[log] but no one can assume the higher ground

[apostatised]

Potentially against his better judgement, Martel's recently taken on another student - Anna, a sharp-eyed little thing from the nexus, plotting murder she's calling justice and he's calling vengeance in his head - and today he expects to see her, in the afternoon. There's a full morning's work that requires him before he can bathe and change his clothes (it's very physical work), and tell Ewar to collect the girl from the nexus doorway to see him in his study.

With the castle's required renovations more or less complete (the warding waits for Master Snape; Martel has more patience than some people realise), it's not an unimpressive place, and the casual touch of magic is fairly plain about it. If only because the unnatural choice in lighting is impossible to miss. On time, Martel doesn't wait; he works. (It's fascinating how much paperwork is actually manufactured by his endeavours, but he'd been aiming for Vanion's own desk once upon a time - he's not unprepared.)

Comments

[errantknights.livejournal.com]

In that same semi-dangerous conversational tone, Martel does go on, "As I was stripped of the more significant of my powers, my knighthood and my titles, I was furthermore banished - which I flouted some years later, after establishing myself as the best of the best as far as mercenaries on the continent go." It would be bragging if he hadn't turned almost clinical in his recount.

"There was a war - a god whose pay I was in for the opportunity to punish who'd wronged me - and my brother, presently Prince Consort to the Queen, killed me, killed the god, more than likely destroyed the city we were in and rather efficiently got his own vengeance for who I'd destroyed rather negligently on my way."

Martel pauses, briefly. "I'm reforming. There isn't redemption for that, and certainly none after death. What I'm saying to you is there are lines in the sand, whatever your cause. Learn where they are. If you cross one I don't like, you will learn not to. If you cross one there's no coming back from, I'll kill you myself." Not something he'd ordinarily say to a student, but Anna reminds him ... incredibly worryingly of himself. "You have your option to leave, if you'd prefer."

(Surely she's imagining the mild note of challenge.)

[anna-cornovia.livejournal.com]

Well. That got her attention.

Anna lifts her folded hands to her mouth for a moment, watching him with sober dark eyes; then lowers them again, still unhurriedly. Her expression has not altered, but she's a little paler now. "I understand you, my lord."

[errantknights.livejournal.com]

"Good," Martel says, whatever that was sliding behind the blinds again and just leaving genuinely unsettling intensity in its place.