the ticking of the clock seems slower & slower
January 7, 2020; King’s Landing
Just after 4 o’clock in the morning, a shriek is heard from the portrait gallery, causing detectives and guests alike to scurry toward the commotion. No one is certain of what they will find, but they are surprised at what they do.
Set up on a pedestal, neatly arranged to look like an art installation, complete with fiberglass cube overtop of it, is Balon Greyjoy’s heart.
A note accompanies the discovery, taped to marble pillar with shocking precision, the ink so red one of the detectives is overheard asking whether or not it is actually written in the man’s own blood. Though the contents of the note are not publicly released, the witness who found the heart repeats it to anyone who asks.
Your heart can rest in a morgue, dissected so much that it will never return to the salt from which it came.
The note displays a shocking knowledge of information regarding historical Ironborn funeral rituals, though it goes over the heads of most. [ In the War of the Dragons, many Ironborn had died on the seas and shores away from the Iron Islands. While the bodies were often given to the Drowned God of the Sea, their hearts were always sent home for burial on the island they had come from. This practice is woefully outdated and history books only mention this in the most obscure sense. It is a fact that only the most learned in the Drowned God would know. ]
Many attendees are filled with revulsion and some even faint. After this discovery, it is incredibly difficult for the staff and the detectives to keep order. Most guests are questioned a second time, the detectives wanting to be seen as doing something. After his second interrogation, GENDRY BARATHEON is arrested and brought into custody, though the exact charges are unclear as he was never seen anywhere near the family wing of the house. ROBERT BARATHEON, his father, in a shocking display of paternal care that he has never before displayed, argues with a detective until he is blue in the face and the detective is lying on the ground with a broken jaw. Father and son are handcuffed at the same time and led out of 14 Valyrian Way a little after 5 o’clock in the morning.
More interviews continue, with an emphasis placed on those closest to the BARATHEONS. At 5:30 in the morning, EDDARD STARK is arrested alongside JON ARRYN, both men looking resigned yet confused at this strange turn of events.
The final arrest comes just before anyone is allowed to leave, with VISERYS TARGARYEN being led out of the ballroom in handcuffs. Angry and thirsty for revenge, THEON GREYJOY punches him just once before the prince is led out into a waiting car.
For the remaining attendees, there is little left to do but speculate, since it is quite clear that there is little possibility that all of these men worked together to kill the Prime Minister.
No, some whisper, Military Intelligence is simply grasping at straws and hoping something will stick.
The remaining guests are finally allowed to leave around 6 o’clock in the morning, just as the first hints of dawn arrive, the red sky ominously reflecting on the snowfall that had accumulated on the cobblestones during the night. Though the detectives have no desire to allow anyone to leave, they cannot hold hundreds of guests without probable cause - especially not now that their lawyers are awake and already threatening legal action against Military Intelligence.
After the guests have left, detectives comb through the house once more looking for any clues they may have missed. It is during the sweep of the third floor that they find the body of GREATJON UMBER, a well-known proponent of Northern independence and a former professional boxer from the North. Further inspection shows that he fought off his attacker as best he could and the detectives are flummoxed that one person could overpower two strong men with none being any the wiser.
JON UMBER’S death is kept from the press at this point in time, though it does not take long for the rumors to circulate. It appears that anyone who was able to leave the Prime Minister’s Residence was, in fact, quite lucky.
the aftermath
Upon arrival at Military Intelligence Offices, EDDARD STARK confers with his attorney and is visited by the newly abdicated RHAEGAR TARGARYEN. He is released before ever being booked, though the papers question his honor at every turn, convinced that he has something to hide.
ROBERT BARATHEON is released from jail on JANUARY 8. His assault of the detective is swept under the rug thanks to a generous donation from an anonymous party. His son, GENDRY, is released on JANUARY 9, on a hefty bond and has his passport taken from him. Baratheon money, the papers note, can cleanse even the evilest person of all manner of sins.
VISERYS TARGARYEN, it turns out, remains a diplomat and as such has diplomatic immunity. He is held for the maximum period of time [ three days ] before being released into the custody of his elder brother.
JON ARRYN, however, remains in jail on trumped-up charges of murder that make sense to no one. The people of the VALE begin to riot in THE EYRIE and there are several demonstrations planned for KING’S LANDING in the coming weeks.
logistics
You may now roleplay until FEBRUARY 28, 2020, in rp time. Your character[s] may be anywhere in Westeros, as train travel has become very efficient. Social events that your characters can attend will be posted within the next couple of days. If you have any ideas for public events or if you’d like your character[s] to host anything, please message the main! Please also let me know if you have any questions.
Please post any open starters in the wod:starter tag and remember to respond to open starters!