JUNIPER
you think i'm happy because i'm smiling,
but it's the easiest thing to do
Juniper gave a quick grimace of sympathy in response to Sam's nod. No, he could no more cease to be Ascended than she could stop being Fae -- but he had made the choice to Ascend, and she had simply been born Fae. Maybe that was something else to ask: "Why did you become Ascended? If you don't mind talking about it."but it's the easiest thing to do
Bastien had said he Ascended for immortality, a reason Juniper couldn't really relate to -- but then, as far as Juniper knew, Bastien hadn't killed anyone for the Voice. Though he very well could have; she didn't know him that well. But Juniper knew there were other, more pressing reasons people chose to Ascend; Wessex had mentioned a girl Ascending to keep from starving -- a girl who'd then had her throat cut for that crime.
The question of the Warden's and Governor's knowledge was more straightforward, though not one Juniper could answer easily. "I'm not sure what they know. The Warden doubted that the Ascended would ever agree to a trial, so she wasn't particularly interested in discussing the details. The Governor, I believe, is a justice-minded man."
And Juniper had promised to help Sunjata find the Fae who'd attacked his husband. Juniper had no leads on that yet, but perhaps someday ...
Then Sam's answer made her grimace -- and not in sympathy this time. She bit her lips, trying to keep the full measure of her anger from showing on her face. They'd done this "to open up the world to them"? Regardless of whether the world wanted to be opened up -- regardless of what they might trespass upon, what they might trample.
Juniper bit back those words -- no point lambasting beliefs that she had to hope Sam already regretted -- but she did have to say, a bit tightly, "Her. The Mathair is a 'she,' not an 'it.'"
To stand on language in such a way might have been strange to an outsider -- but Juniper knew her fellow Fae would have stared and grown angry to hear someone refer to their goddess-tree in such a way. And that gave her another question: "She said the Mathair wasn't special as we believed? Do you know why?"
Not that hearing theological propaganda would make Juniper any happier, any less angry, but she was still curious.
She nodded when Sam said he didn't have good answers, trying not to be too curt. He definitely didn't, but then what answers could have possibly made her forgive what he'd done?
if you looked a little closer,
you'd find my eyes aren't smiling too.
you'd find my eyes aren't smiling too.
