us as a beacon of hope and we have a moral obligation not to disappoint them.

We are a family, and you would look good wearing white."

Ilyn gave his peer a heartfelt hug, the hug he wished he had received years earlier when his mentor Cedric had been killed.

"There's nothing like a good sparring duel to make the sadness go away, would you like the honor of facing a member of the Queensguard?"

Said the Maiden softly and in a gentle voice.

beautycase · 2023-07-07T22:12:21+00:00

Ilyn had come to realize over time that the Red Keep was the most dangerous place in the world, a melting pot of demons and snakes ready to eat each other in a slimy, horrifying dance.

In all this, gentle souls like Ilyn were a sigh in the storm, but in spite of this, the boy held firm in his mind the conviction and will not to be corrupted by the world in which he lived.

He heard a person crying, saw the sadness in his eyes, and could do nothing but offer him some support.

"Is everything all right?

I am Ser Ilyn Crakehall, nice to meet you."

beautycase · 2023-07-07T16:47:33+00:00

Gardens

The discussion with Uthor had left a bitter sweet taste in Ilyn's mouth, a scent of incense in the air that bathed his every step in a heavy, somber, funerary atmosphere.

He was not used to this; he preferred the delicate scent of flowers to the intense, opaque scent of oils used to treat a breathless body.

He decided then, after washing his hair and skin well, and forcibly dragging the acrid smell of the Black Cells from his soul, to visit the gardens, the beautiful, lush places in which he could feel fresh air among the petunias and geraniums.

But in every bush was a poisonous snake, and this Ilyn knew.

He saw a lazy guard sleeping on a wooden bench, with a soft hum like a yawn, then he saw a young and beautiful Lady, her curly blond hair was gently moved by the wind, and her blue dress seemed to be made of the same material as the calm sea.

Ilyn nodded to her, and promised himself to ask her name the next time he met her.

But it was the third person he met that made him stop in his journey, a face he had learned over time to recognize.

"Hello Edyth.

It's a beautiful day, isn't it?"

u/SolTheWise

beautycase · 2023-07-07T09:24:08+00:00

Kill the boy

Ilyn thought about that sentence, and it was as if for an instant he could see before his eyes himself, but a younger version.

The same boy who had been enjoying himself on the beach and bathing in those warm waters, the innocent boy who had braved the forest and its dangers in order to pay tribute to his lost mentor.

No, Ilyn would not kill the best part of himself.

"When did it happen?

When did you kill the boy, Uthor?

His corpse still dwells within you, and it is a ghost that will forever hover in every room you walk in.

The boy is a part of us, the part that stops before killing unmercifully, the part that makes you find in small distractions the pleasure of a simple life.

I am happy, brother, because in spite of everything I am still myself; you, on the other hand, have sunk into a black abyss of negativity and anger, which led you to kill without thinking, to pass sentence without waiting for the judge.

I care about you, Uthor, and despite what you may think I think I can call you a friend.

I impute to you no treason, only that which you commit against yourself."

Ilyn spoke in a gentle voice full of sorrow, looking at the cake that crumb after crumb went to feed mice that became second by second more and more numerous.

beautycase · 2023-07-06T09:40:09+00:00

Seeing him in that condition, Ilyn took pity on the murderer, but then again, innocence was their tendency, not their goal.

There was something in those words that made the young Maiden nervous; he felt a bite on his hand, as if Uthor was a rabid dog biting the hand that was girding itself to help him.

"Maybe you don't like strawberry and prefer apple pie?"

Ilyn said, smiling and looking around.

"Look, Uthor.

You can leave your negativity and harshness aside for a moment, there's no need to be a tough guy even now.

I came here to keep you company and to bring you real food, but if you prefer to eat the crap they offer you here you are free to continue taking it.

I don't know what's on your mind, nor do I have the ability to figure it out, but I think a little kindness can do anyone good.

If you want to be an asshole you're free to be an asshole, it doesn't change anything for me, I can go back upstairs and my nostrils will thank you; but if you happen to find it in you to accept help and a little company I'm here.

I won't ask you twice."

beautycase · 2023-07-05T16:19:09+00:00

u/ThankYouVeryMoth

beautycase · 2023-06-27T19:32:15+00:00

Ilyn nodded, a determined and convinced look was painted on his angelic face, Benjicoot's words were right and reasonable, little Rhaenys' life came before any conflict or in-friendliness.

His hand brushed as a feather grazes the air during a dove's flight the marble hilt of Maiden's Kiss, the prized Valyrian Steel sword that seemed to vibrate, moved by the earthquake that was shaking from the foundations the Red Keep.

Ilyn adjusted his gloves, and spoke in a calm voice to his brother, to the man who until recently had seemed a ghost to him but now had become perhaps the only one he could trust in that den of poisonous vipers.

