She was, admittedly, a little sad when she and the assassin parted ways. Their destinations were off in opposite directions, their current goals not compatible to their aims, so the two would part amicably. The elf had been informative and helpful, despite the way in which some of his speech and mannerisms reminded her of Francesco. He neither attempted to dissuade her from choosing the path before her, assuming he understood a portion of how Adaria felt.
Finding the witch had been difficult. Narrowing down her location, Adaria had approached them with caution, pausing some small distance. She’d make herself comfortable, setting wards out to ensure her safety when dream walking. It would be wholly disappointing and embarrassing if she fell prey to some creature just wandering by. Nana would disown her. Father would… brushing the thought aside, the princess let her mind settle, seeking the mind of another, living being.
Finding her was simple and from the information garnered from her skimming through the minds of the others, not quite in the condition expected. The cause or reason behind the woman’s condition was out of the depth of Adaria’s experience, yet there were other means of teaching and Adaria was nothing if an attentive student. Especially with the amount of motivation behind her currently.
Waiting until slumber took most of the occupants, Adaria would slip into a waking dream, at first wandering the perimeter of her target's consciousness, observing the going on, the desires played out by the illusive witch of the wilds. After a moment, she would step through, fingers cradled in the small of her back as she’d tilt her head in greeting.
[color=#b20080]“Good evening, while I’d usually apologise for my interruption of your rest, it would be a lie.”[/color] The corners of her lips curled slightly. [color=#b20080]“I don’t, though, mean you or any of yours, harm. Rest assured of that.”[/color] Pausing, Adaria let the witch ask.. Or react when some stranger interrupted their dreams.
Morrigan had not been greeted in her dreams in a long time; but once upon a time her dreams had been how many made deals with her. So many favors were owed; and she planned to cash in on them. Her location was not easily discernible in her dreams, she did not want anyone to find her without her abilities, after all.
A girl's voice called out, and the witches lips pulled into a smile. Too friendly to be real. Evening, dreamwalker. What is you are seeking? No surprise, no real emotion on her features other than unnervingly pleased. She ignored the girls apology, dismissing it with a wave of her hand.
Unimportant.
It was also unimportant that the girl meant no harm. An easy lie, but nevertheless, not important.
The light amusement in her face grew marginally as the older woman returned her greeting. The ghost of a chuckle falling in succession to the directness of the Wild’s Witch question, appreciating the straight to business nature. Flattery wasn’t required, only an ounce of trust. Adaria’s expression grew momentarily thoughtful, searching for a word that would speed the lowering of fronts.
[color=#b20080]“Knowledge. Power. And with those two. Revenge.”[/color] After a moment, Adaria gave a half-hearted shrug. The ghostly blues stared at, or through Morrigan. [color=#b20080]“I want to kill my mother. The Necromancer Queen.”[/color]
I see. You can acquire knowledge, power, and revenge through many means. I'm familiar with many of those means. She faced the girl now, gaze trailing after her, keeping her in sight at all times.
The girl stated her target, and Morrigan chuckled mirthlessly. Ah, to kill one's mother. It's a feat with a rush you'll never forget. What do you barter with, child? She took a step closer, hands clasping behind of her back.
Some found the mind a mystery. Dreams, a way of understanding and navigating reality. To Adaria, each newly encountered mind was a stimulating puzzle and Morrigan was proving to be a superior one. It garnered respect from the young woman and with that came her frank honesty. [color=#9a00b2]“True. Some of those means, however, are short-sighted and I wish to see a legacy sustained, not wiped out once I leave this plane in my old age.” [/color]
Her jaw clenched briefly, this was not simply about revenge anymore. It was about honouring her Father’s memory, what he had wanted for his people, the dissolvement of the infighting between Houses that cost and ruined lives. His dream for Antiva to be a leader amongst its neighbours was idyllic, riddled with issues and obstacles, but it was a goal one should strive to no?
The betterment and happiness of all?
The question of payment though brought a curl to her lips. [color=#9a00b2]“I’ll admit, this is where my experience fails me. An example will allow me to gauge, but I’m not lacking in resources available to me.”[/color] Or she’d kill those who did. [color=#9a00b2]“Or, I can just offer you a favor, knowing full well the consequences of one could be limitless.”[/color] A smirk flashed. [color=#9a00b2]“Or, is there something specific you’d ask of me in exchange?”[/color]
Does your legacy depend upon your bloodline, girl? Or will you craft a legacy through alliances and ties like the last, great Queen Mother of Thedas? Asha Subira Dahadur Campana had been many things, but a skilled tactician, who crafted alliances and ensured her bloodline would hold ties in every land and her legacy would extend past Antiva, was the thing she was most known for.
