ARIYANA CASWELL
I got escorted to the dungeons of The Dreadfort by two Bolton men. I heard screams from behind doors as we passed them, most of them being men – if not, all of them. I looked at one of the Bolton men, "Where are you taking me?" I asked him. He remained silent, staring onwards. I went back to silence, looking forward again. I felt like a soldier, just like my Father. Although, I'm not too sure you can call an Unsullied "a Soldier".
I never knew my Mother, nor do I know if I have any other brothers or sisters than the one which I know of, Ryden. Ryden was a well-trusted soldier of Ramsay Bolton—Or should I say 'Ramsay Snow'? He never liked being addressed as 'Snow', which made things incredibly complicated. But I was always in his care, in Ramsay's care, because of his trust for Ryden. Ryden was loyal, he was brave, and he was strong – just like our Father. Although, I'd rather not speak of my relative who is an Unsullied. It brings me shame. If my Mother was not a Highborn as what people say she is, I would be in a brothel of some sort by now, getting fucked or slaughtered by some man-beast. Luckily, the Bolton's came to save me, me and my brother Ryden. We got caught up by ten Wildlings, Ramsay took nine of them down, capturing one, taking her back to the Dreadfort as a toy he could fuck on a daily basis. I wouldn't be surprised if Ramsay had put fifty-dozen children inside of her by now, the number of times I've heard that woman scream is unbelievable!
One of the men slowly opened a door in front of me into a dungeon, it was the same size as what Reek's "home" was – the man which Ramsay had captured. There was a man locked onto planks of wood; nails through both of his hands and feet. Ramsay stood beside the man whose face was covered by a bag. "Ah, Ariyana! It's wonderful to see you!" Said Ramsay as he approached me, giving me a smooth kiss on the cheek. I gave him a warm smile in which he responded, "I have some business for you to take care of, Ariyana. Some important—Flaying—Business." Ramsay informed me as he turned to the body; it was untouched. Just a few battle scars, wounds. Ramsay clicked his fingers at one of the men. The men uncovered a range-variety of weapons, from spears, to knives and much more; weapons which I'd never seen before. I began to walk over to the weapons as Ramsay grabbed hold of my arm, holding me back.
"What are you doing, Lord Ramsay?" I asked him.
"Are you sure that you want to do this, Ariyana?" He asked me, in which I nodded.
"What if this man here, is somebody that you love?" He tested me, "Like your Father? What if we captured your Father?"
"I wouldn't hold myself back, Lord Ramsay. I would stay loyal. I would stay loyal to you." I replied.
Ramsay smiled at me, stroking his fingers down my hair. He nodded at the weapons and I approached them, picking up a knife; quickly turning and approaching the body again, Ramsay stopped me once again, standing beside the body; grabbing hold of the bag covering the man's head.
"Where do you want to start flaying him, Ariyana?" He asked me; stroking the man's hair through the bag covering his head. I stared at him puzzled. "How about you cut his cock off; feed it to the dogs? Or—Why don't you chop some fingers off? His feet, maybe? How about you just finish the job quickly? Although, that's no fun. Me and my men here, we want a show. And I have no doubt that you can give us a good one."
I stared at him puzzled, shrugging my shoulders. "I don't know, I—We'll see."
"About if this was somebody who you loved; if it was—Would you do it? Would you flay him?" Ramsay questioned me. I stared at him, my mind going blank. What was he talking about? It couldn't be Ryden—Could it? Ramsay grabbed hold of the bag, taking it off from the man's head; revealing the person who I prayed it wasn't, it was my brother. It was Ryden.
For a moment, I felt my heart stop. I felt—I felt my whole world fall apart around me. I put my hand on my chest, stepping back; I dropped the knife in which Ramsay laughed slightly, shaking his head.
"No. No. No. No backing out now, Ariyana. You need to flay him." Ramsay ordered.
One of the Bolton men approached me, in which I shook my head. "No. No, I can pick it up myself. It's just the—It's just the shock, that's all."
Ramsay nodded at the Bolton man, in which he returned to his post. Ramsay approached me, looking at Ryden. "Do you know what he did?" He questioned me. Before I could reply, he scoffed, "No of course you don't know. You don't know what your brother did. He, my 'loyal friend', he's been working for an enemy of ours, Ariyana. Which enemy, you don't need to know, but your brother; he's a traitor."
