Dreamed Into Life

[Illianna]

"A knight should always be there when the damsel awakes." I say grinning

[Arthur Chevalier]

"Damsel? Her? I know I am a knight, but I'm sworn to your wife..."

[Illianna]

"Yes and she's my lady and you saved her therefore she's a damsel she was in distress and you saved her it's a lovely story!" I tease

[Arthur Chevalier]

"I'm not certain that's how knights work. Or stories. We all came here to save her, after all."

[Illianna]

I laugh brightly "but the truth makes for an awful story. Besides, 100 years from now who will know the difference? History is just a story by a different name after all"

[Arthur Chevalier]

"That's dishonest," scolds Arthur, coloring. 

[Illianna]

"Perhaps but what does it matter when we're all dead? History will say Ari's torture was the cause of our concoring Castella and that much will be true but in the ledgons it will be about love and honor and gallant knights. Besides my people love a story and a dashing hero. Circulating that story will help with our war. They won't want to fight agent the hero knight who saved his damsel. They won't want to be on the wrong side. And the more we exaggerate your deeds the more they will fear you. You didn't fight four men you fought 40 or better yet 400 and took them all bear handed! It doesn't matter if it's true give them a story and they'll run with it and in turn run from you. Agents my people, a story is almost as good as a sword.almost." I look into the distance back at the shores of what used to be my home. How have I gone from loving this land to hating it in only a few short months?

I turn to look at Ari and it hits me. We've always been as cruel as we made two rivers out to be, we just hid behind stories of a god I've only ever believed in out of fear.  But that won't make a good story how to spin this how to spin this.....

"Ravna.... How would you tell our story?"

[Ravna]

Ravna sits back, studying Illiana. "I captured as my prize the beautiful princess of the enemy nation," she says slowly, "and over time I tamed her and trained her until she was a cunning sorceress."

[Illianna]

I turn it ove in my head for a moment then shake my head "close but it needs some work....... I stayed in dolphins because I had a dream of the mountain collapsing. That's something we can work with....... Yes..... yes I've got it!  They'll say it was a forbidden love. When called back to wed an old drunken I refused locked in the tower at Delphi you besieged the castle for your love spirited me away and the power of our love blessed by god has n us the strangth and power of the saints..... that's so they accept" I say grinning

[Ravna]

But Ravna scowls. "Love, fah," she snorts. "They will say love makes me weak."

[Illianna]

"Love makes. Us strong. And besides we can tell your story to your people. It's the truth after all. But good stories of love and power will aid you I your war and I want to give you the best advantage I can and stories is one way I can do that."

[Ravna]

"Then write a story without love. Write a story about power instead."

[Illianna]

"I will. But those are stories that get told in battle camps. They strike fear into the hearts of soilders, but love stories, love stories are things that get told around looms, and in rooms of women who go and tell their husbands not to go to war agents god and the holy lovers. Between their wives and mothers saying stay home and their friends whispering of Ravna the red and Arthur the valiant each who have slain thousands they won't want to fight. They'll defect in droves, but we need both. And besides stories of love will bring them to heal. They'll accept you as queen if they think it's gods plan. It will stop rebellion in concurred tarritory."

[Ravna]

"I will not conquer them. I will crush them beneath my heel and leave them a ruin as a warning to all who might cross our people!" 

there's a cheer from the men at that. 

[Illianna]

"We'll talk when we return" I sigh leaving her side to tend to Ari. To crush Castle would bring the red army crashing down on us still it's a nice thought, but there's a way to go about it without causing our own undoing.