the-midnight-star

I never saw her again. But even now, as an old man, I remember her as clearly as if she were standing before me. She was ice personified. There was once a time when darkness shrouded the world, and the darkness had a queen.

I never saw her again. But even now, as an old man, I remember her as clearly as if she were standing before me. She was ice personified. There was once a time when darkness shrouded the world, and the darkness had a que

I laugh at him, and behind us, several Inquisitors stir in surprise at the sound. Only Magiano can coax joy out of me so easily.

You cannot harden your heart to the future just because of your past. You cannot use cruelty against yourself to justify cruelty to others.

You think me cruel.___o._ Magiano hesitates for a long moment. __aybe a little._____ not branding them because I am cruel,_ I say calmly. ____ doing it as a reminder of what they__e done to us. To the marked. You__e so quick to forget.___ never forget,_ Magiano replies. This time, there is a slight sharpness to his tone. His hand hovers near his side, where his childhood wound continues to plague him. __ut branding the unmarked with your crest will not make them any more loyal to you.___t makes them fear me.___ear works best with some love,_ Magiano says. __how them that you can be terrifying, yet generous._ The gold bands in his braids clink. __et the people love you a little, mi Adelinetta.

Like fear and fury. It is energy from another realm, threads from beneath the sur­face, an immortal place never meant to be disturbed. Raffaele trembles.Something is poisoning the world.

If I__e learned anything from my past and my present, it__ the power of fear. You can give your subjects all the generosity in the world, and still they will demand more. But those who are afraid don__ fight back. I know this well enough.

As you can see, I keep my word,_ I call to the rest of the crowd. __o not take advantage of my generosity, and I will not take advantage of your weakness.

What if you are wrong? What if the gods sent you, and indeed the rest of us, not because we were never meant to be, but because we were always meant to be?