Act I, Part III: Protecting the Family Name
By Councilor Arobar, Father of Nilas and Gandosa
I have spent decades in service to my house and to my people and to hear that Athyn has moved against me and sponsored my son to have the privilege of undergoing the Trials, I am infuriated. How dare Nilas seek sponsorship from someone else without first coming to me and how dare Athyn provide it for him. Athyn knows my feelings towards Nilas. He knows that Nilas is nothing but a mark of shame upon my name and he goes so far as to cast light upon it? I could kill him for it and the temptation is there. He would stand no chance against me in a duel and to decline would be a great dishonor, especially for one of his station, but still—that would raise questions amongst others in the House as to why I challenged him, especially after he sponsored my own son. No. I can’t kill him, but he should thank the Three that unlike him, I am not a coward who moves against my political rivals in such a way. No, I will have to handle this matter in a different way.
Nilas will have to die in the Trials; it’s the only way that I can be spared the great shame he would bring upon my name if he were allowed to become Redoran. The very idea of the pathetic little worm being welcomed into my house as more than just a mistake I made all those years ago—I couldn’t bear it. He would dishonor everything the House stands for and everything it is and I will not allow him to bring shame upon it as he has on me time and time again. Certainly, he will survive the Trials if I don’t intervene—he’s trained for years for this and if I don’t think of something then he will become Redoran which is something I can not allow; I refuse. But how will I get him killed without it coming back to me? How? If only I had more time I could plan this out better, but it seems that Nilas has once again put me into a situation where I’m scrambling to save our family and our house from the dishonor he is trying so fervently bring upon it. It doesn’t matter though; I will think of something as I always have, just as I did when Gandosa thought she could hide that whore from me.
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Perhaps I should reach out to those cultists again; they proved useful last time when they dealt with Gandosa’s “friend” and perhaps they can again with the matter of Nilas, although this time, they need to actually finish the job. Certainly, they broke that girl and the problem resolved itself as a result, but I need Nilas dead. For too long has been a thorn in my side and for too long has he pissed on everything I’ve spent my whole life working towards and this is finally my chance to be free of him. I need to leave immediately if I am to reach Ramimilk in time for them to reach him, but for the sin of dealing with the Third Corner, I must first beg forgiveness from the Three.
ALMSIVI, forgive me for once again violating Temple Law by conspiring with agents of the Third Corner, but know that I do so out of love for my house and my people. I seek them out not because I wish to deliver myself unto the Lord of Domination, but because I wish to spare my house the shame that my son will bring upon it if he is allowed to become truly Redoran, just as I did before to spare it from the shame the Whore would bring upon it. I swear on my honor, everything I do is for the good of my house and my people, even if it does seem as though I am wavering—it is done in your name and for your people.
Blessed be the Three and blessed be my house.
-Miner Arobar, Councilor of House Redoran