☩ ０１２． ＴＥＸＴ

[mansuetus]

Audentes fortuna iuvat.

Does fortune favors us, Tranquility?

Caesar himself was quite devoted to boldness and fortune; alea jacta est he said and the goddess of fortune favored him for many years.

in the end, she did not. it is a tricky thing, fortune and quite a riddle to guess.

[ that aside ]

An assistance is needed! For baking a cake to a friend whom I favor greatly and who, I decided, celebrates his birthday today.

Comments

action;

[elvenking]

I said not so. He wishes only for her safety and happiness. The trouble is that Arya is inclined to do the opposite of what she is told she must do. [He hesitates, considering.] Has he spoken to you of the matter?

action;

[mansuetus]

Some children are like that, I was told.

[ she would not know; all the Borgia children did as their father told; duty and family above all. Cesare wore the robes of the cardinal against his wishes, Lucrezia was sold to a man as one would sell a sheep. ]

No. He speaks little of his worries; I imagine he does not wish to burden me with those.

[ that doesn't come to say she approves, not at all. ]

action;

[elvenking]

[That's disappointing. The whole point of the turn this conversation took was to try to get information.]

She dresses as a boy. I wonder if that is also a rebellion, though I know not why it should matter.

action;

[mansuetus]

I do not know that Robb knows, himself. The best I can do is ask.

[ or more, prepare a time to ask. it is not as simple as many would have guessed but that is Lucrezia's specialty. ]

And see what he has to say of her.

action;

[elvenking]

I should be grateful, for I fear for her. I would do all in my power to keep her from traveling as dark a path as she seems to venture to.

action;

[mansuetus]

In that I am certain you and him are united. Brothers always care for their sisters. Cesare would mind my every step were he here.

And I his.

action;

[elvenking]

You think I would be your brother?

[His care is more like a father's, but not everyone here understands how old he really is.]

action;

[mansuetus]

[ when lucrezia borgia thinks of brother she thinks of only one. Cesare is in her mind at all times, Cesare is her whole heart, he is her other half; her darker half, he would claim but she knows them to be the same. whatever that it is, between them, fierce love like no other, it does not repeat in anyone else. ]

No. More of a second father to my Holy One.

action;

[elvenking]

Ah. That is better.

Now. Tell me of your One God, for I am most curious. We have Eru Ilúvatar, the Father of All, but he put us in the care of the Valar and remains outside the circles of the world.

action;

[mansuetus]

God - there is one, certainly and it is He who created our world; though he did not leave guardians for us. There are his angels and some say they are guardians but they are not upon the Earth. They are more -- they act according to His will but their place is with Him, not with us.

action;

[elvenking]

On Arda there are the Maiar--half-gods, perhaps. But they do have free will, and may turn against the Valar and Ilúvatar if so they choose. In Doriath, our queen was a Maia who fell in love with our king. For him she remained in Middle-earth and returned not to Aman till his death. I know not if this is like your angels.

action;

[mansuetus]

The angels who have turned against Him are called fallen angels; they are not allowed to refuse His authority. Lucifer is the known one; they are all bad spirits, wicked.

action;

[elvenking]

But Melian turned not against the Valar. She loved Thingol, and after his murder she returned to them.