"Everything wrong in our lives," Martel corrects him, tiredly, and even that is an exaggeration - but the sheer scale of what Zalasta did staggers him as he imagines it must have staggered Sparhawk even as the reasons why twist in his gut. This is more than he'd imagined when he first heard that name, and he thinks back to the Styric renegade he'd met in Elenia - as if now he can mark it all before, and then after.
That would be too easy. Zalasta's design, yes, but Martel tied the rope around his own hands himself, hung himself on his own hubris. Stupid. Stupid, and long dead history. He wishes he could make himself believe it didn't matter - here they are falling instantly into old patterns, how hard would it be to play his brother's villain one more time? (And how many times can he fail the same way?)
"You know I wouldn't have betrayed her for that."
...that he betrayed her at all is beyond questioning, but it's suddenly very important that Sparhawk understands Martel's devotion to her had never faltered - that he understands that even standing opposite each other there were lines he wouldn't have crossed knowingly.
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That would be too easy. Zalasta's design, yes, but Martel tied the rope around his own hands himself, hung himself on his own hubris. Stupid. Stupid, and long dead history. He wishes he could make himself believe it didn't matter - here they are falling instantly into old patterns, how hard would it be to play his brother's villain one more time? (And how many times can he fail the same way?)
"You know I wouldn't have betrayed her for that."
...that he betrayed her at all is beyond questioning, but it's suddenly very important that Sparhawk understands Martel's devotion to her had never faltered - that he understands that even standing opposite each other there were lines he wouldn't have crossed knowingly.