Actors Across the Stage of Ages
4rd of February 2007 A.D.
"I am Lydia, daughter of Arawn, lord of this tower and in this tower your keeper," Lydia presents herself. "This is Daniel son of Michael, my beloved." She doesn't even blink at 'amatus mea', which is more than could be said for Daniel himself whose complexion is looking worryingly beet-like as he suddenly finds something of great interest on the wall beside him..
Did he confuse it for 'amator'? That question does make one wonder just how much Sister Marry knew of the words her pupils would look up after class. Really if she sprinkled more of the naughty words in the tests maybe you'd all have paid more attention.
Still... before things can get anymore awkward you pick up the dangling thread of the conversation: "I am Margret daughter of Michael, queen of the Land of Sanctuary Far-off Protector of its Five Cities." The implication that it's not a world between earth and sky is there and from the slight narrowing of the prisoner's eyes understood, but now is not the time to speak of where and how those cities rise.
For her part Olivia just offers up her name, more than a little weirded out at this grand melancholy place still bleeding from the kinds of wounds modern audiences are accustomed to peruse in lurid docu-dramas.
"Thou may call me Theophanu if it suits you," the last of your company proclaims, hand-fire still extended. "If you would know more ask and I will answer truthful, though a warning I will give thee freely Half-Tongue, you will find no comfort in the knowing."
"Lady fair if I were wise would I find myself here?" Asks the warrior, one eye closed as if to wink. He starts and pulls away, but only for a moment proclaiming boldly. "Speak this truth then, I would know with whom I might share words or longing, words of spite, both together I wouldn't wonder."
"Once there was a the man from Keriot, heart filled with fear who took thirty silver to betray his friend onto death. Once there was a disciple heart filled with envy who took thirty silver to betray his teacher onto his death. Once there was a Son of Man who at the appointed hour took thirty silver coins to betray his God onto the death He would conquer." The light begins to play on her features like fire, casting shadows where there had been none. "Into these coins there slipped thirty Fallen from Grace, who though the long ages would offer onto those who would keep them the gifts of the Morningstar. One such I am and yet not, mere shadow cast in the mind of one who took up the coin in defense of a wizard who took up the coin in defense of a child, brother to two who stand at my side and sun to Michael, Excalibur's keeper. So I would have been, wearing at his soul as water wears away stone, but the wizard was wiser than he knew and more fortunate than..." she stops, laughs a little. Daniel is long past his embarrassment, listening raptly. It is one thing to know the story and another to hear it from her lips who could trace back the thread of her being as far as that hangman's tree and before. "More fortunate than any man I've ever known is Harry Dresden, for in conversing he awoke in me a wondering of who I was, myself alone not as a shadow cast by hellfire and last of all awoke defiance, epiphany whose name I took. Was I not born of rebel stock? Why then should I not rebel?"
Before Lyr can gather his thoughts, for he seems the sort to think twice and speak once, there is a shout from inside the cell, a question very much not Latin. She snaps back something quick and sharp in like tongue. "Mabon was casting aspersions on my good taste, to have come all this way just to tempt three souls already damned. I reminded him that if devils might walk out of hell they might find their way out that door, if they do not squander such mercy as their plight inspired."
Lyr had seemingly found the exchange at least a little entertaining, trying to straighten out a smile as he looks to Lydia earnestly. "Then lady I beg thee bring word to thy father that we have been punished for years far beyond the measure of man . Tell him also that we have each taken in our hearts a penance most sincere not for hope of freedom that we did not expect, but for the counsel that the long silence brings. They say a man will do anything to keep from seeing his sins, but we have done
everything we could betwixt these walls so we have wondered and so we have pondered at judgement that brought us here at the last. No confession there has been more burning sincere not from any great flame of our soul, but for how long upon this we have burned."
"My father is absent for reasons that are not yours to wonder about, this judgement is mine," Lydia answers, clearly finding the charming Lyr more of a conundrum than when he had been just one of three names in the mouth of a hound. "Of your deeds since you set foot on Prydwen which do you regret?"
Now speaks the third, Gweir ap Geirioed, his hair not gold, nor brown, nor black or even red, but green as the grasses "Now we regret as then the blood spilled, but not what we came to acquire, a cauldron for Arthur, his fate to undo. Tell me ye companions of demons how fares Rome? Her forums and her churches? Are they fair and filled with the virtue of great men, does the land know peace that the warrior might lay down his spear in the grasses until the haft rots away. That is what Arthur would have seen done. That is what we swore our souls to? Not our own mortal glory or the power we hold in our hands to raise ourselves mighty, but to make a fair kingdom for high and for low as much as this fallen world allows. That we may not deny with our words lest we deny the best of ourselves."
"I've been to Rome," Lydia offers gently, firmly. "People of lands beyond what thy bardcraft knew pass under the shadow of the Amphitheatrum of Flavius they marvel at the stones staring up at the sun and they capture with clever devices of mirrors and clockwork and ink, not even with lighting the sight that they might keep. The Pope is still there, the heir of Saint Peter, in his palace, though he claims dominion over scarce more than that A king took Rome back, not of an empire, only Italia and now that king is gone. A republic now stands there whose people have no interest in ruling aught but themselves and so it is in Gaul and in Iberia, in Britain and even Hibernia... that name is so strange to say." she clears her throat. "The world is changed since last you walked it, more than I have words to say, it has grown and shrunk all at once like some giant's riddle. Men have forgotten magic for the most part and magic has made itself forgotten for there is power in not being seen. Fairies wage war over their scattered children in the shadow of cities lit in midnight as midday. Marbh bheo write stories and plays for the people, each almost as learned as a monk and yet by their learning persuaded that there are no night walking dead. I've seen with my own eyes beings that could reap a grand crop of misery without even lifting a sword. Morn or rejoice, the passage of years cares not, your whole world is no more. I offer that which my father denied you, the fulfillment of your mortality."
Lydia loses 1 Essence -> Now at 6/7
"Is that all," Lyr quirks an eyebrow. "For it seems we are being judged still and not the sort where the sentence is forgone. For myself I'd rather be dead in truth than live in death, but still rather I'd live and feel the sun again upon my cheek."
"What would you do with your freedom?" you ask, not bothering with clever wordplay.
"Well now you are on that side of the door and we are on this one what would you rather we not be free to do?" the golden haired warrior asks... and you can swear you hear both his companions groaning under their breath. It seems a fond sound.
What do you answer?
[] Leave Arthur sleeping until Judgement Day comes, that seemed the thought of Saint David, wise enough to follow you'd judge
[] Say nothing, they should not return and you will not insult them by asking they abandon their vows
[] Help us, knights of another time, a poor fit you might make in some ways but the world is poor itself in others and there are many trials needing your strength
[] Write in
OOC: Tiffany and Lydia kind of stole the show, hope you guys don't mind, that is just worked out with the characters playing off each other. Now's Molly's chance to step in. 
