Arylon Family/The Disappearance of Lyanna Arylon

What follows is an account of the mysterious abduction of Lyanna Arylon, Lord Speaker of Sirion, Duchess of Osmeneliath and Margravine of Sirion City. It covers the night of her disappearance, as well as the events immediately after involving her husband Monterys Valeryon, and her half-brother Rearden Arylon, both of whom set off for Alexandria seeking answers.

In the Gardens of Sirion at Dusk

Evening had begun to on the Gardens of Sirion City, and Lyanna was restless. Dusk still kissed the landscape, but darkness was creeping upon the Republican Palace, and it would not be long before it would be impossible to make her way through the intricate maze of plant life that stood in front of her home.

Much had been on her mind of late, and increasingly she had turned to solitude in response. Walks like these were her escape. But escape from what? In truth, her life was ideal. She enjoyed great wealth, she was among the most important citizens in Sirion, she had a title of great esteem, and she had a wonderful, loving husband in Monterys. She had achieved much, and at a very young age which should have filled her with great satisfaction.

And it did. But it also was a heavy burden. The trappings of government and politics, her ducal responsibilities, managing the city of Sirion, and still finding time for her husband were exhausting to maintain. She worked from sun up to sun down with very few breaks, her mind constantly challenged by the various problems she was asked to solve, and she was constantly left feeling drained by the time night fell. This was one of those nights, and once again she sought silence and peace to calm her mind.

The walk, unfortunately, was not helping. There was more than bureaucratic duty and political machinations weighing on her this night.

It had been three weeks since she had expected to, and still she had not bled. She felt different. Her breasts were tender to the touch, and she had been nauseous every morning for the past week. She knew what this all meant. Even though she had never been with child before, it was indisputable that was now carrying her husband's line inside of her.

Lyanna had been searching for a way to tell Monterys, but had yet to summon the courage to do so. She didn't know what the source of her trepidation was -- her husband was a loving man, would be a wonderful father, and the two of them had talked extensively of their desire to have children. She knew that once she did tell him, he would be happy, and yet she was still afraid for some reason. Perhaps it was that telling him would make it real for her, and she was terrified of being pregnant. So many women lost children at the very moment they thought they were bringing a new life into the world, and so many others died in the process of having them. What if that was her? Would Monterys still love her if she lost the child? Was it possible she might die from this experience?

These thoughts swam through her head as she continued to walk through the gardens. It was late enough that the light had now drained away almost fully. She didn't have much time left to get back, but fortunately she had just come to The Citizen, the famous colossal statue at the entrance of the garden, just in front of the palace.

She loved this statue. She loved it for what it represented about the realm she loved -- that sovereignty stems from the people, and that the highest calling of ones life it to serve in an act of statesmanship for one's people. It was this sentiment that made Sirion the greatest realm of the East, to her.

Lyanna gazed up at the remarkable face of The Citizen, carved in marble to represent all men of Sirion. His face was both familiar, and alien. Recognizable, and yet mysterious. The statue was famous in no small part to the enigmatic nature of the figure itself. It had... a quality that many found indescribable, and yet magnetic. Even after seeing it nearly every day for years, she still marveled at it just the same.

Just as Lyanna drew her eyes down from the statue to the courtyard ahead, she noticed a dark figure ahead of her nearly ten paces. He stood tall, and was wearing a the darkly colored clothing of a man seeking trouble, and a black mask that allowed her to see only the sharp blue color of his eyes. He had a knife in his hand.

Dread filled Lyanna. She had chosen to walk this night alone and unarmed, thinking she was safe in her own home. She was a capable woman, but her ability to defend herself was limited in this kind of a situation.

"You are coming with me," his snake-like voice hissed at her. "Don't resist." As he said it, she became aware of another figure approaching behind her.

As the first figure began to walk toward her, Lyanna's eyes grew narrow as she frantically tried to think of a way of the situation. His eyes, she thought. Go for his eyes.

Just then, she dropped to the ground with the speed of a predator and grabbed a handful of dirt in her hand. Roaring back upward, she tore at the man in front of her, and thew the dirt in his exposed eyes. Blinded, he let out a howl of pain and shock, dropping the knife as his hands instinctively covered his eyes. Lyanna took this moment and exploited it before he had a chance to recover, grabbing his dropped knife and plunging it directly into his neck. Blood exploded out of the wound, and the man coughed a hideous, gurgling breath that would prove to be his last. He dropped to the ground with a great thump, nearly tripping Lyanna in the process.

Just as he fell, the man behind her had closed the distance and he lunged himself at her, tackling her to the ground violently. In the process of the collision the knife was knocked from her hand, tumbling several feet away. The other man -- also draped entirely in black, obscuring his appearance -- took the opening her defenselessness gave him, and pinned her arm behind her back while shoving her face into the dirt, paralyzing her momentarily.

"You'll pay for that, bitch," he spat at her.

She grunted, trying to find a way to regain some leverage to escape his hold. "Coward."

"Shut up!" The anger in his voice was remarkable. Interesting, she thought, anger can be a weakness. A weakness I can exploit.

"What's the matter," her voice dripped with mockery and ridicule, "are you angry a little girl like me killed your friend?"

"He wasn't my friend!" he howled.

"Nor was he a man. Nor are you."

That last comment cut at him, and he responded by driving her face further into the ground and causing her to lose the air from her lungs. "I said shut up!"

Lyanna coughed. The dirt she had just sucked in was extremely painful, and she couldn't breathe easily anymore. Summoning every ounce of her strength, her groggy voice croaked another insult. "No one with a cock," she coughed, "would lurk in the shadows and try to attack an unarmed woman while hiding their face. Tell me, when was it your cock was stolen from you?"

His rage was predictable. Men like this were easy to antagonize, and she had counted on him being the simpleton that he apparently was. With a white hot fury, the man roared and picked her up before slamming her back down on the ground and kicking her in the face. His brutality stunned her momentarily and his boot had definitely broken her nose, causing her to gush blood. But she was no longer trapped, and her hands were free.

As he once again moved toward her, Lyanna sprung up and dove on the man, clawing at his face viciously. With her left hand she was able to scrape his face, leaving a massive gash on the right side of his cheek. With her right, she was able to sink her thumb into his left eye, using her nail as a small knife. She felt the warm, soft tissue surrounding her thumb as it sunk deeper into his eye socket. He screamed in horror, with a shriek that had to have been heard inside the palace. Monterys. He will hear. He will come. My husband will save me.

Lyanna refused to let go of the man, pressing ever deeper. As she did, he briefly recovered and he was able to bring his hands up to her neck, wrapping his fingers tightly around her windpipe. Her vision became blurry, and her strength lessened.

In desperation, she lifted her boot and kicked it against his chest, pushing her away from him. They both fell to the ground, exhausted and hurt. Lyanna coughed, and the man held his hand up to his now mangled eye.

Monterys will come. He will hear. My husband will rescue me.

They were her last thoughts before the darkness. Another figure had emerged from the shadows holding a club. While she was distracted, he hit her in the back of the head, knocking her out cold.

As the man gagged her and bound her hands, sounds could be heard coming from the Republican Palace. Someone was coming. Someone had heard.

He and his injured companion moved quickly to escape on horseback with an unconscious Lyanna and the dead body of their compatriot in tow.

Training Grounds of Sirion City, A Short Time Later

"Monterys!" Scream of Ser Goswin filled the air of the training grounds where Monteys sparred with his new squire. Ser Goswin was a minor noble and a captain in charge of his riders, the Galadrim, but also a very close friend. "Quickly! Lyanna...she..she is missing!" the captain shouted. Monterys tossed the sparring sword away and grabbed the scabbards that held his twin blades.

"Gather the Galadrim and surround the Palace. Send runners to all the militia captains and shut all city gates. No one gets out!" He barked at Goswin and called the squire with his hand. "You - with me!"

Monterys was infuriated as the storm was brewing within him. He started sprinting first to her private chambers and then to the dining halls, pushing and shoving the confused and screaming servants and chamberlains. The Lady of Sirion was missing. His wife was missing and millions of questions burdened his mind.