Asha Campana had been Princess of Ayesleigh, wed to King Alonzo Campana. And all of Thedas had missed such a momental moment in their own histories; for the war between Nevarra and Orlais waged on. Antiva had been nothing at this time; a kingdom of pebbles and rocks, not gems and gold.
This girl stood before the witch, claiming she wishes a legacy sustained even after her death. And it is the only legacy that Morrigan recalls, that did not dwindle upon the death of the person that set the stone rolling down the hill.
Hm. You're much more direct, more honest, than your kindred. She reached to trail a sharply filed nail along the Campana girls' cheek. Good. Smart enough to weave webs, smart enough not to get caught. She does not answer for a while.
The silence isn't long, nor is it heavy. I want to see you unite Thedas against the common enemy. And in exchange, I'll provide the lessons you require to kill your mother.
Adaria grew amused, yet it was a smile that gave neither an answer or indication to what part of Morrigan’s question did so. [color=#9a00b2]“It’s so refreshing to meet someone who knows our line's importance, but,”[/color] a brow arched, [color=#9a00b2]“legacies are not all made by blood. Preferred, yes, but it's not necessarily dependent on it. Some are scourge.”[/color] She could count her own in some branches of their past and present tree, yet they had all been and were weak in character compared to the main branch. [color=#9a00b2]“I do intend to trim the diseased ones, in due time.”[/color]
Despite the dreamstate, Adaria frowned at being touched, she was standoffish, not touchy feely. [color=#9a00b2]“I find deception to be only useful on the weak minded. Morrigan of the Wilds, is not weak minded.”[/color] Fact, not flattery. Neither did she acknowledge the rare praise from the witch, only remaining still and patiently waiting on an answer.
While the task set before her aligned in some degree to her own, it was on a much grander scale. A pitched chuckle escaped, brows shrugged as she thought over it. There was little hesitation, only some posing questions. [color=#9a00b2]“I assume you mean the one they call Elgar-nan? The one who truly murdered my father. That is amenable. He considers my Mother his ‘pet’ so depriving him of her could cause him to slip…”[/color] so many ways… so little time to choose.
Morrigan's lips pulled into a dark grin, pleased with how the girl was putting two-and-two together. Ah, your mother's a caged bird, yet again. Best to put her from her misery, then. It was not as if they were two women, settling in to teach each other the best manners to kill a powerful page; as if they did not discuss how this might affect Elgar'nan.
It was as casual as anything else, and she even provided tea. They'd dive into how to compel one, using dreams and various mind magics. How to keep one in a dream state, trapped, to ensure they'd be easy enough to handle...
Morrigan had dirty tricks, things banned once by the Circles but now taught freely from her. She had ancient magics, things that would only work one time and one time only... She cautioned on prices; as everything had a price.
If you are not careful, the price you pay may be yourself. A caution, warning, an attempt to ensure the girl thought about what she was doing...
And should you require force to take Antiva, and bring it to unite with the other nations, visit me again. A Campana should rule; perhaps not this power-hungry thing, but Morrigan was looking to use Adaria as a means to an end...
An end to the feuds between each nation, so they may stand in the face of Elgar'nan.
It was funny, this union starting with the potential of death.
[color=#9a00b2]“My mother is well adapt at entrapping, entangling herself in a web of misery. It is her own undoing.”[/color] Her brows shrugged lightly, the witches dark grin garnering neither amusement nor disdain with the veiled encouragement. [color=#9a00b2]“I intend to have her understand a bit of what my Father suffered. It’s only fitting.”[/color]
She was an attentive pupil, asking probing questions only a detailed mind would think to ask. There were moments Adaria understood the answers given were vague, incomplete, yet in time she was confident enough that the intricacies would be revealed to her. If not by Morrigan, then by her own, careful discernment.
[color=#9a00b2]“I do not intend to be reckless with my life,”[/color] she’d assure her mentor. [color=#9a00b2]“There are too many things I wish to do, see, to die so early to enjoy it.” [/color]Her eye had never been on the throne itself, only in protecting it, ensuring this chaos ended. Her brother needed someone in the shadows, working the dark in his favour and in turn, shielding him.
Genuine amusement filled her face, [color=#9a00b2]“You underestimate my powers for genuine persuasion, but I will remember.”[/color]
This exchange was delicate, her task not impossible, but would require Adaria to draw on more than just her accolades and connections as nobility or her magic. The outcome would take time, but one caveat, one gaping wrong would soon be righted.
