Disclaimer: I own nothing of the game of thrones universe! Everything belongs to Geroge r.r. martin and the creators of the show. I only own Everra's character.
Chapter 4
"My lady is everything well?" A young handmaiden asked, holding a bucket of steaming water in the middle of the doorway to Everra's chambers. She had been standing near an open window, gazing at outside. Coming back home affected Everra more than she wished to admit.
Everra peered back to look at the girl, frowning slightly when she looked familiar but she could not quite place her. She gestured for her to enter and the young girl shut the door and scurried in and poured the hot water in the bath behind the bathing screen.
All of Everra's belonging's had already been placed in her chambers, the chambers she had before she had left. Andromache lounged on her bed, licking her paw, oblivious to the world around her.
"What would you like to wear tonight my lady?" the girl asked, tucking a stray strand of place blonde hair behind her hear as the walked over to Everra's wardrobe, where all of her dresses, tunics and breeches had been placed out of their chests. Two other chests lays near the empty ones but those seemed like they required keys to open them.
"I would like to bathe first. As I do so, I will allow you to chose for me."
"As you wish my lady," the girl hurried over towards her and Everra turned her back towards her and allowed her to tug at the laces, the green dress falling around her ankles, leaving her in her underdress. The girl then removed the hairpins from Everra's hair, allowing her black locks to run freely down her back.
The girl suddenly inhaled sharply and took a step back.
"What is it?" Everra questioned sharply, turning to look at her.
"My apologies my lady, its just that you startled me with- with- those…"
"Those?"
"Knives, my lady." The young girl stammered, looking at the ground, her cheeks turning pale.
Everra raised an eyebrow in slight annoyance, "If you are going to be my handmaiden, you are going to have to get used to seeing knives and various other weapons. You'll be seeing them quite regularly and for both of our sakes, you best get used to them."
"Yes my lady," the girl muttered and took a step towards her.
Everra then calmly removed her knives from her person and placed them in the young girls hands. She flinched at the coolness of the blade, her eyes widening with fear.
"If I wished to kill you, you would be dead by now girl. You have nothing to fear from me, I don't randomly kill people for no reason. If you wish to stay alive, do not give me a reason, understood?"
The girl nodded and placed the knives on Everra's bedside table and turned towards her, "The bath will get cold soon, my lady. We must hurry if we are to be in time for the feast."
She helped Everra tug her underdress over her head and led her towards the steaming bath behind the bathing screen. The girl then hurried over to Everra's large wooden wardrobe, which was still in sight from where Everra was standing behind the screen.
"What is your name, girl?" Everra sunk into the steaming water, relishing the feeling of the warm water against her pale skin.
The girl paused from where she was at the wardrobe, her voice sounding muffled, "Anna, my lady."
Everra paused for a moment, her eyes widening slightly at the realisation, "Your mother was my mothers handmaiden, correct?" Her green eyes narrowed slightly at the young girl, watching as her body stiffened slightly at the mention of her mother.
"Yes, my lady she indeed she did."
Everra frowned slightly, she remembered the fate of all her mothers personal staff suffered after she had died, it had not been a pretty one. She poured some of the lavender scented water over her head, still keeping a careful eye on the girl.
"You should not make yourself so obvious you know," she called out, watching as the young girl frowned slightly in confusion, "My lady?"
"If you wish to murder your lord or lady, you should not become a member of their personal staff, they are the first people others suspect to have done the crime despite whether or not they have actually done it," she continued on, waiting for Anna's reaction.
"My lady, I don't- understand- what you are speaking of-" the girls eyes had widened in confusion, staring at Everra's indifferent face.
"Don't you?" She asked cooly, "You wish to murder me as retribution for what my father did to your mother," Everra shrugged casually and looked at Anna straight in the eye, "Personally, I do not particularly blame you, what my father did to your mother was monstrous."
Anna's jaw tightened and her brown eyes were sprung with angry tears which she wiped at furiously with balled fists and began to shake her head in denial.
"You do know what my father did to her, correct? Because if you don't I'd be happy to indulge you," she continued on, regarding the young girl closely.
"I am aware of what he did to her, my lady," she whispered, a stray tear streaming down her face.
