The Manse of the Late Ollo Tregario

[Horas]

"Then lie to him," Horas says bluntly, "We both know that you could take your daughter if you choose to. Unless," he adds, in the same tone, "You do not trust me."

[brigida]

Tristeza's eyes were downcast and thoughtful as she answered, "There are a great many things with which I trust you, Horas; your life, your children's lives, my life--but you have no incentive to keep Irina alive--and the first thing I learned of you, before we had ever even met, was that you operate based on incentive--you work for gain, and ignore what efforts will offer you no reward...Irina is not worth your effort to keep alive."

[Horas]

"She is, so long as she is under my control. If she is not, she becomes a threat."

[brigida]

Tristeza shook her head, "Delinal loves the child--she ought to be with someone who loves her--and Horas..." she said, her eyes fierce with determination, "you will not harm her...No man alive could do me worse injury than to hurt either of my children."

[Horas]

"And when your children go to war with one another?" Horas asks. "You heard what I said. Her fate depends on your decision."

[brigida]

"They will not go to war--she is illegitimate. She is not even an eligible heir."

[Horas]

"So was Emelia. Do not be a fool," Horas says sharply.

[brigida]

"And a fool would not leave her only daughter in the arms of a man who would kill her as soon as look at her," she responded angrily, "Irina Delinal will stay with her father, and you will keep your distance, as will he from our son, unless you would both do dishonor to my memory."

[Horas]

"I will not harm the girl if you give her to me," Horas says, "I will promise that to you. I will make no such promise if you do not."

[brigida]

Tristeza paused a moment. "I will think on that promise, but I am strongly disposed against it--it is bad enough that Horas will be raised with neither of his parents, but for Irina to suffer the same fate when she has nothing to gain from it would be...quite tragic. I would not die happily to think on it," she said with eerie sincerity.

[Horas]

"She has her life to gain from it," Horas says softly.

[brigida]

Tristeza shook her head, "Irina has a part of me in her; and if you are so obsessed with your own ambitions that you would wipe from the face of this earth one of only two beings which are of me; through whose body's flows my blood...then by giving her to you I would potentially save her heartbeat; but I would be stealing the life she might have had; a good life with friends, and brothers, and sisters, and a father who loves her; a life without the cruelty brought on my political inheritance."

[Horas]

Horas shakes his head slowly, then sits back down.

[brigida]

Tristeza sighed, "You fault me for trying to allow them both the best possible lives?"

[Horas]

"I am not inclined to discuss the matter any further," Horas says.