Émile d’Ames
Military
Anathema Cassiline; Guard to the Queen
"To conquer oneself is a greater victory than to conquer thousands in a battle.?
Posts: 463
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Post by Émile d’Ames on Dec 3, 2009 22:24:00 GMT -5
I led the way into the gardens. This particular space was mostly used by members of the royal family, while the Southern Gardens had been set aside for foreigners, but today the gardens were empty, as far as I could tell.
"Have you ever been in this part of the palace before?" I asked, wondering if he had ever been invited to a fete and allowed access to this place. Sometimes it was easy to forget that my position came with certain privileges. I found a bench and sat down, staring out at the flowers. "The guards on patrol might stare for a bit," I explained. "But as long as I do not try to set foot outside the grounds they will not bother us."
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Post by Keegan nó Orchis on Dec 3, 2009 23:11:45 GMT -5
“I’ve been to the halls and ballrooms, and a few private chambers but never here,” I answered.
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Émile d’Ames
Military
Anathema Cassiline; Guard to the Queen
"To conquer oneself is a greater victory than to conquer thousands in a battle.?
Posts: 463
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Post by Émile d’Ames on Dec 3, 2009 23:33:33 GMT -5
"Well," I nodded in the direction of the carefully arranged flowers and trees, "I suppose you were fortunate to run into me in the halls, then. There are few rooms in the Palace that are closed to me, I expect I will miss having the freedom to roam throughout the palace when I leave this life." I did not expect that Her Majesty would be able to trust me after what I did, and trust was necessary if I was to continue to ward her.
"Ah, but I am sure enough of your patrons come to you with sad tidings," I said. "Is that right? My mother and brother are adepts, but I imagine Orchis is a House of an entirely different character than Mandrake."
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Post by Keegan nó Orchis on Dec 5, 2009 15:52:16 GMT -5
“All patrons are different and come to me for different reasons, just as with other Houses,” I replied. “Would you like to share with me what has you in such straights or are you going to just keep hinting at it?”
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Émile d’Ames
Military
Anathema Cassiline; Guard to the Queen
"To conquer oneself is a greater victory than to conquer thousands in a battle.?
Posts: 463
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Post by Émile d’Ames on Dec 5, 2009 18:23:51 GMT -5
I sighed. "'Tis complicated, suffice it to say that it involves a Shahrizai woman and a wager which involved my trading a kiss for every time I apologized to her. I was curious, and perhaps a little drunk." I shrugged. "It seems like it happened a long time ago." I watched a butterfly land on a flower and fan out its wings, resting.
"I envy you adepts," I continued. "I am shackled to my vows in life and beyond death, but at least your period of indenture to your House will eventually come to an end and you may have lovers and children and those little white dogs that sit in one's lap as pets." I rested my hands in my lap, letting out a long sigh.
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Post by Keegan nó Orchis on Dec 6, 2009 0:59:41 GMT -5
"Our term of service only ends when we have served enough time honoring our vows," I countered. "Just as with Casselines. You can leave the service if you wish. It seems to me that you might not actually want to be a Casseline if you were tempted so far from your vows so easily."
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Émile d’Ames
Military
Anathema Cassiline; Guard to the Queen
"To conquer oneself is a greater victory than to conquer thousands in a battle.?
Posts: 463
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Post by Émile d’Ames on Dec 6, 2009 13:47:25 GMT -5
I bristled at his words. I was loathe to admit that he had a point. "Mayhap I suffer from Azza's sin and this period of penance is supposed to make me humble. In practice, it is mostly irritating and only somewhat humbling."
I sighed. "Were I to leave, I would only be a second son once again. Mayhap they would take me in Camlach. Could you picture me in the rank-and-file? I believe I can conjure up an expression that is suitably dour." I made the face for him, the particular expression that our training masters seemed to expect from us from the day we were given to the brotherhood.
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Post by Keegan nó Orchis on Dec 6, 2009 14:31:14 GMT -5
I chuckled at his expression. “I have never thought that it was one’s title that made one happy. If you are happy as a second son, or as a member of the rank and file, or as a stable hand that is what should matter,” I told him. I smiled at him. “You seem just about as far from happy as possible now; why not find what does make you happy?”
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Émile d’Ames
Military
Anathema Cassiline; Guard to the Queen
"To conquer oneself is a greater victory than to conquer thousands in a battle.?
Posts: 463
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Post by Émile d’Ames on Dec 6, 2009 15:49:55 GMT -5
I shrugged. "I cannot imagine doing anything else, I suppose. For now, I am content to remain by Her Majesty's side, warding her. But, were I not in this position, I should like to buy a large stable and breed horses. It was a silly dream I had in my childhood."
