oo2 ♚ video

[ohmygodgreywardens]

I preferred the old books better. [This thing is being folded every which way, because they just had to make this thing harder to use.] At least you knew where you stood with them. The old books never changed; they might never have been easy to use, but they you knew what you were supposed to do with them.

[Is he talking about the book, still? Maybe, maybe not.] With all this talk of the Initiative and the United Earth issues, there's been something that's come up several times. Something I would be worried about, and so should others.

Traitors. Those who turned away from the goal right when their colleagues needed them most. Or the ones who never came to help in the first place, though they said they would. Traitors also includes liars. Yes. Liars. The ones who never tell the truth, especially when the truth could be the information you needed the most.

[He's getting exasperated with this new book.] I wonder, how did everyone else treat liars back home? In Ferelden, we had several ways of punishing those that had committed crimes against the crown, or those who'd lied and were caught. Some of them seemed rather harsh, but if someone who steals loses a finger, why not have the liar lose something as well? Something they value, something close to them, so that they can be hurt as much as they have hurt those around them.

So, how should we treat those liars, here? If we find traitors, what do we do with them? A mock execution, whipping, leaving them bound and gagged in a small room? Killing them would just be too merciful for what they've done, wouldn't it? [He pauses.]

Andraste's foul breath, this new book is more difficult then the other! [Okay, he's done with this book thing. With a yell, he throws it across the room.]

Comments

[cerberusbadass]

Well, betrayal in times of war is punishable by death in many cultures. Seems appropriate to me, although not everybody agrees, of course. You'll want to remove the risk the traitor poses as much as you'll want to punish them, after all.

[ohmygodgreywardens]

Someone said they keep people in cells, here... I suppose locking someone up would work, but it doesn't seem as efficient.

[cerberusbadass]

Depends on the person, I guess. Although if you want to make sure, there's always the option of dealing with the situation more... unofficially.

What have the people in question done?

[ohmygodgreywardens]

Unofficially? [Just so they're clear on what that is.]

They've... lied to their king.

[cerberusbadass]

[He denies an explanation for now - what Cailan has to say is far more interesting than that.]

Lied? And that's it? Why would they do that?

[ohmygodgreywardens]

To protect me. Or so they say.

[cerberusbadass]

Sad if you have to protect a king by lying to him. But it didn't work out anyway, did it? You found out, after all.

[ohmygodgreywardens]

Yes, I did. And knowing has made it worse, if just because of the way I found out.

[cerberusbadass]

If you're their king, why would they think you're so weak they need to protect you by not even telling you the truth? Are they right?

[ohmygodgreywardens]

Of course not! I'm not a weak king. I may be young, but I may not know everything, but I am not weak. I don't need protection.

[cerberusbadass]

Better convince your underlings, then. You know rulers don't live long once their people start to believe they're protecting the ruler more than the other way round.

[ohmygodgreywardens]

It's not the underlings I'm worried about. It's my partner, my queen.

[cerberusbadass]

Is she trying to seize power?

[ohmygodgreywardens]

Oh, no, nothing of that sort. She has just been... married, to another.

[cerberusbadass]

All this talk because your wife left you?

[WHAT IS GOING ON HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND YOUR POLITICAL CIRCUMSTANCES. Or your death. 8(]

[ohmygodgreywardens]

[YEAH WELL IT IS DIFFICULT TO DISCUSS.]

She didn't leave me. She had no choice, I suppose. There is a law against being married to a dead man.

[cerberusbadass]

I think you're going to have to explain that.

[ohmygodgreywardens]

Back home, I'm dead. It seems. I died during battle. A battle I was preparing for when I was suddenly pulled here.

[cerberusbadass]

... I see. That's what this is all about? They didn't tell you you were dead?