"I really hope so." Anneliese nodded in agreement. "Maybe if Uncle Gaius brings Sera and Sara along they'll be more civil." Lyra thought that might be accurate, but Aunt Sara and Sera could only do so much.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
“Hopefully,” Ky agreed. “Do you think he’s likely to bring his whole family along?”
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
Anneliese shook her head. "Definitely not. He's got little kids. And Uncle Gaius is crazy paranoid about everything. Assassins around every corner and all that."
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
Ky subconsciously rubbed her throat. She didn’t want to deal with them either. Save Aleth the trouble. “Ah… well, good thing your father has one of the best assassins on the continent on his payroll.”
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"Who, Arthur?" Lyra shuddered. "He's definitely supposed to be good. He looks so...I don't know, he just gives me the shivers." There was something about the cold blankness of the man that sent chills down Lyra's spine. She could tell he was a killer.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
“He is,” Ky confirmed. “He’s who Aleth called when — ah — uh…” she hesitated. She probably shouldn’t be talking about this to anyone. And certainly not to noble children. She cleared her throat. “I’ve met many, many assassins. And Isya— er— Arthur is tied for the best I’ve ever heard of. He’s…” Ky didn’t know how she wanted to finish that sentence. Terrifying. Horrifying. Cruel. Ruthless. Nothing seemed to be a good fit just then. “Quite good at what he does.”
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"That's why Father hired him," Anneliese pointed out. "But...just for intelligence gathering. That's all." She hesitated. "You've worked with Arthur before?"
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
“Ah… I mean… with is a strong word.” Ky took a deep breath. “I was more… well, I was responsible for giving him… instructions—“ his hit list “—and compensating him once he completed the task. So… I’ve thankfully never… seen… um, I mean, like, I…….. haven’t properly worked with him, no.”
She mentally kicked herself. This is the exact reason Aleth always wanted her to keep her mouth shut.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"Oh. Was he creepy when you met with him or is he nicer to colleagues?"
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
“Oh, um, I…” Ky hesitated. Creepy was a good word for him. He seemed so dangerously calm. Which frightened her far, far more than the angry idiot assassins Aleth would occasionally hire for unimportant hits, to save money. She knew fully well Isya could snap her neck one moment and be eating a sandwich the next, completely unfazed by what he did. At least, that was the impression she’d always gotten from him. But she sure as hell wasn’t going to say anything like that to one of his family members. Especially one as young as Anneliese. “I was always quite careful to stay extremely cordial with, well, all of Aleth’s clients. But especially the mercenaries and assassins. And Isya—Arthur— has always been…. civil…. in return.”
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"Civil means you're too polite to say you don't like each other," Anneliese said sagely. "Father told me that once." "Political terminology is something most tutors don't focus on," Lyra mused. "I'm sort of glad Father insisted on teaching it to us." "Makes it easier to gauge people." Anneliese grinned. "I'm going to be Lady Loquitur one day, so I'll need those skills."
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
“It is quite important,” Ky agreed with a smile. Aleth had — perhaps unsurprisingly — also ensured Ky was well versed in such matters. “Noble—“ Ky thought better about complaining about nobles, to nobles. “Well, everyone really. Merchants. Officials. Spies. Mercenaries and assassins. They’re all quite fickle. It’s much safer to coddle their egos.” Ky hesitated a moment, recalling the time she’d gotten into a fist fight with the son of an important man, because she didn’t realize who he was. “I once got into a fight with the son of an official and thought I was going to get skinned alive for the misstep.” She cringed slightly. It hadn’t ended well for her. “Much better to be polite. Much.”
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"Father says the same thing," Anneliese said. "Except we should stand up for ourselves and what we believe in. I don't think a lot of people in the Northern Realm are in the habit of skinning nobles. Plus, we're children so we can get away with a lot."
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
“True enough.” Ky laughed and dipped her head. She hadn’t had much of a childhood, but she could still remember what life was like before she got snatched. “I certainly used to get away with a lot when I was a child. Fun times.”
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"Very." Anneliese grinned. Lyra smoothed down her skirt, face tight.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
You know that place between sleep and awake, that place where you still remember dreaming? That’s where I’ll always love you. That’s where I’ll be waiting. — J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan
