A Difference of Opinions

Courtyard - 

--- ''Entering beneath the large sun-clay archway brings one into the courtyard of the former monastery. Never truly quiet, this space is wide and open to the sky, the central area through which the rest of the working manor is accessed. During the day, conversation and the passing of craftsmen and students keeps the area from being quiet, while night brings some peace - though often disturbed by the furtive form of someone thieving a midnight snack from the nearby dining hall or passing through on their way to a belated bed.''

''The open air garden is cut into two halves by pathways of coloured stone. To the east, the white pathway is of all white sun clay, fired and glazed, winding through mixed flowerbeds of Mikin orchids and the trellises of the creeping night's trumpet. The west path is of a dark, almost black rock with rougher edges, chipped and hand-fitted into a mosaic pattern of basalt that mirrors the winding way of its sister. The two paths come together beneath an elegant three tier fountain made of white marble, shot through with black veins and polished by the constant flow and splash of water.''

''A set of double doors, made of heavy biinwood stained to a darkened hue of near black, lead off to the north, their inlaid and gold-leaved inset of the Sunburst of the Light shining brightly even in the dimmest day. A small postern door, tucked at the end of an unassuming branch of pathway on the western side of the courtyard, leads north into the dining hall, while a small gate opens in the low salle wall to allow access to the weaponmaster's training area.'' ---

Celeste follows a step or two after the Warpriest, pausing to lean her back against an undamaged wall. Luckily, the wall hasn't even looked to have suffered, just the house. "You don't come here to see the house, cousin," she comments. "So what brings you here."

"I will be withdrawing the Cult from this site," says Ailith calmly. "It will no longer be a monastery of the Imperial Cult. It will simply be your residence."

"It hasn't been a monstery, cousin. Merely a private chapel that I've opened to others," Celeste replies, crossing her arms. "We followed the tenants, and remain doing so so long as people come to seek the Light. That is how he wanted it, is it not?"

Ailith gives Celeste a level look. "You do not work well with others," she says simply. "Over and over I hear word that you are certain you have the true Light in your grasp and will hear no other views. I have yet to give you an assignment or make a request of you that has not somehow been circumvented - if not simply ignored altogether. That being the case, I am simply freeing you to go your own way, as it has been proven repeatedly that you will do so in any event, and I need no longer apologize for your behavior before others." She waves a hand. "Those are the personal reasons. But there is in this current crisis another reason. You have consistently aggravated those followers of the Light that we have awareness of, yet mages flock to your walls. Thus your home is now a target for Sun's Keep. Should it remain associated with the Imperial Cult, your unrestrained, overenthusiastic mages may well destroy the Cult altogether. So I withdraw the Cult, and I will seek audience with our Matriarch that House Guard be sent here to bolster your defenses. You do not adequately represent the Imperial Cult in such a conflict as this. So it shall become a matter of invasion of a noble's property and an attack upon House Valoria, and dealt with in that manner."

"And I could say that your fanaticism has blinded you, cousin. You heard not reason, only made demands. You have ceased to understand the Light, and would rather rule it were it a weapon. Think on our teachings, you have returned the name of the Light to that of murder and anger, not me. I understand hate and wishing to fight the shadow, but I'm not a rogue agent, or wayawrd priest. I teach the same lessons, and hold the same beliefs as the church Light's Reach. Do you think them wrong? What about the Refuge? Nor have I ever broken a single requests," she adds. "It was your ordinator who took it upon herself to act while I was attending to House business. Yours, can you tell me every mouse squeak while you are absent, cousin? Had I known, she and he would have been punished, but quick to snipe you were. So blinded you are now that you didn't see the dead man, or the scared people who had to fight at your side." She nods and motions to the gates. "You are welcome to leave. "Light go with you."

Ailith just waits through the tirade. "You prove my point," she says. "I am the Warpriest. You are presuming to lecture me, and chide me. You do not have the right. Your armor, and your bookbelt." Celeste shakes her head. "Because I defy you," she sighs. "Listen to yourself, cousin. Think back to our basic lessons. Tell me the events of that night, and prove me wrong. Prove to me that you were not lost to the power you hold, blinded by it like I've seen others."

"It was never for me to prove myself to you," says Ailith. "It was for you to have faith in me. You again prove your accusers correct - you believe that you alone understand the Light. Your armor, and your bookbelt."

"Yes it is, each and every day for us to prove," replies Celeste, with a shake of her head. "You believe yourself righteous, just like your sisters. But you don't believe it. Prove it to me, and I will admit that I'm wrong. I will beg your forgiveness, for wrongs that you are the only one who seems to see. Yet you hardly speak to me."

"I can hardly FIND you," Ailith growls. "I come to your home to find you and invariably wait *days* for you to appear. If you do at all. I write to you and receive *no* answer. And you tell me that I hardly speak to you? *This* is what I am talking about, cousin! You had much of value to offer the Cult *and you have withheld it*. So certain you have the only true path you have *soured* the calling for others that would come, do you know that? I sent Naoi to you in the hope that you would learn from each other - Freelander though she is, she knows far more of humility and dignity than you seem to. She learned from you - but you learned nothing from her, because you believed you *already understood*. I converse freely with every one of my Ordinators *but yourself*. You have already judged me as unworthy of being heeded or heard, and yet *knowing this* I gave you admission to our ranks. It has proven a mistake over and over, as I must apologize to Ordinator, Noble, and Freelander *alike* about your tendency to judge and lecture."

"I have responsibility, just like you, cousin. Not only to Night's Edge but also to House Valoria. This is why I allowed Naoi to remain and help. I knew that I coudln't be there every moment. But the day I decide to go to Light's Reach for supplies for supplies to answer the letter I received the day before... you judged me. If I'm to make restitution, that is my place, not yours. As you said, you are the warpriest. But you could have told me, you chose not to."

