A Veranda at the Sea Lord's Palace

[The Smith]

The Sea Lord examined her slim neck and said, "What do I care of honor?"

[brigida]

"My purpose was not to draw on your care for honor," she said, lifting her eyes to meet his, her voice still soft; there was no challenge there. "It was to draw on your care for me--if it still exists as it once did."

[The Smith]

"Let us drop this farce of love." The Sea Lord waved his hands, "If we ever did feel the twinkle of that emotion it is long dead now."

[brigida]

Tristeza looked away sharply, almost as though she had been hit across the face. She took a long breath; "I will take your word for the state of your own feelings, though I would appreciate it greatly if you did not presume to know my own." towards the end of this remark, her voice grew colder; she shut her eyes to refocus her thoughts, "If you have no love on my behalf, I should hope you would have esteem at the least--I bore your child, Sergyo. It would be good of you to grant me my dying wish on her behalf."

[The Smith]

The Sea Lord leaned forward and looked into her closed eye lids. "While you were in Westeros did you meet with Horas? Why did you murder Timm Vikary?"

[brigida]

"Of course I met with Horas; he is my husband," she said, frowning at him angrily, "I killed Timm because he had gone mad--he was a threat to me, and to my children."

[The Smith]

"I assume you did what all husbands and wives do." His face was a stubborn rictus. "And how was Timm a threat to you and your daughter?"

[brigida]

"I did with him on behalf of obligation what you do with whores nightly on behalf of amusement--what you did with the slut you hid beneath your desk the afternoon I bid you good-bye," she said, folding her arms across her chest, her eyes narrow. She kept her voice level. "Timm had gone completely insane--he genuinely believed Irina was his child--though I was months with-child before he joined us--he threatened to steal her away. He wanted me to help him."

[The Smith]

The Sea Lord smiled cruelly, "I wonder why he thought it was his daughter. With him dead, I guess we will never establish his side of the story." There was a glint in the Sea Lord's eye that let Tristeza know exactly what he thought. "Even if he is her father, I do not care. I have grown attached to her in your absence. She is a beautiful child."

[brigida]

"And she is yours," Tristeza said firmly, as thought offended that he could possibly think otherwise.

[The Smith]

The Sea Lord nodded and stared at her. "No. I will not allow your death." He began to stand his eyes on the exit already.

[brigida]

"Sergyo," she said, her voice frantic, as her calm evaporated--"How can you deny me this?" her eyes brow was knitted, her eyes hurt, and incredulous. "How can you possibly deny me what I want more than anything? It means nothing to you! You lose nothing! Let me die--let me accomplish one thing worthy of my station," she said fervently.

[The Smith]

"I lose nothing?" He replied incredulously. Then taking a deep breath he stared at her with blank eyes and continued. "I will be publicly embarrassed. I will seem weaker then a 12 year old boy. I lose respect, from my enemies and friends. Stop being ridiculous."

[brigida]

"It is not ridiculous." she said firmly, frustration evident in her expression, "Your power has already been validated by the King's unwillingness to proceed with the exchange without your approval--giving permission does not make you appear weak, Sergyo, it only demonstrates that you are in a position to give permission, or deny it--denying it is the same as granting it--ultimately, only the fact that you make one decision or the other affects your prestige."

[The Smith]

"So you say." The Sea Lord replied. "I think you are mistaken. I will not allow this travesty to occur."