eachdraidh | video / action (?)

[ It's all misery footage, Caer Glaem in paltry glory: rammed gates, scratched walls, torn stone, upturned soil, roughened up trees. The locket's coverage pauses on each 'tourist attraction' from a high vantage point, briefly stumbling on hands that are exceedingly worn, blistered and bitten. ]

What has... what's... wrought this? How many dead does the court mourn, how many supplies were lost to - to enemy unknown?

[ A pause, then less startled, slightly cold. ]

...how do they wish us to make war upon each other, if they give siege first? Not the finest general, not the most accomplished tactician can devise strategy against Anaximander's unknown. Not Caesar - Caesar, who had little gain from the Gauls without paying the blood price, but at least he knew what enemy lay in wait.

And we? Look here. Remember this next you think the time is nigh to fight well and fight fairly: we are not armed with weapon or knowledge. We are played for puppets, and when our masters go without their laughs, our strings are cut.

[ Muttered. ]

'Lawkamercyme'. Hah. We do not even know what the word means, or who gave it to us for the telling.

[ ooc: ...and lo, a ~~much belated, for RL KO'd, APOLOGIES!~~ wild intruder appears in the Seelie court! He's given up his war declaration in favour of sheer horror at Ariadne's mad interior decorating skillz. Those who'd like to run into a Borgia need but look for the 'worker' who's... probably... holding... the tools by the wrong end. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

As often do the unlearned and children. Who's to say to what purpose they were taught the word? I have said it before: we have no proof that the command did not simply take the creatures away for the hour, the night, only to appease them until their deadlier return?

Would you kindly stop insulting them.

[Flora gently sighs to the choir of renewed quickly spoken complaints before speaking something in a hushed tone. They suddenly looked delighted and scatter off, leaving her to think on his words.

She frowns mildly.]

Intent often matters when you say such things. That aside, you almost make it sound like an accusation.

[Flora recalls what the king's said and laces her fingers together. She could be entirely wrong, and refuses to come to any conclusions without more information but she can't really argue Cesare on one front.

She breathes, conceding.]

You may have a point, though.

[ He does accuse, and shamelessly. But she's of the sort that seems keen to think the better of a man, so his voice turns light. ]

I do. We cannot trust easily. We cannot trust when knowledge is withheld. Search in your heart: you know it so.

[She very much does, giving the benefit of the doubt until she has reason to believe otherwise, and even then is often quick to forgive.

She does as he says and easily, worry plain on her face. She's always been the type to think things over.

And over, and over.]

I grant that there may be merit in what you say, but at the same time look at what's happened. Say what you will about us, and the nature of our stay here, but this is their home and the fairies are their subjects. What would the monarchs have to gain from letting either come to ruin?

I don't know - yet. But it's only one of many things of which we know nothing, because nothing is spoken. If we are loyal subjects, why such secrecy?

You could ask them and see what they say. ...And I don't mean taking them at their word, though you hardly sound like you need to be told that.

[There's no sarcasm, she's just making an observation, kindly at that.]

But not everyone here is loyal, and that's understandable. A lot of people don't want to fight at all, nor do they want anything to do with either side. I believe in disclosure and honesty, but sometimes there are secrets that need keeping.

With this, though....[She really hopes he's wrong. Heck, she really hopes she's wrong. ]

If our lives stand endangered, whatever the cause for secrecy, it is not enough. What of this holds meaning to you? What of this makes sense?

There are strange creatures unknown to us that make appearance, yet our monarchs keep their seats and speak nothing of them. They are come, and they will be gone, and then? We are meant to shrug and walk and forget? My horse was hunted, I took a scarring myself - am I meant to forget? Why do so few of you remember?

[Her tone is apologetic.]

Pardon me, I was speaking generally, but I don't think it holds with this. I don't think keeping secrets when lives are at stake is acceptable in the least. If either--if any one of the monarchs of either court knew or at least suspected something would happen, then they should have said something.

[Her voice hardens as she goes, but it's not him she's taking issue with, but the situation. ]

...Maybe they didn't or didn't anticipate this would happen. [She sounds like she wants to believe that, but can't, not entirely.]

Some may shrug, walk and forget as you say, because they're used to dealing with and fighting against monsters and strange creatures if not everyday then close enough to it to make little difference. It's not so much that they forget, but that this is normal for them.

I haven't forgotten. I don't like these circumstances and I don't like not knowing. And honestly, beings of shadow tend to be among the most tenacious. The ones that were around may have died, but more may come, who can say?

[She waits, then quietly adds.]

Truthfully, I...don't like that they showed up after the stars fell, when light was removed from the world. Maybe their appearance isn't the result of that, maybe their timing was completely incidental. I can't say without research.

[Flora dips her head though, her voice soft and sincerely apologetic.]

But, I am sorry for what happened to you and your horse.

[ He waits her out - he has to. Not because courtesy's so hard at play, but since her own mind's reason does the better work for him than persuasion ever could.

Finally: ]

We ask... so little, do we not? Or perhaps we want for much. But we give sweat and blood and life and effort. All we want is the truth.

[ A pause. ]

Never be too fearful to resent those who deny you truth.

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