>>5739959You stop short, feeling fiery fury rising in your breast from your firelung, threatening to brust forth in choking smog. You swallow it down.
“What?” you demand, turning your head to glare at the Youthful Paladin, Marzineo, once more. His face is, infuriatingly, still calm.
“Sir Marzineo,” your Human Queen reprimands him, “please do not interrupt King Theral when he is speaking.”
He bows his head in apology, but after a moment, he speaks softly, saying only: “I only wonder if this means that… King Theral… Means to keep secrets and tell leis AFTERWARDS.”
A hush falls over the room, and then a murmur of suspicion. All eyes are on you, and Ekaterine. Her face flushes a little at all the scrutiny—not just now of you and your intentions here, or even her own ascent to the throne, but of your intimate matters of marriage.
“He would not do so,” she asserts.
“Has he never done so?” the Youthful Paladin presses, without raising his voice. “Then let him say so.”
Ekaterine turns to you, her expression vulnerable. You can imagine how she must feel… or you think you an, anyway. Humans are tricky. But… Well, you DID deceive her, did lie to her, up until your marriage and even until the very moment of your consummation. You DI come clean at that time, and since then you have done your best to be honest and truthful in all other matters. You really have! But…
Well, there are some truths her gentle heart was not ready for. She needed to be EASED into them. And some… Well, perhaps some that you must forever keep secret, to not break her heart or risk your place in it.
In Ekaterine’s eyes is a question. Upon her lips, it nearly forms. You must speak up swiftly, to silence it before it takes shape, out in the open, and you must face these words as a truly deadly foe.
You are under an oath to speak truth. What will you do?
>Dodge the question, express offence, and demand Marzineo be removed! [Medium DC to convince Ekaterine (but extra Seduction die), High DC to not make everyone else icnreidbly suspicious ofproceedings]>Answer the question truthfully—yes, you have kept secrets, and still wish to keep secrets, and even to tell lies>Deny having hidden anything from Ekaterine any longer, or having plans to do so forwards—a lie, that will risk further breaking your already splintered vows as a Knight Ascendant>It is time to own up, and to admit to your lies, your half-truths… And perhaps even about the use of Irinnile to manipulate Ekaterine’s feelings, and about Prince Alexos’ death and your hand in it if she asks>Write-in[If you wish to spin it a certain way with a phrasing, feel free… But if you don’t mean to break the oath, frame it very carefully so as to not actually tell any lies.]