"I sent her to assist you," says Ailith flatly. "Not do your job for you. I would have hoped for any other mage for a test case than Thayndor, but fortune was not with us. She *had no hope* of controlling him. He is noble, and Zahir, and a mage with it. I gave him into *your* care. Did you not notice that Naoi was injured and had little chance of keeping pace with him even at a walk? Does it not matter to you that he held *so little respect* for the precarious position we all were in on his behalf, that he would blithely ignore his parole altogether to call on his Shadow and play the hero? Yes, I judged you, and I do not believe it was in error. So long with you, and he treated this rehabilitation period as if he were simply a child grounded to his room for a night - the window being open and inviting, he simply climbed out. How can this not concern you?"

"Don't speak as though you know what goes on here, cousin. Have you grown omnipotent as well? No one can know what is happening miles away," Celeste states flately. "Thayndor wasn't going to run; I know the man better than that. Better than you, cousin. I neither treated him as though he were grounded, or pandered to his desires. I /did/ treat him as though he were noble. Mage or not, he remains so. You had not faith in either Naoi or myself that night. You demanded and judged. You assumed knowledge where there was none. OR did you not see me come from the woodline. I had business in Sheltered Flame. How was I to know she would take him shopping. Though I still stand by it, Thayndor wouldn't run."

"He should not have strayed and he should most certainly not have called on the Shadow," says Ailith flatly. "And again you prove that it is a waste of my time to explain myself to you; you simply assume that I am wrong. Again. I have relied on news from other sources, since you could not be bothered to answer letters, or return to your home. Your armor, and your bookbelt."

"Other sources," Celeste states doubtfully. "There are lessons that Naoi wasn't present for and I know my house well, cousin. No one here would spy for anyone. They're too open, and want only the Light." She does offer a conceding nod. "But you were wrong, are you so adamant that you cannot even admit that? That you may have judged too quickly? That perhaps Naoi and I could have handled the situation." She leans back against the wall, crossing her arms. "The second we get past the walls, and demands, you claim we stray. I would say this is the most honest you've been. Why cannot you not answer one question? You're going to strip away the only thing I've ever desired, lived for because you don't understand it without so much as a truthful, straight answer."

"I am going to do as I feel is best for the Imperial Cult," says Ailith simply. "You do not care about the Imperial Cult. You do not care about the example that you set, nor do you care how your actions are perceived. I cannot let you have the voice of the Cult." She scowls. "And you are STILL presuming that you understand more than I. If you do not hand over your armor and bookbelt I shall have to discuss forcible retrieval with the Grand Master."

Celeste 's eyebrow rises high. "I don't care for the Cult? We were the first and only chapel to keep and stand by The original Cults tenants. That offered a genuine sanctuary for people to come without being abused, or cast aside. Fed those who hungered, held those who cried, don't foust off your failings on me, cousin. Take your items, but best to allow me to send them. Or will you further defame the name Valoria with false accusations." She takes a deep breath. Her voice calming with a brittle edge. "Your items mean nothing to me, trappings of a failed religion. The Church came down, cousin. Serath wished for it to rise with free will, but I see you're going to cast that aside as well. Well, this is my choice, leave. You are welcome to wait at the roadside while I acquire your 'items', but you are not welcome here."

"You know nothing of it," says Ailith simply. "You have followed your own way from the beginning, a duty to no law, no lord. And you have drawn only Shadow to your heart. You have faith in nothing and no one else."

"Best check yours sources again, I've never once broken a law. You on the other hand, committed murder," Celeste states coldly. Her voice near frigid. "Keep your poisonous words, and leave. I've no time for backhanded insults. Kight keep."

Ailith draws her sword. "Answer for your words," she snaps. "I *will* defend my honor. Retract your statement or draw your weapon."

Celeste raises her hands. The woman doesn't wear a single weapon about her person, dressed in the wearing velvets. "I never defamed your honor, you defamed mind. Put your sword away, and leave, Ailith. I believe this is finished." She folds her hands over one another, waiting.

"Very well, I will take your accusations to the Grand Master," says Ailith flatly. "Accusing a noble of greater rank and a sworn Knight of such a crime without evidence or proof, and refusing a duel." She sheathes her weapon. "Once again any attempt to aid you returns only to cause me grief. Retrieve the armor and the bookbelt, Viscountess. *Now.* I am going to have to waste precious time discussing this with the Grand Master when greater matters should hold sway."

"You would ask to duel an unarmed woman. I truly must wonder at your Light, Ailith. As before, I have asked that you wait at the roadside. Your words can be seen as venomous and as I've broken no law," Celeste reminds and motions towards the door. "aS for defamtion, I have no intention of sharing it with anyone but you. There is no desire to wound your pride, or you, merely a desire to have you off my lands." She is reaching for that calm, and even takes a step towards the house. "Please, wait at the roadside. I do not wish for more angry words."

"Then get the armor and bookbelt," growls Ailith. "As I have repeatedly requested. And understand that your lack of faith has caused your isolation - this *would* have been temporary, but I will not tolerate such an encounter from you again."

Celeste steps away fully, barring any comment. She slips inside and is gone only a few moments before returning. The noblewoman doesn't touch the armor or belt, both carried by a young man dressed in Valoria livery. "Do see that it is placed on the Marchioness's stead, Matthew," she comments softly and stops a few steps away. "Light go with you, Ailith. As I said, I believe Kallyn was wishing to find the Light, but neither of us will ever truly know that answer. I apologize for those harsh words. You did what you felt was right." She's found that composed calm again, but the words are spoken with sincerity.

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