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[kajimatakeshi]

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[wisdomofdunscaith]

[Seeing his current state, Scathach has already determined the best possible course. Risking him facing these nightmares again before he can tell of his sordid tale would be a mistake.]

Perhaps not where others may listen.

My quarters should be a better place to discuss this matter. [She turns to face where she'd emerged from,] If you would follow me... [then waits for him to fall into step before beginning the walk back.]

[asaviorshand]

Your quarters? V-very well.

[The thought that this is the first time he'd be entering a woman's room crosses Dimitri's mind, and it's enough to make his cheeks redden. Fortunately, that's hard to see in the dim light. He tries not to let it show and simply focuses on following Scathach.]

[wisdomofdunscaith]

[Scathach, for her part, didn't think much of it. This was merely helping one of her subjects for the foreseeable future find some measure of safety in the foreign environment he was in; her room was simply the more sensible choice, rumors be damned. If those around her thought ill of the choice, they would have to answer to her.

For being queen of the Land of Shadows, Scathach's room is rather simply made, lightly furnished, with a desk and chair in one corner, and a comfortable bed in the corner opposite it; any decorations came from her quarries, the many times she had fought -- not just to ward off those invading her lands, but the monsters she had killed. It let her keep track of how much she'd done in the pursuit of heights most would deem improbable, inconceivable. And it gave her something to do that wasn't otherwise senseless bloodshed.

As soon as they were inside, she settles on the bed, quietly offering Dimitri a chance to take the chair.]

...Now, then. [She adjusts herself, ready to listen.] You may begin with what you feel most comfortable with.

[asaviorshand]

[Dimitri nods, then sits in the chair. He doesn't let his back rest against it, instead leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. His gaze goes on a downward angle, and he doesn't appear to be focusing on anything.]

It started with my father conducting diplomatic negotiations with a region known as Duscur. Their people had a culture different from the rest of Fódlan as a whole, much less Faerghus. They followed different gods, spoke a different language, had different customs and cuisine, and their skin was darker than ours. But Father believed that we could engage in peaceful diplomacy that would benefit both the Kingdom and Duscur. Eventually, the negotiations reached a point where Father would have to go in person to continue. He took myself, his wife -- my stepmother -- and a platoon of his best knights to escort us.

Along the way...we were ambushed. Unknown assailants, all with large hoods to obscure their faces, assaulted us from the shadows. I still remember...as vividly as if it had happened only yesterday...the carriages catching fire, the panicking horses, the look on my father's face as he burned alive...the cries of agony and suffering, the begging for release...

[Dimitri's breathing becomes ragged at this point, and he's forced to pause for a moment to steady himself. He takes two deep breaths, which seems to help him return to a normal breathing pattern.]

...I alone managed to survive. I know not why, or whether or not it was deliberate, but out of all the people in our caravan, I was the only one allowed to walk away with my life. Father, Stepmother, my childhood friend Glenn...after that day, they were all gone.

[wisdomofdunscaith]

[...hm.] A scab that has festered for what feels like centuries to you. And one so deep-seated at that...

[Many are the walks of life the heroes she has taught come from. Some were looking for a better lot in life than they were given. Others, such as Cu Chulainn, were the price of a rash decision made. Still others were born with the desire to live a short, fulfilling life on the fields of war.

In Dimitri, she sees another such deadly hound. No -- a bloodthirsty boar.] Bear in mind I say this not to justify what happened, but as an explanation.

Such is the way of politicking in unfamiliar grounds, and even those you have earned the trust of for what you feel as long enough... you must always show one hand and hide a dagger in the other. Compared to gaining trust, betrayal of such binding oaths comes swiftly, unrepentant of who it claims in its flames. Our kind have measures against it, a geas, if you will. But such things can be a weapon used against you.

Having said that, however, your loss was... preventable. The fact none stepped in to do so is an accomplishment in disregard for life.

[asaviorshand]

[Dimitri sits and listens to what Scáthach has to say. it's very difficult to listen to, as it feels...frankly, rather insensitive. It would have been one thing to say that during the day, and he would have been able to take it better then. But late at night, and after he's already had a nightmare...well, all he can do is hang his head.

There is one piece of what she says that he latches on to, though.]

