β i fear i make you uneasy. β
β knowledge is a weapon. arm yourself well before you ride forth to battle. β
β go on. show your steel. give me cause to do the same. β
β fear is what keeps a man alive in this world of treachery and deceit. β
β these woods are not as empty as you think. β
β promise me that you will never turn against me. i could not bear that. promise me. β
β the only time a man can be brave is when he is afraid. β
β if i must die, i will die with an axe in my hand and a curse upon my lips. β
β tales are told of you. i hear them everywhere. people fear you. β
β go too far down that road,Β andΒ mistrustΒ canΒ poisonΒ you,Β make you sour and fearful. β
β you mistake me. that was a command, not an offer. β
β sorcery is a sword without a hilt. there is no safe way to grasp it. β
β prophecy is like a half-trained mule. it looks like it might be useful, but the moment you trust in it, it kicks you in the head. β
β it is not the foes who curse you to your face that you must fear, but those who smile when you are looking and sharpen their knives when you turn your back. β
β i rose too high, loved too hard, dared too much. i tried to grasp a star, overreached, and fell. β
β they think that this will break my pride, that it will make an end to me, but they are wrong. β
β tell me of the things that make you happy, the things that make you giggle, all your sweetest memories. remind me that there is still good in the world. β
β one war ends, another begins. there is always someone fighting someone somewhere. β
β this is what i was made for. the dance, the sweet steel song, a sword in my hand and a foe before me. β
β my enemies have told you i am dead. those tales are false, as you can see. β
β not all that a man does is done for gain. β
β i know that you believe me weak, frightened, feeble. β
β it takes a man to rule. kill the boy, and let the man be born. β
β do you mean to spend your whole life running away? β
β kingdoms are at hazard here. our lives, our names, our honour. this is no game weβre playing for your amusement. β
β however gentle the words, there are always darker motives underneath. i do not trust you. β
β a good honest face, but you should smile more. β
β my throne is made of burned bones, and it rests on quicksand. β
β you are so radiant today i fear to look on you. β
β prove yourself more trouble than you are worth, and you can go your own way. β
β you need not look so pale, i was only playing with you. β
β this is not the day i die, i promise you. β
β i wanted you from the first time i saw you. β
β was i so blind, orΒ didΒ iΒ closeΒ myΒ eyesΒ willingly, so i would not see the price of power? β
β men should not go wandering in this place. β
β hold your tongue and do as you are told, or you will soon wish you had. β
β you wonβt try. you will obey. β
β kneel and live. or go and die. itβs your choice to make. β
β are you so blind, or is it that you do not wish to see? β
β that is not a place you want to go to. β
β i will not go back without doing what i came for, no matter how hopeless it may seem. β
β the fairest woman in this worldβ¦i am drunk with the sight of you. β
β secrets are worth more than silver and sapphires. β
β we have come too far to turn back now. β
β what have i done to make you hate me so? β
β you meet so few men who value friendship over gold these days. β
β it is true, i am a bolder man than most. β
β i cannot go home. but i dare not stay here much longer. β
β foes and false friends are all around me. β
β the fewer folk who will know of this, the better. β
β all you have i gave you. remember that. β
β will you make me say it twice? go and do as i commanded you. β
β love is madness, and lust is poison. β
β i feel safe when iβm with you. β
β have you no smile for me? am i as fearful as all that? β
β why did i ever allow myself to be talked into this farce? β
β donβt think i donβt see what youβre doing. β
β i will tell you nothing. do me the same favor. β
β if i look back i am lost. β
β a crown should not sit easy on the head. β
β we must show a little trust, you and i. β
β trust only your companions, and do your best to avoid attracting notice. β
β youβre not going to try to kill me again, i hope. β
β if you will forgive me for saying so, you lookβ¦weary. are you sleeping? β
β your clothes are stained with blood. take them off. β
β every fool loves to hear that heβs important. β
β my father used to tell me that a man must know his enemies. β
β you are a harmless creature, to be sure. as innocent as a lamb. β
β till then, let us drink and dream. β
β you will be tempted to betray me. to run or fight or join our foes. iβll not hear you deny it. β
β soon enough you may have grave need of me. do not refuse my friendship. β
β it is best that no man knows that you are here. β
β i kill kings, havenβt you heard? β
β should any ill befall you, this world would lose its savor. β
β some will look at you and see only another doomed pretender. β
β i think life is a jape. yours, mine, everyoneβs. β
β i will forgive those wordsβ¦once. but never presume to threaten me again. β
β your father would be so proud if he could see you. β
β just once you might try to give me an answer that would please me. β
β they love me well. none would betray me. β
β i have sins enough to answer for; iβll have no part of this one. β
β i mean you no harm, you know. β
β i do not trust you, but i need you. β
β weβll both sleep, and dream of sweeter days. close your eyes. β
β since you ask so nicely, how can i deny you? β
β no wine is half so intoxicating as your beauty. β
β why should i beg for what is owed me? β
β a lord may love the men he commands, but he cannot be a friend to them. β