"Have I upset you? Hmm? Have I made you want too kill me Anna?" Everra taunted, "Go on, there is a knife right there, do it. Go on, do it. Gods know you'll be saving many lives by killing me. Do it."
Anna started shaking her head violently and managed to speak through her tears, "No, my lady, I have no wish to harm you, I never have! What your father did was his own actions not yours, I have no wish to see you dead, by mine or anyones hand!"
Everra rose from the bath, her naked body dripping wet, her feet planted against the cool stone floor. She regarded her handmaiden carefully, a contemplative look on her face. She grabbed her robe and wrapped it around her body.
"Of course you don't, you sweet girl," she said cooingly and strode across the room to hug the girl to her chest, softly stroking her hair as the girl sobbed into her chest. This was almost too easy, Everra thought to herself, a cold look in her eyes contradicting her affectionate actions.
They spent the next hour or so in silence, not speaking a word to each other, the only sound in the room was that of Andromache licking her paws repeatedly. Everra regarded herself in her mirror, nodding slightly, satisfied with her appearance. She was wearing a sleeveless burgundy coloured dress which straps were golden coloured leaves that were clasped around her neck. Around her waist was a golden belt that was styled into the shape of leaves, a burgundy coloured mantle was wrapped around the lower parts of each of her arms and then went behind her waist. Her black curly locks had been pinned up to the top of her head, leaving her neck exposed, a red circlet headpiece graced her forehead.
Anna stood there silently, rubbing at her swollen red eyes, waiting for her judgement.
"This will do, thank you. I am in no longer need of your services for the rest of the evening, sweet one." There was no affection in her in voice and Anna fled from the room with a quiet 'my lady'.
Everra breathed out a relieved sigh and strode over to one of the unopened chests and gently tapped it twice on each side and then once on the top and it opened. It was a rather marvellous creation, one which she had bought on one of her trips to Pentos. The chest contained various sorts of knives and other weapons, not including her sword, which was placed against the foot of her bed, she grabbed two red knives disguised as hairpins and carefully placed them at the top of her head, the red jewels standing out against her raven hair. She then shut the chest carefully and rose back to her full height, smoothing out the skirts of her dress.
She grabbed the knives which Anna had placed on her beside table and put two in each of her boots. Fortunately the other knives had gold incrusted handles, she then carefully placed them in her belt, making sure that the blade of each knife was not visible.
"Andromache?" The panther peered up at her mistress and tilted her head slightly, annoyed that she had been distracted from cleaning herself.
"Andromache, too me!" Everra commanded, muttering under her breath at how spoilt the cat had gotten. Andromache growled slightly and leaped off the bed towards her mistress, landing gracefully beside her.
Everra rubbed the top of Andromache's head and the panther purred in delight, annoyance soon forgotten.
"This will surely be a night to remember," Everra said wirily, exiting her chambers and closed the door behind her softly, the hallway lit up by torches. Lifting up the skirts of her dress she quietly makes her way down the hall to the staircase which leads to the feast hall on the ground floor.
It would be a memorable night for everyone who lived in the Bloodlands.
The feast hall had been beautifully decorated. It was a large room which was decorated with various exotic flowers and red and black silks had been twisted around the pillars and intertwined with the flowers on the tables. Candles were littered all over the hall, it was alive with music and you could hear the roar of laughter from outside the large wooden door. No one had begun eating yet and when she entered the hall all sounds of laughter left the room and everyone rose from their seats as she strode slowly towards the head table where Lord Gilbert and the other lords were sitting. Lord Yullians children were not there as they had been feeling ill.
Fortunately, Lord Gilbert had left an empty seat for her next to his son, Lither- Lirell? Something of a sort. Golden plates and goblets had been set out on to the tables, she noted that hers had already been filled with wine. Idiot, she thought to herself, it is as almost as if he is shouting it out to the world.
Still, she plastered a wide smile on her face as she approached them and kissed each and every one of them on the cheek and motioning for them all to sit down.
"Please don't stop on my account, let the feast commence!" She cried out, forcing laughter out of her.
