Seeing Through Another's Eyes (Uther and Nimueh)

[kinguthersqueen]

Uther realized his error after he'd already said it, when the guys got tough with him. He sighed, wishing he'd had a bit more tact. Most likely, it was the result of his mental state-he still wasn't thinking entirely clearly. Sadly, in doing so, he'd put himself in danger, and in this state, he couldn't have them arrested. He braced himself for a beating, but Nimueh stepped in.

She talked them out of thinking he was a spy, but true to her nature, annoyed him while doing so. She'd just thrown his statement about being set in his ways back at him, and he didn't like the name she'd come up with, though he assumed it was just a spur of the moment thing, all she could think of. He rolled his eyes at her, but couldn't argue it with her right now, not in front of other people.

Uther glanced at her for guidance, a hunch forming in his mind that she'd want him to pay and get out of there before he blew it, but he wasn't totally certain. They weren't the only ones in the bar, and he could conceivably still speak to some of the others, as long as he didn't make the same mistake twice.

[Deleted]

Given, this all had been her idea, but did she have to do everything on her own because of that? She hadn’t even known how eager Uther seemed to be to know the truth, but apparently he was so eager he almost blew the chance. Getting information out of someone was an art that took time, Nimueh knew that better than anyone – only that time was not on their side right now. Within two hours they needed to be out of the tavern at least, what happened afterwards she could conceal with shadows and even bring him back to his quarters in his real appearance. But she wanted to extract as many negative quotes from them as she possibly could in the short time, and then maybe even move on towards others so he could not very well say, she had been selective.

“Alright…” the bulky man seemed to have buyed her appeasement for the time being. “No offense, man… one can’t be cautious enough with the attentive ears of our king, you know. He seems so easily offended by resistance, though not as much at least than that ward of his… I still remember how she shot the crowd that day… I was there, I had business in the citadel…” He shuddered and Nimueh gave a commiserating clucking of her tongue. That was not quite the direction she had been aiming at but at least the man did talk! Then a grin spread over his wrinkled face. “Cuthbert it was, right? I’m Wulfric the carpenter! That fella beside me is ma sister’s man, Bill. How about you buy us a round and our misunderstanding shall be forgotten?” he suggested, extending his callous hand for a handshake.

Nimueh had to surpress a grin. Ha, that might vex Uther, having to mingle so closely with the common crowd! She only hoped he would not refuse, for that would be offensive and suspicious at the same time. Just to be sure, she shot him a prompting glance and a not, before she leaned forward with a smile on her face.
“You really have to excuse us, basking in here asking questions, it’s just that my… uncle and I… we had quarrels with our king… it was about my… my mother…” Nimueh let her voice become thick like she was fighting back tears and had to swallow a lump in her throat. Now it was Wulfric’s and Bill’s turn to cluck their tongues. “What was the problem, man?” Bill asked ‘Cuthbert’ in a low voice, leaning forward. “Was she… of magical blood?”

That was of course what Nimueh had be aiming towards. What would Uther do? She decided to take the risk and let him talk, if he slipped up in any kind of way she would always be able to resolve it later, straightening it out. For now everything went according to plan.

[kinguthersqueen]

Uther knew that Nimueh was approaching this in such a way that she could annoy him as much as possible. She wasn't moving onto anywhere yet, but she was prodding him with getting him to mingle with the commoners and stay for a bit. Obviously, it wouldn't be too overly long, since he had only so much time before the spell wore off, but it still made him uncomfortable.

The men did calm down, and didn't make any attempts to attack them after Nimueh's words, and he did have to silently appreciate her quick thinking. He suspected it was more a way of getting herself out of a situation where she might need to use magic, however, than any concern for him. Then, though, she came up with a reason for him to be asking about the king, and Uther found himself on shaky ground as they waited for a reply. He was inwardly angry, wanting desperately to yell out and vent his annoyance, but he did not want to end up either arrested by his own men or treated ill because he was thought mad. He forced himself not to speak angrily, but he could not suppress a roll of his eyes directed at Nimueh. Hopefully, he thought, it wasn't seen or at least thought much of.

"That is usually the reason such things happen in this land."He hoped he was convincing, but at this point, he could not know for sure.

[Deleted]

For a man not used to scheming, Uther did exceptionally well in this, even Nimueh had to admit that. She would never voice that of course, but her annoyance died down considerably, and she began to feel more at ease. She couldn’t except Uther to be the perfect actor of course, as he had never needed to in his position, but he had only slipped up once and now let her do the wide-spread talk. Nimueh saw his annoyance and anger, and she smuggled a smirk in his direction when she could be sure no one would see. Why shouldn’t she have a little fun with this? The bait had been swallowed by both men, now she could only lay back and watch the things unfold. Usually such a sad story was an excellent trigger for further discussion. Because given how precise and thorough Uther had been with his ‘cleaning’, there might not be one man left in Camelot who hadn’t suffered from a similar fate or at least heard from one who did.

“I’m sorry, Cuthbert”, Wulfric stated and reached out with his big hand to squeeze Uther’s shoulder. “I bet she wasn’t a bad person, your sister. Most of them weren’t… they used their power for good, if even at all.”
Nimueh had to stiffle a cry of triumph. This was going SO well into the right direction it was unbelievable! Almost as if rehearsed! But the Goddess be her witness, this time she had not wangled it! Because she simply didn’t need to use foul means. This was how it truly was!
Bill now leaned back in his chair, calling across the tavern to another man, sitting in a corner alone, seemingly brooding. “Ey, Guthric! Come on over! I think here’s something that might interest you! Take that tankard and get your gloomy butt over here, will ya?”
While the so intitled Guthric glowered and slowly stood up, making his way towards them, attracting other men’s attention while he did so, Bill leaned towards Uther with a smirk.
“This man’s got some story to tell, I tell ya! I think you two will find you can relate quite nicely!” He looked at Uther expectantly, waiting for a reaction.

