But we had the opposite problem. My mother had miscarriage after miscarriage before my birth, and then I was the last of our line. It was always very important, to keep the other Houses from learning of our fragile state. When they died I was still a child, so I had to maintain the illusion that they continued to live so we did not become...a protectorate of a larger House.
Not exactly. It is likely they would have brought us resources we were lacking in. But our independence, our traditions... the Fourth House has essentially become a colony of the Fifth. They do little more now than breed soldiers to send to the front lines and bleed.
"Breed"... That sounds pretty awful, I'm not going to lie. [ ... ] Are you... Do you feel pressure then, to continue your line? You mentioned you were the last, but.
[she gives him a look like please don't ask about this in the same sentence as you mentioned breeding.]
...No. That's somewhat besides the point. My House was in such a state that no...marriage or other action to that effect on my part would have saved it from decay. So my goal has always been to appeal to the Emperor directly for intercession. He does not typically involve himself in House matters, so his intervention would require me to rise to a level of necromantic power that would draw his notice.
It was the most terrible mistake I have ever made. At the least, the station provided me the means to rectify some of it. Otherwise, I would be destroyed by it.
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Yes, in a sense, I do.
But we had the opposite problem. My mother had miscarriage after miscarriage before my birth, and then I was the last of our line. It was always very important, to keep the other Houses from learning of our fragile state. When they died I was still a child, so I had to maintain the illusion that they continued to live so we did not become...a protectorate of a larger House.
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That's quite the burden to bear as a child. If you became a protectorate... would the other House squeeze your resources dry?
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Not exactly. It is likely they would have brought us resources we were lacking in. But our independence, our traditions... the Fourth House has essentially become a colony of the Fifth. They do little more now than breed soldiers to send to the front lines and bleed.
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"Breed"... That sounds pretty awful, I'm not going to lie. [ ... ] Are you... Do you feel pressure then, to continue your line? You mentioned you were the last, but.
[ extremely awkward ]
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...No. That's somewhat besides the point. My House was in such a state that no...marriage or other action to that effect on my part would have saved it from decay. So my goal has always been to appeal to the Emperor directly for intercession. He does not typically involve himself in House matters, so his intervention would require me to rise to a level of necromantic power that would draw his notice.
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Oh, I see. Are you on your way to achieving that then?
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Congratulations then. Not everyone gets a happy ending.
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Confused, he asks without thinking, ] What is a "Lyctor"?
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An immortal being. Um...in Lup's world, it is called a lich. Someone who can use necromancy beyond the capacity of a mortal.
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[ ... ]
Was it worth it?
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You lost someone.
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You were able to bring her back? Eventually?
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