It wasn't the people of Duscur. They were innocent. There may have been one or a few people from Duscur involved in the conspiracy, but by and large the people of Duscur were not involved. I couldn't see our assailants' faces, but...I could see their hands. Their hands were pale -- the palest I've ever seen. They were so white they almost looked purple. The people of Duscur, on the other hand, all have dark tan, even brown skin. And I'm certain they were not wearing gloves -- I could see the fingernails on a few of them.

[There are certain things Dimitri cannot tolerate, and casting blame upon Duscur is one of them.]

But...but the people didn't see it that way. I tried to tell as many people as I could, the perpetrators were not from Duscur, that the people there were innocent of any wrongdoing. But they refused to listen; they wrote me off as but a traumatized child, even though I was the prince. A mob of commoners and nobles alike formed and stormed Duscur. They killed every local they could get their hands on.

[wisdomofdunscaith]

[It's unfortunate that Dimitri has to learn the downsides of knowing Dun Scaith's queen at a time like this. Scathach's lack of tact may as well be a byproduct of her very Spartan ideas of mentorship. 'The pain will harden them before long', she would think to herself.

Still, as he had been so willing to listen to her opinions on the unsavory affair he's been forced to relive, she too listens quietly. And as she continues to lend him her ear, she frowns. Lets out a faint huff of irritation at the thought of her error having been so egregious -- especially as he discusses the Duscur like he was standing for his own.

It drives her up the wall to think she'd stumbled upon their deceit and made her guest's turmoil just that bit worse.]

My apologies, then, for having come off as laying the blame at their feet. It would seem I have mis-stepped as your host.

...that they would senselessly slaughter the blameless, however, and disregarded the word of those of your lineage, gives me pause. Such blatant overstep on the grounds that you are only a scarred child can only be seen as a betrayal in my eyes.

Do I expect too much of them? Perhaps. But I can only give insight from what I have divined from our discussions so far, and the picture painted as it stands now is grim.

[asaviorshand]

A betrayal...that it very much was.

[The expression on Dimitri's face turns grim, even visible by the torchlight.]

I learned very recently that several nobles of the kingdom were involved in the conspiracy to assassinate my father. They chose to stab the man they swore oaths of loyalty to in the back, all because he sought to give the commoners more power in our land. Furthermore, it was they who spread the rumors to rile the people.

[Dimitri doesn't like lust for power, but he can at least respect it when the person is overt about it. When they connive and sneak through the shadows, and then preach hypocrisy when it comes to their motives, he absolutely hates it.]

And to think, they felt they had the ground upon which to speak of upholding fairness and justice. Their "justice" was built on a foundation of corpses.

[wisdomofdunscaith]

[The mere mention of a betrayal of oath gets her to glare. Her tone remains even, and yet--]

...am I to believe these same nobles stand as officials?

[asaviorshand]

Hm?

[He hadn't been expecting such a question. Dimitri had figured that calling them nobles would be enough, but he fails to realize that Scáthach is literally older than feudalism.]

I...suppose you could say that, yes. These are people who serve as vassals under a lord to govern the land upon which they live. The chief difference is that their titles are passed down through hereditary lines, rather than appointment.

[wisdomofdunscaith]

[For whatever it's worth, she doesn't seem to bring much attention to it. Her mind remains centered on the backstabbing ruling class.

She huffs, almost derisively, as she processes this information.]

...if what you say of these traitorous bog-crawlers is true, then they should have lost any claim to such lofty positions the moment they drew weapons on your father. [It was a safe assumption that Dimitri's father was the ruling king at the time of this incident, given his title. By that turn...

...The anger she'd hidden behind her gaze flares for a moment.] I may not know of him, of his character, or of his merit as ruler -- but I know this. Your 'nobles' and their willingness to sow discontent, to drag the people they seek to rule over to their knees, to betray the sovereign that leads them... they deserve scorn. Such behavior is tantamount to betraying a geas placed upon one to repay a debt, or taken to serve others unflinchingly.

[asaviorshand]

[Dimitri nods as he listens. He takes a deep breath before responding. There were things she said he didn't understand -- like a geas, for one -- but he doesn't need to know immediately.]

I agree...and not just because the man they conspired to murder was my father. There has been more to their treachery since then, and they must be judged for their crimes. I must show the people that nobody is above the law, regardless of their station. Even if doing so means I must wield the executioner's blade myself.

The days of nobility doing as they please with impunity in Fódlan are over.