β let them try and trouble us, weβll show them what weβre made of. β
β a leader should be feared, by friend and foe alike. if men think me cruel, so much the better. β
β the enemy of my friend is my enemy. β
β a book can be as dangerous as a sword in the right hands. β
β i am an old man, grown weary of this world and its treacheries. β
β these are desperate days, and like to grow more desperate. β
β we need to find shelter before nightfall. β
β there are footsteps behind us. we are being followed. β
β this is no common fog. it stinks of sorcery. β
β i am glad you came to me. it is good to see you again, my friend. β
β the man who does nothing also takes a risk. β
β the women are the strong ones. β
β afraid, are you? i would be if i were you. β
β tell me a tale. some tale of valor with a happy ending. β
β iβll have a cup of wine as well. to clear my head. β
β we may lose our heads, itβs trueβ¦but what if we prevail? β
β keep your swords sharp. weβll have us a real fight soon. β
β this is going to end badly. β
β what are you doing here? how did you get past my guards? β
β it is so hard. to be strong. i donβt always know what i should do. β
β let us instead speak of love, of dreams and desire. β
β you wound me, wandering off like this. have you grown tired of my hospitality so soon? β
β with this sword i defend my subjects and destroy those who menace them. β
β it is too late for such misgivings. you made your choice. β
β in times as confused as these, even men of honor must wonder where their duty lies. β
β why? what did i ever do to you? β
β we must be certain that we do not choose the losing side. β
β dream sweet dreams. there are no monsters here. β
β i know who you are. i know what you are. β
β a little honest loathing might be refreshing, like a tart wine after too much sweet. β
β a bloody sword is a beautiful thing. β
β a ruler belongs to their people, not to themself. β
β if the ones i killed come haunt me, i will kill them all again. β
β you shine so brightly, you will blind every man who dares look upon you. β
β a fair bargain leaves both sides unhappy, iβve heard it said. β
β thereβs blood on your hands, aye, same as mine. β
β i have done wicked things, i know, but i could not bear for you to hate me. β
β it is good to see you smiling again. β
β i have doubts enough without you throwing oil on the fire of my fear. β
β blood pays for blood, a life for a life. β
β go home, if that is what you want. i am staying. β
β a manβd think thereβs no trust between us. β
β i would choose freedom over comfort every time. β
β you are even lovelier than i was told. β
β stay. i do not wish to be alone. β
β treachery on treachery. is there no end to it? β
β dreams and prophecies. why must they always be in riddles? β
β one wrong word, and this could turn to blood in half a heartbeat. β
β you lie. i can see the truth in your eyes. β
β throw down your steel and stand aside, and no harm need come to you. β
β you are supposed to be my friend. why must you mock my hopes? β
β it is better to die with honor than to live without it. β
β it does no good to brood on lost battles and roads not taken. β
β i see you are deaf to sense. β
β you are no better than me. weβre just the same. β
β a man should never draw his sword unless he means to use it. β
β you kill men for the wrongs they have done, not the wrongs that they may do someday. β
β close your eyes. close your ears. turn away. you do not need to see this. β
β the sooner we are gone from this place, the better. β
β i am sorry my actions have displeased you. i did as i thought best. β
β you do not need to trust a man to use him. β
β if you cannot do this thing, you need only say so. there is no shame in that. β
β never wound a foe when you can kill him. dead men donβt claim vengeance. β
β this is what i wanted, what i worked for. so why does it taste so much like defeat? β
β honest men should never need to hide their faces. β
β i am not the trusting fool you take me for. β
β menβs lives have meaning, not their deaths. β
β heβs dead. he wonβt bite. β
β if this is the price for peace, i pay it willingly. β
β it makes me wonder whose side you are on. β
β dreams and prophecies. why must they always be in riddles? β
β i will not say that you are welcome. nor will i deny that i have hoped that you might come. β
β you have the eyes of a wolf and a taste for blood. β
β men are mad and gods are madder. β
β one war ends, another begins. there is always someone fighting someone somewhere. β
β not all risks lead to ruin. β
β is there some place with fewer eyes and ears? β
β i need you now as i have never needed you before. β
β tell me, is there any fight left in you? β
β it was the wind that you heard screaming. β
β crying? i was not crying. why would i cry? β
β are you some butcher of the battlefield, hacking down every man who stands in your way? β
β rain. a storm is coming. β
β that was simple. simpler than i dared hope. simpler than it should have been. β
β see that you do not speak of this. iβll not have this tale spread. β
β how could i be so blind for so long? β
β you had a bad dream, that was all. β
β are you prepared to defend that boast with sword or lance? β
β i will do it. i said i would. i will. β
β think that. believe that. tell yourself itβs true. β
β you have more enemies than you know. β
β i have no heart. i only have a hole. β
β it has been too long since iβve killed a man. β
β words are wind. words cannot harm me. β
β have you forgotten who i am? β
β too many good men died that day. β
β it is so good to see your face, your sweet face. β
β it is still not too late to abandon this folly. β
β i will not stay here to be insulted. β
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