Down to the river to pray - Open

[Christine Daye]

Christine listens intently and with great interest, but as the tale progresses, she becomes more agitated, twisting her fingers together and humming.

...you can lay down your guilt at the altar...

She literally flinches at Lucius' laugh, as if in fear of being struck, but bursts out with:

"I did not desert him! I had no choice! I was... she... she... nail your remorse to the cross... it's not enough these days to say sorry... sorry won't pay for this loss..."

[Lucius Servius]

Lucius looks up from his contemplation suddenly annoyed, however even he is shocked by the words that seemed to force themselves out like blood out of a unclotted wound.

“What did you do!? What did any of those who proclaimed loyalty do in the intervening years? Why on earth did you go into hiding? You above them all were in a position to continue his vision so why was the Ventrue the only one who willing to honour his oath!?”

Realising his voice was cracking Lucius stops, he hadn’t meant to be this rude.

“Forgive me, this is not a conversation for now, for this city, or for I to have with you in the first place.“

[Christine Daye]

"...hiding..." Christine breathes, an echo.

Her hand reaches up to her hair and with a sudden, abrupt tug, yanks a lock of it out, her face expressionless. It seems to focus her somehow, allow her to speak without degenerating into song.

"... what did I do? I will tell you, though you will not believe me. I burned. I screamed and I begged as my sister in Blood and Sight shredded my soul with her athame before crucifying me and leaving me for the sun... that is what I did... I pulled myself through madness... that is what I did... and when I was made again I lost everything that I was so had to remember again... that is what I did..."

She opens her clenched fingers to stare for a moment at the red strands of hair caught against the darkness of her glove.

[Lucius Servius]

“There is always an excuse, why is the child so incapable without the father? Or am I being unfair? Perhaps I can not understand because I am Ventrue? Because standing here, hearing you say those words with such assurity at your own helplessness, it seems to me that the mirror was too easily shattered.”

“But why now Christine do you choose to deny your pedigree? Not for fear of destruction by the hands of the fiend and the necromancer I hope? Is it His will? Or more of that learnt helplessness?”

[Christine Daye]

Christine tips her hand, lets the strands of hair fall away to be taken by the wind and the river waters below. Then she starts laughing.

"Pedigree? What am I, a brood mare? A hound?"

She finds the notion hilarious, but sobers at his incomprehension.

"You were a soldier, were you not? Strong in will and virtue and force of arms? For sure, you must have been, to have kept faith this long, lost and abandoned... faithful, ever true... I am grateful to you for it."

Her voice is sincere, soothing.

"I must tell you of mysteries, so that you might understand. This..." she indicates her own body with her hands, "... this is Christine Daye, childe of Ezekiel Smith, a simple Malkavian neonate.

"She of whom you speak, the one with the pedigree..." she looks amused again, "...her body burned in the light of the sun upon the cross. The very same cross that her sister had nailed her to, after shredding her, body, mind and soul."

She hums a moment, gathering herself. ...it's not enough these days to say sorry... sorry won't pay for this grief...

"Think what you will. Think that I am hiding... that I am helpless... it matters not to me... I am One in Three and Three in One... old and young... but always insane..."

She looks amused.

"... and even with the powers of gods it is not possible to affect this mortal world without a body. You asked where I was, all those long years when you alone kept faith? I was dead, Elder."

[Lucius Servius]

Lucius laughs playfully “No soldier Christine. Once in my life certainly, then I was a politician then a leader, then a spy. An infinite number of roles as befits a life lead in worship of Danu. As for loyalty, I simply keep my word. Even in these wretched times I wasn’t aware that required job title?”

“I would ask Ezekiel Smith for those truth of what you say, but I very much doubt that he ever existed. Although if he does by some strange cruelty of fate, I would be curious to unpick from his mind the circumstances by which he ever met one Christine Daye.”

“Your lack of understanding about the soul and its transmutable properties displeases me, the way you disparage pedigree displeases me, but the way you dismiss fact for insanity displeases me most of all. From our conversation this night and at Reading I had hoped at least you alone had shed the lie like the fiction it is.”

“You never died on that cross Christine! You never met the day; you never felt your flesh burn into ash. The memory of your death was simply the final flourish for your sisters twisted punishment. But really, would she have truly hurt her sire so by destroying the body of one he so beloved? She broke your mind, shattered the mirror into smaller bits and without Him to pick up the pieces, time and entropy ground the shards into dust.”