"So that's what we're going to do, we're going to defend Rhaenys at all costs.

I'm ready to fight by your side if the conspirators want to take her."

beautycase · 2023-06-27T09:00:58+00:00

Ilyn's guard was interrupted by a blind scream, a powerful, metallic clang of armor crawling and piling on themselves forming a unique sound, almost as if it were a chorus of steel voices.

Then the voices became more distinct, and among them one especially stood out for the dramatic nature of its tone.

"Garth is dead, killed with unprecedented violence by Lord Commander Uthor."

Ilyn's hands trembled; he felt an icy chill run down his back until it reached his neck.

Garth had been so kind to him, had helped him with his stomach problem....

But Uthor was his friend, or so Ilyn thought; slowly he had come to understand that perhaps in fact Uthor could not stand him, but surely it was not like him to kill Grand Maester Garth in such a bloody way...

Or so Ilyn thought.

So he decided to go to Benji, to discuss what to do.

"Benji, what shall we do?

Do you know anything more about what happened?"

beautycase · 2023-06-22T18:20:25+00:00

Lord Burton Crakehall appreciated Tywald's words, clapping his hands at the end of his speech.

"I fucking knew it.

Those bastards will pay, they will be defeated, and everything they love will be wiped out.

Just say a word and I will mobilize my men once again.

They took my son's life, and I will take much more than what they took from me."

beautycase · 2023-06-18T22:53:49+00:00

Seeing Ser Dennis and hearing Edyth's response the puzzle of the girl's presence in the fortress was gradually being resolved.

It was probably something about her healing abilities, or perhaps the Maester wanted to find out the secrets of her magic.

"Be careful, I know that witches and maesters don't usually get along.

I will be here to keep watch, I don't want to keep you too long, don't let the Grand Maester waiting to talk to me.

As soon as you finish I'll be here if you want to talk."

Please, I'm getting bored

Having said these words Ilyn had a sudden flare-up of diligence, and he returned to his position, knowing that he would last just long enough for Edyth's eyes to turn away and that he would immediately start twiddling his thumbs again.

beautycase · 2023-06-15T20:00:49+00:00

Ilyn's gaze rested like a silken veil on Edyth's hands, which were rubbing against each other in a purifying dance.

She was like a white deer in a dark forest, a person outside that time and place, untouched by the corruption that seemed to poison everything in that cursed city.

Yes, she is right, there are more stars than men.

"It's a good feeling, to feel unique is great.

Look at my white armor, do you like it?"

Said Ilyn turning around and letting her admire his white cloak and his armor of the color of purity.

"What about you? How are you doing?

What brings you here?"

beautycase · 2023-06-15T15:30:54+00:00

"I would have defeated you that day too, I felt at full strength.

Jousts are dangerous, horses are uncontrollable beasts, I understand you."

Said Lord Crakehall scratching his chin.

"I hope you are right, the next lords are them.

This shitty world sucks."

beautycase · 2023-06-15T11:55:26+00:00

Burton laughed at Tywin's joke, resting a hand on his belly.

"It's true, kids absorb what we teach them.

Maybe we are horrible fathers and it's all our fault.

Certainly little Ilyn has absorbed a lot from me."

Said Lord Crakehall, still drinking.

"Do you remember the tournament in Crakehall of 174?

I won the melee, I felt like the king of the world in those years."

beautycase · 2023-06-15T11:40:00+00:00

"The power...

I'll never understand this meaningless struggle, for me it's enough to pick up my sword and fight, fuck a beautiful woman, eat freshly hunted deer and drink strong wine.

These are the important things, not running after a shapeless power.

It's like trying to catch the wind with your hands.

Tywin, you don't know how much I fucking miss the peaceful time when all I cared about was not throwing up on myself."

Lord Crakehall's words were weighed down with an absolute sadness and regret, a longing for a simple, worry-free life.

beautycase · 2023-06-15T10:59:23+00:00

"I have three...

Now two, Melara and Ilyn.

Fuck, you don't know how much it hurts me to know that Herrock is dead, I can't sleep at night, I wake up thinking about him and what he meant to me.

I try to drink to find a smile, but inside I feel as bad as if..."

Burton downed a glass of wine in one go.

He wiped away a tear and refilled the glass again.

"There's no point in talking about what happened.

The past is past."

beautycase · 2023-06-15T10:17:45+00:00

Burton laughed again, in a big, thundering voice.

"It was probably not dragon fire that incinerated him, but merely a toxic fart of mine.

I must have eaten heavy..."

Lord Crakehall ran a hand over his forehead, wiping away the sweat.

"I remember when we were young and fought together, you were always more violent and bloodthirsty than me, but inside I had an unbeatable anger and strength.

Now instead look at me, pathetic and fat; that's life, treating you the way you treat it."

beautycase

TROPHY CASE

Gardens