Darling? He didn’t know if he’d go that far. Still, it was a useful impression to make upon the other Houses, so long as it was handled carefully. Mal’s warning from the night of the break in remained in his mind. Welcome concern from a friend, of course, but …
This brush with politics, the Archon’s favor, the halls of the Senate – that was the life Tiberius had been trained for. He’d been attending Grandfather and acting as his proxy during all those years when Enzo and Malachai had been building up their military careers. It wasn’t as if he’d been doing nothing. Perhaps one day they’d need his protection, too.
“Never.” He hadn’t known exactly how Enzo would receive him when he returned from Orlais, but those doubts were quite put to rest by now. Even at his lowest, he would not have imagined betrayal. Rather, a slow death to their close friendship – that Lyric might demand to be his only love, or that Pavus might love elsewhere in his time away.
Tiberius listened to Enzo’s short tale of the missing Eye, curious about all the bits left unsaid. Perhaps his agreement was required beforehand?
“Of course I’ll help. I owe you that much for the journals. Will we be going very far afield?” He’d need to send word back to his seneschal if this business called for travel.
This brush with politics, the Archon’s favor, the halls of the Senate – that was the life Tiberius had been trained for. He’d been attending Grandfather and acting as his proxy during all those years when Enzo and Malachai had been building up their military careers. It wasn’t as if he’d been doing nothing. Perhaps one day they’d need his protection, too.
“Never.” He hadn’t known exactly how Enzo would receive him when he returned from Orlais, but those doubts were quite put to rest by now. Even at his lowest, he would not have imagined betrayal. Rather, a slow death to their close friendship – that Lyric might demand to be his only love, or that Pavus might love elsewhere in his time away.
Tiberius listened to Enzo’s short tale of the missing Eye, curious about all the bits left unsaid. Perhaps his agreement was required beforehand?
“Of course I’ll help. I owe you that much for the journals. Will we be going very far afield?” He’d need to send word back to his seneschal if this business called for travel.
07-24-2024, 02:55 PM