How can this be happening? Where were her guards? Where was he? It was his fault, he was sure, only his fault. He should've been more careful, more caring about her safety. But how was it possible for someone of Lyanna's station to just disappear in the middle of Sirion? Was there a larger conspiracy afoot? There must be. Who took her away? Is she being tortured? Is she...killed. Darkness fell on his mind as panic and anxiety gripped his heart. Sorrow and rage tortured him at the same time just as the horn of the Galadrim sounded from the gardens. Madness maddened, Monterys rushed towards the sound of the horn.

With his twin blades unsheathed from the scabbards he ran towards the gardens. There, the Galadrim surrounded the Citizen with their swords drawn out. "Goswin," Monterys whispered anxiously, "what have you found".

"She is not in the Palace." the captain replied with sorrow in his voice. "The guards and militia are still searching the city. We're going to find her, Monterys." Monterys scoffed, powerless and weak. He never knew how to react in situations like these when his personal emotions were in jeopardy and when he had to reveal them to anyone else but Lyanna. From the perspective of a careless onlooker one would think that he was just angry. But the truth was that he was heartbroken and wounded like never before. Almost paralyzed.

"We found this, though." Goswin continued. "A blade of strange origin. It shone in the moonlight just before the moon was eclipsed by the clouds. There is a strange engravement on the tilt. I have never seen these before." Goswin handed the blade to Monterys.

It was a curved dagger that looked like a weapon of an assassin. The blade was masterfully crafted. Monterys examined the tilt. The engravement was familiar to him, much to his surprise. He was a stranger to this continent that knew very few things outside of Sirion, yet his mingling with other nobles in different occasions seemed to have paid off. Politics and courtesy finally paid off, he though to himself. During the tournament in Kalmar he remembered a noble having one like these. The engravement displayed a rare flower that could only be collected around the volcano. A special flower called a fire blossom that glowed a faint red at night, almost like it was on fire, Monterys reminisced the conversation.

"It is an Alexandrian blade." Monterys spoke with a sinister voice. "Search the city, Goswin. Find her. Our fate depends on it."

As the Galadrim moved away, Monterys was left alone with his thoughts. He tried to remember the name of that noble from Kalmar, but the name was simply slipping away. "Bah...I will find him. One way or the other.

Sirion City, Two Days After Lyanna's Abduction

Two days have gone and the search for Lyanna yielded absolutely nothing. No one saw her. She disappeared without a sight. Monterys spent the days in the saddle, looking for her everywhere. He started drinking, a lot, his mind and heart poisoned by the grief for his beloved wife. She was gone.

To top it all off, those bloody clerks in the capital started a new referendum for capital's governorship, according to the rules of this Republic that allowed her to be taken away from him. Republic he began to hate and despise. New candidates for Sirion city arose, further supporting his own paranoia of a possible Sirionite conspiracy that loomed over his now fragile mind. He despised them all for taking advantage of the situation.

He tried to compose himself, but it was difficult. The only trace he had was that dagger. Alexandrian dagger. In the middle of Sirion. It looked way too easy that someone from Alexandria sent an assassin with an Alexandrite knife to Sirion. It looked fake. But it was all he had and he could not accept his wife to simply disappear. There was still time, he comforted himself, she must be alive and he must find her.

As the nights grew longer Monterys devised a plan. He will set out on his own and find her. Alexandria was a stretch but it was the only thing he had. But he will need help in this quest. In Monterys' now fragile mind Sirion didn't care much about Lyanna since they decided to immediately find someone else to replace her. And it was always possible someone from Sirion might have been one of the conspirators.

Monterys then considered Rearden for help. He knew Rearden from before. Rearden was a half-brother to Lyanna and a man he respected much, despite the modest life he lead in the past. Rearden was now knighted, a true man of House Arylon. He will care for his sister. He must care. And he may just be the last man in Sirion Monterys could trust.

Monterys took a parchment and started to write a letter meant for Rearden Arylon, son of the former High King of Everguard, Fisc Arylon and the half brother of Lyanna.

Later That Evening, Monterys' Private Study, Sirion City

"Toss the letters into the flames, Goswin".

Monterys murmured after reading Fingolfinir's and Zadek's letters. Those were reasonable words. Too reasonable. Like something someone would said if he expected someone would ask.

"Let's go."

Few hours later the Galadrim were assembled in front of the great bank of Sirion. Mounted and armored, waiting for their Lord to arrive. Monterys exited the bank, followed by servants that carried a few chests. Bonds transformed into solid gold. Insurance for the journey ahead.

