Tiberius waited for the other man to unlock the tower, nearly vibrating with impatience. Struggled to put it away. This was the nature of family and wealth in Tevinter. In addition to not opening his own doors, some poor valet would be reassigned to shave and dress him too, soon enough. Complaining about it would only draw attention. He marched into the tower, looking toward the massive desk that dominated the center of the room.
And half expected to see the old man seated there, something venomous on his lips about how six years was a ridiculous amount of time spent in the snaring of a wife. Yet there was an empty chair, only. That desk you’d need an ox to move – now his. Another damn milord broke through the dark tread of his thoughts and Tiberius climbed after Tacitus in silence.
He’d never known about this room. A cell – or, perhaps vault was the better word. The way the air was close and very still, he wasn’t sure about its suitability for prisoners. Grandfather was there, painfully thin, dressed only in a filthy and ragged dressing gown. It was open, revealing a great deal of sagging skin and fine white hair. To Despair’s sight, an unfocused violet light nestled under the old man’s unbeating heart.
Such a weak elemental thing it was, hardly worth calling demon. When the Veil crumbled, had this parasite burden been too much for the frail old man? He could expel that creature with a drop of blood and a harshly worded sentence.
“Is appropriate really the word, Ursus? Needed, that I’ll grant you.” This seemed closer to blasphemy, to defilement. It was no less than the awful old bastard deserved. Tiberius sighed and turned away from his forebear’s wasted corpse. “Worry not. I wont begrudge you any actions taken to ensure the House’s survival.”
Tiberius began the climb back down, leaving the shade as he’d found it. It kept the body from rotting, if nothing else. He returned to the desk and ran his hands over the wood. This tower was mostly a library as it was – let it return to that. He and his wife would sleep elsewhere.
“You know, there was a time when I thought he’d kill me too.”
And half expected to see the old man seated there, something venomous on his lips about how six years was a ridiculous amount of time spent in the snaring of a wife. Yet there was an empty chair, only. That desk you’d need an ox to move – now his. Another damn milord broke through the dark tread of his thoughts and Tiberius climbed after Tacitus in silence.
He’d never known about this room. A cell – or, perhaps vault was the better word. The way the air was close and very still, he wasn’t sure about its suitability for prisoners. Grandfather was there, painfully thin, dressed only in a filthy and ragged dressing gown. It was open, revealing a great deal of sagging skin and fine white hair. To Despair’s sight, an unfocused violet light nestled under the old man’s unbeating heart.
Such a weak elemental thing it was, hardly worth calling demon. When the Veil crumbled, had this parasite burden been too much for the frail old man? He could expel that creature with a drop of blood and a harshly worded sentence.
“Is appropriate really the word, Ursus? Needed, that I’ll grant you.” This seemed closer to blasphemy, to defilement. It was no less than the awful old bastard deserved. Tiberius sighed and turned away from his forebear’s wasted corpse. “Worry not. I wont begrudge you any actions taken to ensure the House’s survival.”
Tiberius began the climb back down, leaving the shade as he’d found it. It kept the body from rotting, if nothing else. He returned to the desk and ran his hands over the wood. This tower was mostly a library as it was – let it return to that. He and his wife would sleep elsewhere.
“You know, there was a time when I thought he’d kill me too.”
05-08-2024, 07:16 PM