"My lady, you look ravishing!" Lord Gilbert drawled out, his eyes lingering at her breasts. She noticed, to her internal aggravation, that he was sitting in her father's chair, the chair that the head of the household sat in whenever they had feats and vividly imagined his head on a spike.
"Why thank you Lord Gilbert! I am so grateful towards you for throwing this splendid feast for me! I am incredibly grateful towards you and your family especially and will see all of you especially rewarded for your good services to my house and the land."
"Why my lady it has been so pleasurable to serve you and the lands! I almost feel as though I am Lord of the Bloodlands myself!" He said pleasantly and laughed. Everra could feel her insides boiling with rage at his nerve but forced yet another smile onto her face and thanked him once more, sending curt nods of acknowledgement to both Lord Yulian and Lord Edwin.
As Everra took her seat beside Lord Gilberts son she noticed that Ser Daavos had not yet entered the feast hall. Lord Gilberts son whose name turned out to be Luther had been rambling on about gods know what, she nodded her head, pretending to listen. Andromache had settled herself under the table by Everra's feet, she did not like people very much, the only person she liked was Everra herself.
A few hours and plates of food later, Ser Daavos finally entered the hall and as silently as possible closed the large wooden door, looking as handsome as usual with his signature black attire. He sent a discreet nod in her direction and sat down a few tables in front of her. Everyone was too drunk to have been noticed that anyone was amiss, especially Lord Gilbert.
Everra then called a servant over towards her and Luther, asking for a refill of wine for Lord Luther.
After doing so, Everra quickly swept her spoon of the table and on to Lord Luther's lap, crying out "My apologies my lord! I am so awfully clumsy at times!"
"Next time be more careful, this is silk from Essos!" the young lord snapped at her, turning his head down to pick up the spoon, shoving it at her with an arrogance that made her blood boil."My sincerest apologies my lord." Everra caught Ser Daavos's eye and nodded, rising from her seat.
"My lords, my ladies, I thank you all for generosity and patience with and for me over these past ten years of my life, I would like to thank you all for your loyalty and kindness and for running everything smoothly in my stead, as so, I would like to have a toast for good friends," she smiled at Lord Gilbert and the rest of them, " and loyalty."
Everyone cheered loudly and took large gulps from their cups of wine but Everra was not finished just yet.
"However, even though all of you have touched me with your kindness, there has been one family which had truly impressed me with their kindness, loyalty, humility and generosity. Will Lord Willem Gilbert and his family please stand up!"
Everyone started to applaud the family as they rose from their chairs and stood in front of Everra. She kept the smile plastered on her face, relishing at there nativity and stupidity, "Now, Lord and Lady Gilbert, I feel as though I haven't rewarded you all for your loyalty in a way that you truly deserve,"she took a large gulp from her cup, watching as Lord Gilbert's eyes sparkled with triumph, thinking that she had just condemned herself to death,"Lord Gilbert may you please place both of your hands in front of me," Lord Gilbert frowned slightly and shuffled forward nonetheless, placing his old wrinkly hands on the table in front of him.
She leaned forward towards Lord Gilbert and whispered in his ear, "Thank you for making this so easy for me, Lord Gilbert. You should have known never to cross me and now your son will pay the price, remember the words of my house, Blood must have blood."
She watched in satisfaction as all the colour left the mans face, his eyes widening with fear and panic as he turned towards his son but before he could yank his hands off the table and shout a warning to his wife, Everra had quickly removed both of the knives from her hair and thrusted each if them into each of his wrists through the table, pinning him down.
He howled in pain and knelt down in front of the table because his body went limp from the pain. Everyone had jumped out of their seats startled and horrified by this sudden change in events.
Lord Gilbert's son had unsheathed his sword and took two steps towards her, before he started clutching at his throat and heaving, unable to breath from the poison in his lungs. He sunk down to the floor, convulsing as blood streamed down from his nose and mouth. His mother started to scream, it was a loud high pitched scream filled with grief and anger, Lord Yullian had tried to rise from his seat but one glare from Everra stopped him. Somehow everyone had gotten the unspoken message not to interfere, as the woman shrill scream continued to fill the air the entrance door to the feast hall swung open and some of her Essosi men came barreling through the door, each of them dragging one of Lord Gilbert's allies with a knife pressed to their necks.