The riders then reached the western city gates where Rearden and his entourage waited. Mixed feelings of sorrow and pride overwhelmed Monterys as he glanced at the warrior in front of him. He laid his hand on Rearden's shoulder. "It is so good to see you, brother. The time has arrived. We ride for Kalmar."

"For Lyanna!" Monterys shouted at his soldiers and his wife's loyal servants that have decided to follow him on this journey. "For Lyanna!" they all shouted back, and then the assembly set off outside the gates of Sirion city, to Trinbar and then beyond.

The Republican Palace of Sirion, 3 Days After Lyanna's Abduction

Rearden sat in the Ducal study in the Republican Palace of Sirion, sipping out of a glass of Dragon Fire, a powerful gain alcohol rather famously produced in the city. Lyanna had a stock of Fire in the study, and her husband Monterys had broken into the stash rather heavily in the last couple of days.

He had requested to see Rearden to talk over the investigation into Lyanna's disappearance, and was now sitting -- drunk -- in the chair in front of him, ranting about betrayal, and the possible duplicity of the Alexandrians. As they talked, Rearden was struck by how irrational Monterys was being. He vacillated between thinking that the high nobility of Sirion was responsible, to vowing to hunt down the assassins from the south-west that may have taken her. Rearden also suspected, despite his insistence otherwise, that a great deal of the rage and volatility was based in a deep-seeded belief that Lyanna had been killed, and that he would never see her again. He claimed he believed she was taken, but the grief and anger said he feared the worst.

Rearden, on the other hand, truly did believe that Lyanna was alive, and perhaps because of that he was more logical and rational in his response, though he was no less upset. Lyanna had long known of Rearden's parentage, having discovered the truth some time ago. Since then, they had both agreed to keep his lineage a secret, but she had always treated him as family, and supported him anytime he was in need. Monterys had only recently learned who Rearden was after having used his services for the repair of a powerful item that was moments away from disintegration, and questioning him about his personal history. That knowledge was why he had been summoned.

Prior to sitting down to talk to him, Rearden had been spending most of the past two days investigating the disappearance of Lyanna. He had spent hours interrogating the Palace Guards, her personal attendants, and anyone else who may have either seen her, or her assailants on the night she was taken. Unfortunately he was unable to find anything helpful, beyond what Monterys had already discovered about the knife left at the scene.

"It was Zadek," Monterys growled. "Or one of the other ones. I know it. He challenged her for stewardship of the city when she was first elected. He always wanted Sirion. The bastard. He got rid of her, and now he is going to take her city."

Rearden shook his head. He had been trying to shake Monterys off this line of thinking for some time now, but it wasn't working. He had pointed out that Zadek and Lyanna were friends, and that he was very supportive of her career even if they did compete from time to time. He had also pointed out that in his time as an adventurer, when no one knew his parentage and he was an unimportant commoner, Zadek -- and the rest of the Sirion aristocracy -- treated him with great respect, even going so far as to defend Rearden when the Shadow King was calling for his head.

He knew that Zadek wasn't involved, nor was anyone else from Sirion. These were good people. They loved his sister, and she loved them. This was engineered from elsewhere.

"Monterys, you know that I do not think it was anyone from Sirion," Rearden said quietly in his deep baritone. Lyanna's husband grunted loudly with his displeasure. "We have a lead. The knife."

"The knife?" he howeled,"you fool, that was planted there to throw us off the scent. No one would have left something that could have identified them like that..."

"Unless," Rearden continued, "they never expected to be in for a fight. Assassins can be remarkably arrogant. He likely thought a small noblewoman would be easily taken. And he likely had help. But clearly underestimated your wife."

Monterys, still drunk, looked at him quizzically, clearly confused.

"I investigated the area. There was a lot of blood, but it was clear from the foot patterns in the dust and where the blood was found that multiple assailants were hurt by her. In fact, a large pool formed in one area where I am certain the dead body of a large man had fallen. I also found..." he swallowed, considering the horrific nature of what he was about to say, "an eyeball."

Monterys coughed in his drink.

"It was found in the bushes. It had been savagely pulled out, and showed clear damage from what I think was a fingernail being pressed into it."

