Dairren Loren was sitting up with Teyrn Cousland and Arl Howe when it happened.

The door slammed open and several of Howe's soldiers burst into the room.

"What's going on?" snapped the Teyrn, rising to his feet. "What-?"

He cut off with a strangled gasp as the Arl plucked out his dagger and almost delicately sunk it into his liege's side.

Dairren had never been in a true fight before; his practice duel with the Teyrn's second child had been the most intense experience of his life.

He leapt to his feet nonetheless, pulling his dagger and diving towards the treacherous Arl, determined to defend his liege with his life.

But Howe was just so fast, and he moved out of the way so quickly. Dairren never felt the blade that ended his life; he only understood that suddenly, his cheek was against the cold stones of the floor. He could see Howe speaking; a sneer on his lips, which moved without any sound seeming to come out. Edges started to soften and blur, and Dairren felt his eyes closing.

Something that looked like a man in red-splattered white burst into the room, killing Howe's men and forcing the traitor to flee.

Dairren smiled as the vision helped the Teyrn to his feet and left. Kind of his mind, to send him a vision of salvation as he lay dying.

His last thoughts were of his mother.


A/N: This, obviously, is what I suppose happened is you didn't seduce Dairren. Ignominiously knifed by Rendon Howe in a futile defense of his liege. This story is something that I'll be posting to as new ideas occur to me; feel free to offer suggestions on various characters.