There's a moment, where she looks... Tired. "What to tell... a story, I think:"
"I told you of my mother, over the new year. My father, as well. What I did not tell you is this: When I was ten, and had defeated grown men in combat, and professors at chess, I quickly became a national, then international, darling. I'm sure you know the kind of child I mean, given that your world, too, has its nations and its prides."
She hums. "... When... When my younger brother, Sergey, sickened and died because of the travel, I... Gave up. I stopped doing everything. It became impossible to motivate me through normal means.
"So. They decided my parents were the problem. And the New Tsars are cut in much the same cloth as this Emperor. If a person is a problem, well. Maybe I would be better off with new parents, the men decided. They told me they sent mother and father home.
"They did not expect me, I think, to see them open fire.
"I was obedient after that." she pauses. "In fact, I was so certain they would kill me, that I set out to make sure I could kill them first."
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2025-06-01 04:23 pm (UTC)"I told you of my mother, over the new year. My father, as well. What I did not tell you is this: When I was ten, and had defeated grown men in combat, and professors at chess, I quickly became a national, then international, darling. I'm sure you know the kind of child I mean, given that your world, too, has its nations and its prides."
She hums. "... When... When my younger brother, Sergey, sickened and died because of the travel, I... Gave up. I stopped doing everything. It became impossible to motivate me through normal means.
"So. They decided my parents were the problem. And the New Tsars are cut in much the same cloth as this Emperor. If a person is a problem, well. Maybe I would be better off with new parents, the men decided. They told me they sent mother and father home.
"They did not expect me, I think, to see them open fire.
"I was obedient after that." she pauses. "In fact, I was so certain they would kill me, that I set out to make sure I could kill them first."