"Almost as much as I enjoyed Fratello Carmine's speeches in the marketplace."
Which is to say, not very much.
Emilia understands the benefits of attending these events, the ornamentation of it all undeniably impressive, but she doesn't enjoy them. The masks, the pretending — she'd been a breath away from closing in on the truth surrounding her twin's murder when they were whisked away. She resents how close she was. Resents having to be here instead, unable to stop caring about any of it.
Anir would tell her such bluntness and disdain is not the right approach to a place like Taravast, and that she should try something subtler. He'd be right, but that's all she's been doing these past couple of months, and she already tires of it.
The need for compromise. The necessity behind give-and-take. An alliance here and an alliance there. Negotiate with this enemy, that one. Use wit, not anger. Swallow your wounded reasons, your quiet fury, and push aside all you find unpalatable. Keep your eye on the bigger picture so you don't burn down your forests. She could make them tell her. She could leave them with no choice.
"Which isn't to say it wasn't productive," she adds, turning to face Wrath more fully. Her awareness of him has only intensified since they spoke of the true nature of their marriage bond but it's always been there, crackling. A silence falls between them, in which she studies him thoughtfully. Then: "Did you know Macaluso and Vannozza's parents all died within months of each other?"
no subject
Which is to say, not very much.
Emilia understands the benefits of attending these events, the ornamentation of it all undeniably impressive, but she doesn't enjoy them. The masks, the pretending — she'd been a breath away from closing in on the truth surrounding her twin's murder when they were whisked away. She resents how close she was. Resents having to be here instead, unable to stop caring about any of it.
Anir would tell her such bluntness and disdain is not the right approach to a place like Taravast, and that she should try something subtler. He'd be right, but that's all she's been doing these past couple of months, and she already tires of it.
The need for compromise. The necessity behind give-and-take. An alliance here and an alliance there. Negotiate with this enemy, that one. Use wit, not anger. Swallow your wounded reasons, your quiet fury, and push aside all you find unpalatable. Keep your eye on the bigger picture so you don't burn down your forests. She could make them tell her. She could leave them with no choice.
"Which isn't to say it wasn't productive," she adds, turning to face Wrath more fully. Her awareness of him has only intensified since they spoke of the true nature of their marriage bond but it's always been there, crackling. A silence falls between them, in which she studies him thoughtfully. Then: "Did you know Macaluso and Vannozza's parents all died within months of each other?"