Luther finally drew his last breath and slumped in his mothers arms, all signs of life leaving him. She continued to whimper, her shoulders shaking violently. Lord Gilbert however was still on his knees, tears of pain flowing down his cheeks as more blood fled from his wounds. While almost everyone was sitting in their seats with horrified and terrified expressions on their faces, Everra had sat back down, casually drinking some wine whilst petting Andromache, who had jumped onto Luther's seat next to her. When she noticed that Luther had died, she rose from her seat and dragged her eyes across the room, satisfied with everyones expression.
Her green eyes flickered down towards Lord Gilbert and she made her way around the table slowly, purposely dragging on his torture. She turned her back towards him and when she spoke, everyone knew that she was directing her words at all of them, "I may be many things, I am a killer and a liar and a manipulator but if there is one thing in this world I can not tolerate it is treachery. Lord Gilbert planned on murdering me tonight, taking over my lands, putting my head on a spike. However I stopped him and now he pays the price," she gestured towards his son, "If you are loyal to me and serve me well you have no reason to be afraid and will be rewarded accordingly, however, if I find anyone spying plotting or scheming against me, I will have your head before you can finish saying 'mercy'. Do I make myself clear?"
Everyone nodded slightly and kept their gaze on the ground below, too terrified to look at her.
Lord Gilbert had started to howl in pain once more and yelled "YOU STUPID BITCH! YOU FUCKING WHORE! I WILL KILL YOU! I WILL HAVE HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS OF MEN RAPE YOU JUST LIKE YOUR WHORE MOTHER YOU FILTHY CUN-" Andromache had just interrupted his speech by mauling his face, muffling his screams of agony as his face was torn apart.
Everra's eyes were almost black with fury and when she turned towards Lord Gilbert's wife and as she stalked towards her she only thought of Lord Gilbert's words as she stabbed her in her neck, chest and head, I WILL HAVE, stab, HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS, stab, OF MEN RAPE YOU, stab, JUST LIKE , stab, YOUR WHORE MOTHER, stab.
By the time Everra had calmed down, she had stabbed the woman so many times she no longer looked human because her body was so damaged and covered in blood. Everra let the knife slip through her fingers and turned towards Lord Yullian and Lord Edwin saying, "As a reward for not being treacherous bastards you can have all of Lord Gilbert's jewels, gold and whatever else you consider valuable and split between the two of you. His men however, belong to me."
Everra then turned towards her guards whom were still holding all of Lord Gilbert's allies and commanded them in Valyrian to take them all down to cells for questioning and that she would deal with them tomorrow. Everyone still looked horrified at the slaughter that had just taken place in from of them all, a reminder of what would happen if they dared betray her.
Everra looked at them all, her signature emotionless expression gracing her face as though she had not just murdered three people and said calmly "You may all leave now."
Everyone rose from their seats, eerily silent as they made their way out of the feast hall.
Everra glanced impassively at the bodies and looked at Andromache who was lying on top of Lord Gilbert's body, wagging her tail lazily. She walked over to the bodies and yanked her knives of out Lord Gilbert's lifeless hands and gripped them tightly in her palms, the blade cutting in to her palms.
She remembered how when she was younger how when she used to hit or kill or yell at someone she used to feel a rush of guilt, anger, grief, now she only felt the emptiness creep away into her heart and turn it into stone as she slowly became the person she had sworn to her mother she would never be like.
Her father.
A/N Hello everyone! hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I know I had some fun writing it. Now I hope you all enjoyed Everra this chapter, as you can see her mother is a rather touchy subject for her. I wanted to create a character when I began writing this fanfic that was the protagonist of the story but was also a monster as well. I mean, Everra has and will do somethings that are completely monstrous and I hope you all manage to like her anyways. Please tell me your thoughts and thanks o everyone who reviewed and favourited/followed.
Also in regards to your question kawaiixkisses, Everra herself does not have the sight. In the first chapter the old woman says that Everra will see what could have happened herself and all the questions Everra had would be answered in time and the old women is the one who is responsible for sending the dreams in order to answer her questions.
Thanks again!