I stroked my chin thoughtfully. "Of course, I would have to actually own a pair of horses, and they are, unfortunately, beyond what Her Majesty pays me for my services, vow of poverty notwithstanding." I couldn't remember ever taking a vow of poverty, but I assumed that the Brotherhood would have come up with some justification for it. I might as well be under such a vow, as I seemed to be adept at breaking the ones I had already sworn.
I shrugged again. "It is really up to Her Majesty whether I will continue to serve or not, and I suppose if she were to allow it, I would return to following her around and making sure no assassin comes within striking distance of her, but I cannot see how she could ever trust me around women again." I made a rude noise. "I would not trust her guards with her safety, as dull as a royal life is. Do you know how much time she spends writing letters to foreign dignitaries and being shuffled about from one event to the other? The majority of D'Angelines know nothing of the woman that wears the crown."
I closed my mouth abruptly, afraid that I would say something especially scandalous. "Gods, I sound like I'm over the moon for her, do I not?"
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Post by Keegan nó Orchis on Dec 6, 2009 15:55:29 GMT -5
"You do," I agreed with a chuckle. I wondered at how good a guard he could really be when he so readily gave up secrets to a man he'd just met. In truth, he had no evidence I was even really an adept.
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Émile d’Ames
Military
Anathema Cassiline; Guard to the Queen
"To conquer oneself is a greater victory than to conquer thousands in a battle.?
Posts: 463
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Post by Émile d’Ames on Dec 6, 2009 16:14:36 GMT -5
"Hmph, 'twas not my intention to come across as such, I sound like the worst kind of gossip." I shook my head. "Tell me, Messire, do you imagine that you could gut a man or woman to save someone you loved?"
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Post by Keegan nó Orchis on Dec 6, 2009 16:18:32 GMT -5
"Yes," I said after a moment's thought. "I am very much in love with a woman and there is nothing I wouldn't do to keep her safe."
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Émile d’Ames
Military
Anathema Cassiline; Guard to the Queen
"To conquer oneself is a greater victory than to conquer thousands in a battle.?
Posts: 463
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Post by Émile d’Ames on Dec 6, 2009 16:45:29 GMT -5
I laughed bitterly. "I expect that everyone in your position would say the same, but I had a training master once who was forced to kill to protect his ward, lost his wits and was never quite the same afterwards. They train you for it, of course, but I sometimes wonder if their theorizing actually benefits the recruits."
I paused. "Well, apart from setting new recruits loose on bandits in the countryside, I suppose there is no way to teach the fine art of killing without actually doing any killing."
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Post by Keegan nó Orchis on Dec 6, 2009 18:12:28 GMT -5
“But protecting a ward is not the same as protecting someone you love. Duty and love are not the same thing,” I countered.
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Émile d’Ames
Military
Anathema Cassiline; Guard to the Queen
"To conquer oneself is a greater victory than to conquer thousands in a battle.?
Posts: 463
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Post by Émile d’Ames on Dec 6, 2009 18:48:52 GMT -5
"That is, I suspect, the reason for the vow of celibacy," I replied. "Oh, the Brotherhood will give some reason that has to do with discipline and the idea that everyone is a tempter or temptress waiting to draw you into the clutches of the Misguided, but the real reason is that love distracts one from one's duty." I chuckled softly. "Do you truly believe that we Cassilines see our wards as little more precious trinkets that need to be placed on a shelf so that no one can accidentally break them?"
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Post by Keegan nó Orchis on Dec 6, 2009 18:54:29 GMT -5
“Not at all, but I think that love can give you the strength to do and live with things you couldn’t do otherwise. You don’t have to love your ward, but you would have to love your service to be able to take a life with impunity, don’t you think? If you truly believe in your vows and love your path in the same manner that I love this woman then you would not feel guilt for taking a life or be so easily drawn from the path,” I replied.
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Émile d’Ames
Military
Anathema Cassiline; Guard to the Queen
"To conquer oneself is a greater victory than to conquer thousands in a battle.?
Posts: 463
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Post by Émile d’Ames on Dec 6, 2009 19:18:47 GMT -5
Unexpectedly, I grinned. "I wonder if this is what Her Majesty meant when she said I was an odd Cassiline. Mayhap she was referring to the fact that I smile more often than once in a blue moon. I rested my chin against my hand. "You have given me much to think about, Keegan no Orchis. I suppose I should speak to my ward." Her Majesty was a reasonable woman, and I thought that perhaps Landis would have some good advice--if he could manage to stop whoring around for a few moments in order to speak with me--but it would be some time before I was allowed to contact him.
"Ah, now, what were we supposed to be doing before I poured out my heart on the cobblestones?" I asked. "I believe you said something about joy being free, I suppose all this sorrow is costing me. I know I probably have some coppers somewhere in all this...padding...." I rummaged around until I managed to grasp a shiny silver centime. "Well, it appears you're in luck, Messire, the Cassiline actually has some decent coin on him today."