[Christine Daye]

Christine gawps at Lucius for a long moment, stunned to silence. She honestly has no idea where to start.

For a moment, she considers backing down. It would be easy enough - yes elder, no elder, three bags full elder. Of course, elder, you know better than I. The honeyed, flattering words to get her away.

But then she remembers his other words, his accusations, Will a show of strength satisfy him? No, she will not be baited.

"Oh, I died," she says flatly, finally. "I know it as surely as I know who I am, all the parts of me. And she killed me because she thought our sire was dead, and she had no more fear of his disapproval."

Her lips tighten in annoyance.

"Do not disparage my madness, Elder. Do not dismiss my memories, my experience, my understanding. Or have you forgotten who untangled our Lord from the others? I speak the truth."

She sighs, looks tired and disappointed.

"If you would have proof, I have papers, pictures of me before I was embraced in this body. I was a prodigy as a child. Dr Smith cured me when I broke on stage... that is where we met... in my cell in Maudlin. But I think you will not believe those either... if it matters so much to you... ask our Lord... for He knows... for it was He who caught me as my soul fled my broken, burning body... and sheltered me in His love until I could be reborn."

[Lucius Servius]

Idiot – Lucius thinks, does she think I’m lying!? Or perhaps that I am mistaken in that to which I have dedicated the last millennia!?

Instead, in recognition of her annoyance, Lucius simply inclines his head in meek supplication.

“Forgive me Christine. I did not wish to dismiss or belittle such personal and intimate experiences – there are so many layers to reality I have no doubt that you indeed experienced what you described with Him. But in case there is any confusion, this is not some theory or opinion dressed up as fact by a venture wishing to curry favor. This is known by Him, I, and all of note in Duan Eas. I will of cause provide you with all the information that has been passed onto me. But you will understand, I have nothing written or the results of any investigation that I may present. After all, why would anyone need to investigate if water is wet?”

[Christine Daye]

"... why would anyone need to investigate if water is wet?”

Isn't it just like a Ventrue to assume such a thing? He is tied to his own narrow view of reality... he has never drowned in the waters of Lethe... he is to be pitied... to assume something as simple as that... let it go... this is not the time to enlighten him... though perhaps... hmmm...

She looks out over the water again, and when she turns back, she is smiling. A performer's smile, bright and fae.

"Of course you are forgiven! Honestly, there is no need to ask! And come, let us not quarrel... we do disservice to the Lady of the Waters..." here she drops a curtsey to the river.

"Let us walk," she continues, "and speak of other things. We can play the game of exchanges, a question for a question, if that would amuse? Or just converse? I'll confess, I am afire with curiosity to learn what is known by all of note in Duan Eas."

[Lucius Servius]

Lucius noticed the change in Christine’s expression, no face shifted from annoyance to contentment so quickly. It was the kind of abrupt change that boded ill for him in the future. Lucius was confident he had earned enough credit where her sire was concerned, under normal circumstances he figured that would carry over onto the childe. Unbidden the memory of the last time he made such a mistake came to him.

****************************************************

“He doth require it of you Ventrue”.

“Why?“ Lucius wished he caught himself before he responded. The question sounded petulent even to him.

“Did you not hear me? A previously unknown flaw in your blood perhaps? Or are you blind as well as ignorant? He must surround himself with the female form, have you not beheld his male revenants?”

The lithe woman who speaks is dressed in a pale white dress and long dark hair that drapes her skinny youthful form. She lounges lazily in a pile of cushions.

“He must surround himself with the sacred female form…. And you are male”. She says this as though she were explaining something staggeringly obvious to someone very simple. As if to illustrate the point further she points rather obviously at his crotch.

“Cut off your c.o.c.k” – Ammiel takes pains to annunciate every letter of the word before drawing and lazily tossing Lucius the athaine.

****************************************************

The lesson here. There was reality, and there was Christine’s reality. Even if mutually exclusive, both could be correct. He already knew that, either that or He trusted His to recognise their own lineage themselves - eventually. Really he should have imitated Jared, kept his mouth closed and left her on a path that it was not his buisness to interfear with.

“Certainly Christine” was all he said in the end.

“Please, lead the way. Would you like to start or shall I?”