A dark smile crept up on Monterys face. If Rearden had to guess, he would say it was... pride.

"So you think these assailants were Alexandrian?"

"I'm not saying that. It is possible, though," replied Rearden.

"The blade was definitely Alexandrian. There was a man who had a similar knife in Kalmar some time ago."

Rearden nodded. "And the eye was dark. As we know, the south is filled with dark-eyed peoples. That isn't proof, but it does suggest that whoever did this, they came from there."

Monterys nodded. "It is my intention to travel to the Court of the Tidemaster and conduct an investigation from the shadows. I may be able to find the man I once knew who wielded a knife similar to this." He fingered the knife along the edge of the blade.

Implicit in this statement was a request to join him on his quest.

"We are family, Rearden," he said, raising his glass to his lips and taking another sip. Hearing Monterys refer to him as family was both shocking, and incredibly touching. Just weeks ago, he was an anonymous commoner, and now he had a brother. "It is our duty to find her," he continued. "You and I have spent many days together, and I know you are a man of great worth. Now you are also a true noblemen, and there is nothing more noble than finding our beloved ones when they are taken away from us."

After a moment, Rearden nodded causing Monterys to smile broadly. "I will go with you, brother," he said, "but it will not just be us."

Again, Monterys looked confused.

"I have been in touch with the Queen of Perdan, Queen Alyssa, Lyanna's greatest friend. I hope you don't mind, but I asked her her support in finding Lyanna."

"No," he replied, "I had planned to do the same. Those two were closer than friends. They were virtually sisters."

"Indeed. And Alyssa quickly expressed her outrage, and pledged to send an agent to us to aid in the investigation. A Perdanese commoner named Devon -- who apparently has the Queen's trust -- has already arrived in the city, and has pledged to aid us in our efforts trying to locate her. He stands ready to depart with us at our discretion."

At this news, Monterys sprung up from his chair and rushed over to Rearden, raising his hand in the air, bent at the elbow. Rearden responded by clasping his hand together with Monterys in triumph.

=Spire of the Bewitching Siren at the City of Kalmar, Alexandria, 4 Days After the Abduction

Rearden approached the guards outside the Throne Room of the Tidemaster of Alexandria, Daizen Tideweaver. He had been told Daizen was -- selectively -- accepting audiences at this time, and that if he announced himself and his business, it was possible he may be able to secure a meeting. It was also possible he could be unceremoniously rebuffed.

The two men guarding the door were massive, and looked like hard men of many years. Not the type to trifle with.

"I am here to speak with the Tidemaster, if he will see me" The guards were unmoved by his admittedly spartan words. "I am Rearden, of the House Arylon. My sister is Lyanna Arylon, who was until one week ago the Margravine of Sirion City, and the Lord Speaker of Sirion. She has been taken in what our evidence suggests was a brutal abduction."

Still, the guards did not move.

"Found at the scene was a dagger..." Rearden continued, as he pulled out the blade. This, it seemed, got their attention. "It has been identified as having likely been crafted here in Alexandria."

One of the guards reached his hand out and took the strange knife from Rearden's hand. It was masterfully crafted, shone in even the dimmest light, and had a curious engraving of what appeared to be a flower on the handle. The blade itself was curved and looked ideal for the sleek, quick motions of an assassin.

The guard that held the knife seemed to make note of the engraving, showing the handle to the other, and pointing directly at it. Monterys had told him that the flower represented a very rare flower -- known as a Fire Blossom -- that was only known to grow near the great volcano that loomed over Kalmar. His brother-in-law had seen an engraving like this once before, during the tournament in Kalmar, possessed by an Alexandrian. This had led Monterys to believe that either Alexandria itself was responsible for Lyanna's abduction, or that someone was trying to frame the Alexandrians for the abduction. Admittedly, Rearden could see only those two options as well, but was unsure which he felt was more likely.

After whispering between them for a moment, the guard with possession of the dagger straightened himself and spoke in a loud, thundering baritone. "Stay here, I shall see if the Tidemaster is available and will see you."

He then spun quickly, opened the door to the throne room, went inside, and closed the door behind him. Rearden had no idea if he would get an audience, but he did count it as good fortune that it seemed they were at least willing to consider letting him speak with Daizen.

And now he waited.