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Post by Keegan nó Orchis on Dec 6, 2009 22:32:35 GMT -5
“Ah no, just like joy, the advice was free,” I said, smiling back at him. I did take the coin from his hand though and with a flourish, made it disappear. “Ta da!”
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Émile d’Ames
Military
Anathema Cassiline; Guard to the Queen
"To conquer oneself is a greater victory than to conquer thousands in a battle.?
Posts: 463
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Post by Émile d’Ames on Dec 6, 2009 22:50:11 GMT -5
"That is a fine trick," I said, applauding. "But I once saw a man turn a flower into a field mouse, which was very impressive. Is there a trick that you know that would match his?" Granted, I was very young at that time, and probably would have been impressed if all that man had done was Keegan's coin trick, but it was fun to goad the adept a little.
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Post by Keegan nó Orchis on Dec 6, 2009 22:56:55 GMT -5
“Well,” I said with another flourish, making the coin reappear, and another one beside it. “Magic isn’t my primary skill, though I do know of an adept who is pretty good at it if you’d like a show.”
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Émile d’Ames
Military
Anathema Cassiline; Guard to the Queen
"To conquer oneself is a greater victory than to conquer thousands in a battle.?
Posts: 463
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Post by Émile d’Ames on Dec 6, 2009 23:07:20 GMT -5
"I wouldn't want to presume on another adept's time for the sole purpose of a magic show," I replied. "Another time, perhaps. What is your specialty? Is it always good to play to one's strengths."
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Post by Keegan nó Orchis on Dec 6, 2009 23:14:56 GMT -5
“General happiness and lightening a companion’s mood,” I said, smiling and handing him his coin back.
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Émile d’Ames
Military
Anathema Cassiline; Guard to the Queen
"To conquer oneself is a greater victory than to conquer thousands in a battle.?
Posts: 463
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Post by Émile d’Ames on Dec 6, 2009 23:23:25 GMT -5
I smiled. "Well, that is conveniently non-specific, but you seem to know your trade well, Messire, judging by how you have managed to lighten my mood since I first met you in the halls." I took the coin and slipped it into my pocket.
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Post by Keegan nó Orchis on Dec 6, 2009 23:27:18 GMT -5
“That’s why they just made me Second,” I said, grinning. “What else can I do to make you smile?”
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Émile d’Ames
Military
Anathema Cassiline; Guard to the Queen
"To conquer oneself is a greater victory than to conquer thousands in a battle.?
Posts: 463
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Post by Émile d’Ames on Dec 6, 2009 23:38:18 GMT -5
"My congratulations on your promotion, but I am not keeping you from important administrative duties, am I?" After all, he would be Dowayne someday, once the current dowayne passed on. "Although, I suppose if you were needed they would send for you."
I thought about his query for a moment, and then I grinned. "Well, you could start by finding me a horse and sending me on my way to Kusheth, but I hear horse-stealing carries the death penalty, and your head is too handsome for the chopping block, so I suppose a joke or two will do, or an amusing anecdote."
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Post by Keegan nó Orchis on Dec 6, 2009 23:42:57 GMT -5
“Well, there’s always the story about how the first time I ever tried to ride a horse, it stopped short and I went right over its head into a pond,” I said with a chuckle. “I was fourteen and just so sure of myself. After that day, the other adepts at Orchis called me ‘Soggy’ for two months and I kept finding carrots and apples and sugar cubes in my bed.”
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Émile d’Ames
Military
Anathema Cassiline; Guard to the Queen
"To conquer oneself is a greater victory than to conquer thousands in a battle.?
Posts: 463
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Post by Émile d’Ames on Dec 6, 2009 23:49:23 GMT -5
I laughed. "I suppose you learned your lesson and were extra careful the next time you found yourself astride a horse, am I right? It sounds like no blunder escapes notice at Orchis."
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Post by Keegan nó Orchis on Dec 6, 2009 23:51:25 GMT -5
“I have been much more careful every time I’ve been around horses since then,” I said, chuckling. “And no, nothing gets by the other adepts at Orchis.”
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Émile d’Ames
Military
Anathema Cassiline; Guard to the Queen
"To conquer oneself is a greater victory than to conquer thousands in a battle.?
Posts: 463
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Post by Émile d’Ames on Dec 7, 2009 0:02:02 GMT -5
I chuckled. "I am willing to wager that sometimes you wished that you were better suited for a House that did not notice such things, but perhaps the young are the same no matter where one is, always teasing each other and making mischief."
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Post by Keegan nó Orchis on Dec 7, 2009 0:04:41 GMT -5
“Ah no, I’ve never wanted to be anywhere but Orchis,” I told him, smiling. “I was born into my House and have always known I belonged.”
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