JUNIPER
you think i'm happy because i'm smiling,
but it's the easiest thing to do
Juniper nodded. "We have a trade agreement with Halo, now, but it's in the opposite direction -- us feeding them, in exchange for their crafts and resources. It wouldn't hurt to bring in some food from ... Well, I suppose Torchline is the main option. I can speak to the Governor."but it's the easiest thing to do
Nephele's next response surprised Juniper a bit, but she nodded again. Keeping the Order at arm's length -- or further -- suited her, considering how little she liked its goals. "I, too, would avoid allying with the Order if possible. It seems that they have assumed our allegiance, but that need not be so easily given."
After that, Juniper had to consider Nephele's words carefully. "I've never actually spoken with the Governor's husband, but presumed they presented a unified front." She would have said that her alliance was with Torchline, with its Governor in his ruling capacity, not with Sunjata personally -- but those lines were blurred, now, after some of the conversations they'd had. "I don't think there's much risk of appearing too pro-Ascended -- of finding ourselves on the Ascended's side in the coming war. Despite my efforts to keep the peace, everyone knows how our people feel about the Ascended."
Juniper's eyes widened at Nephele's description of an attack. Of course she knew Nephele could not lie, and it didn't occur to her that the other Fae might mislead -- she trusted Nephele. Rather, Juniper wondered if her trust in Sunjata had been misplaced. After all, outsiders could be deceitful in a way Fae could not. Juniper didn't know Nate at all, but Nephele's words shook her image of Sunjata to the core. "I see. I'll ... be more wary of him, in the future. I'm glad you're all right."
It did occur to Juniper that perhaps Sunjata had mistaken Nephele for the Fae who'd attacked his husband. (If only she'd realized how close she was to the truth.) But that hardly made it better, the idea that they might assault any Fae in revenge. That was exactly what Juniper was trying to avoid doing, with the Ascended.
"Wessex rejected the idea, of course. She did offer a deal by which she would submit to our revenge, but I considered her price too risky to pay -- she wanted to see an Order member's compass, and I didn't know what damage that might do. However ... Samuel Wordsworth was receptive to the idea." Juniper's instinct was to keep Sam's agreement secret, to hold that card close to her chest, but she countermanded that desire. Nephele was her friend and partner in protecting the Fae; she deserved to know everything.
Juniper bit her lip as she listened to Ludo's design -- everything she wanted to avoid, coming down as gospel from one of her gods. She shook her head, though it was more of an instinctive reaction than a disagreement. "The Voice is a threat, and I would eliminate her if I could. But the Ascended themselves -- they're just people, who have been led astray. I ... I can't seek their total annihilation." Not after speaking to Bastien and Azrael. "Nephele, there are Ascended children. There has to be -- we have to find -- some way to stop the Voice without wholly slaughtering her followers." Though Juniper knew from her conversation with Sam that without the Voice, the Ascended would wither and die anyway. Not to mention that the Ascended certainly wouldn't stand by and let their goddess be destroyed without a bitter fight. "Even if we did kill all the current Ascended, what's to stop the Voice from creating more?"
if you looked a little closer,
you'd find my eyes aren't smiling too.
you'd find my eyes aren't smiling too.