"No. No, Ryden is no traitor." I argued, "I know him. I know my brother. He is the most honourable man in Westeros, Lord Ramsay." I felt my eyes filling up with tears.
Ramsay bent down, picking up the knife, standing up again; forcing me to hold it. He put his mouth against my ear, "Either you flay him in the next five minutes, or I'll take you hunting. Do you want that, Ariyana?"
I held the knife tightly, nodding my head. Ramsay looked at the two guards stood by the door, they opened the door. "Make sure that you lock the door behind you. I'll be back to make sure you've got the job done, Ariyana." The two men followed Ramsay out of the dungeon, they locked the door behind them. I approached Ryden, who was wounded; his face battered and bruised. I opened my mouth, no words came out. I bent down, vomiting on the floor at Ryden's feet, feeling the burn of it at the back of my throat.
I wiped the sick off from my face as I looked at Ryden, flicking my hair back; so that all my face showed. "What—What did you do?" I asked him.
Ryden opened his mouth, "Nothing." He said weakly; almost in a whisper.
"I—I'll let you out, Ryden. I'll—I'll set you free!" I said, not realising that tears were already streaming down my cheeks, I grabbed hold of Ryden's left hand; trying to take the nail out of it – it wouldn't budge.
"It won't work, Ariyana. There's no point." Ryden cried.
"Get out." I cried, "GET OUT! GET OUT OF HIM! GET OUT OF HIM!" I screamed as I gave up, slowly sliding down to my knees as I broke down in tears, feeling more tears stream down my cheeks like a waterfall. I heard screams coming from behind the door in the other dungeons, just like the one which me and my brother were in.
"You have to do this, Ariyana. You have to make sure that you survive." Ryden cried, a tear rolled down his cheek and I stood up, putting my hand on his chest as tears streamed down my cheeks. I moved away from him, over to the stone-wall which was surrounding us, the four-walls.
"Why?" I whispered quietly, clenching my fists.
"Ariyana—"
"WHY?!" I screamed, slamming my fists on the stone-wall. "WHY?! WHY?! WHY?! WHY?! WHY?!" I punched the wall repeatedly with my fists each time I questioned the situation
"Ariyana, you have to do this. You have to do this for YOU!"
I approached Ryden again, taking a deep breath.
"Cut my chest a few times, make me suffer."
"What? Why?" I asked me.
"Because you will please Lord Ramsay." Ryden explained. "You have to do this so that you can escape, Ariyana."
"Escape?"
"Yes. I—I know what's coming for you, Ariyana. A man will meet you in a cave, out in the Forests. Do you understand? Lord Ramsay will take you hunting with the Hounds." Ryden explained. It sounded unbelievable, but I trusted him. I nodded. "I love you, Ariyana." Ryden closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. I took a deep breath, letting out a scream as I flayed my brother, I did this a dozen times from one end of his body to the other. I looked at Ryden's neck, making it my next target; pushing the blade through it, as deep as it could go so that it could be a quick death. I felt more vomit come up, I held it back. I took a deep breath, forcing the blade into Ryden's wrist as I let out a scream, cutting the whole of his wrist off; Ryden's arm dropped, hanging down at the side of his body.
After a few minutes, Ramsay and his men walked in and I turned to them; my hands covered in blood. Ramsay smiled, clapping his hands as he approached me, putting his arm around me.
"Clean up this room, men." Ramsay ordered as he led me out of the dungeon. As we walked he asked, "Do you like hunting, Ariyana?"
My heart dropped, I nodded, "Yes, I—Yes, I do, Lord Ramsay."
Ramsay smirked at me, "Good."
Ramsay swung a nearby door open as laughter echoed down the corridor, I looked puzzled. "Lord Ramsay?" I looked at Ramsay, who was holding a blade in his hand. I heard barking nearing towards me, the laughter of a woman getting louder. "Better get hunting, Ariyana."
"What—What are we hunting, Lord Ramsay?"
"A girl."
"Which girl?" I asked.
"Ariyana Caswell."