Nimueh couldn’t deny she was intrigued. Would she now get the first hand information she had wanted? The life story of a man that had suffered under Uther’s idiocy the most? One could only hope. Smirking, she leaned closer to her ‘uncle’. “I wonder what he has to say. You better listen closely!”

~.~

[OOC: How about we godmod the people together if you want? I feel bad stealing all the spotlight...]

[kinguthersqueen]

Uther knew that Nimueh was thoroughly enjoying this, getting more and more amused by the discomfort and annoyance Uther was experiencing doing this whole thing. This most recent development, however, was pushing him near to his limits. They were expecting him to tell a sad story, to back up his dislike for the king. Uther wasn't at all certain he could pull it off. He was no actor, of course. He hated the idea of being on the spot like this.

At first, he hesitated."I do not like discussing it...it rather pains me."He only went silent a few moments, though. "Wasn't much to it...probably the same as many others. She was suspected, found guilty and executed."

(ooc ok sounds good)

[Deleted]

The new man, Guthric, had reached their table now and everyone moved their chairs closer together to make room for him. Nimueh observed him closely from under lowered eyelids. He had the bloodshot eyes and sour breath from a man already having had too much to drink, yet his steps were not wavering, nor were his hands shaking. A drunkard then, perhaps, or simply a man used to drown whatever sorrow he had in alcohol – there was a difference. Behind such a behavior there usually was a sad story, and apparently Guthric had been called to tell just that – excellent!
He also seemed to have overheard Uther’s last words – for which Nimueh had to applaud him inwardly, they were excellently choosen especially concerning his current circumstances – because he gave a loud, disgusted snort, slamming his tankard on the table.

“All too right, this is how it usually goes! Because or ‘beloved’ king only sees one aspect of a very complex thing. He only sees the crime, not the fate behind it!” He gazed around wildly, his eyes gleaming with the madness of a wild boar. Wulfric, who seemed to know him well, put a restraining and calming hand on his forearm, giving it a short squeeze. “Easy, friend. You’re talking to a common man here who’s interested in your story, not the king himself.”
Guthric nodded, took a deep breath and continued. “I know… but I swear, I wouldn’t know if I could restrain myself if I’d see him face to face one day. He destroyed my life… he took away the people I loved most in this world. My wife… and my baby girl…” his throat seemed to close of and he took a while to clear it, while his eyes started to glisten. “Killed… both… and for what? Because my wife was a healer and had inherited a little magic from her mother. She used it to HELP for heaven’s sake, she probably saved countless lives and never harmed anyone.” Breathing heavily now, he took a deep swig of his ale, then finished with a final statement, accompanied by a glare. “But of course that didn’t interest anyone. She had magic, she had to die, period. They even drowned my baby girl along with her… like mother like daughter, I presume.”

After that long speech the room fell silent. So silent you could have dropped a needle. Apparently Guthric had drawn the attention of any man in this room to his tragic story, and even Nimueh had to admit she was moved. This was but one story amongst countless tragedies, and you could easily blend them out under normal circumstances. But not if it was told straight to your face, when you saw the pain in this man’s eye. Hopefully Uther would realise as much.


[OOC: remember, you can incorporate anyone or make up new participants xD]

[kinguthersqueen]

Uther was struggling with this whole thing more now. His mind still told him that they were unable to see the whole picture. They were naturally distraught over their loved ones' losses, only able to think about themselves and their families. They did not have a whole kingdom to lead, thousands of people whose safety and security depended on them. He took no pleasure in the loss of the lives he had to order. He was not as cruel and tyrannical as they assumed he must be. He simply felt he had no choice.

He glanced at Nimueh; she was enjoying this and he knew it well. She did not show it, but she was most likely gleeful at what he was being confronted with. He could not stare, though, he had to concentrate on what was in front of him. A couple of others voiced similar stories, and Uther played his part of being saddened, but inwardly, he was steeling himself the same way he did during an execution, pushing away any feelings of guilt or remorse or sadness and focusing on the fact that he had to do what was necessary.

He wondered now when Nimueh would be ready to move on. Surely they would not stop only at this one place until the spell wore off, although one could never be sure with Nimueh.

(ooc I know, I'm just not always good at quickly making up names and stories...I can if I work at it enough, but I'm not good under pressure, so I kinda generalized it. lol)

[Deleted]

Nimueh was torn, and she feared it even showed in her expression she usually guarded well. On one hand she was indeed pleased that Uther’s ears should finally be tormented with nothing but the honest truth, but on the other hand, hearing those torments again herself was almost too much to bear. Some might have claimed Nimueh had a heart of stone, was only a body and mind, fuelled by thoughts of revenge and hate, and partly this was even true. But Nimueh’s only weak spot had always been the fate of her own kind, and hearing the story of this broken man, just one of many but nevertheless moving, worked hard on that wall of indifference she had built around herself. It made her angry, to know that the perpetrator of these gruesome crimes was sitting right next to her, probably still not caring. So, no, she was by no means enjoying herself here.

But at least he stayed silent for now and didn’t try her composure by muttering words of false commiseration. What she had wanted was confront him with his subject’s true opinion of their king and partly that goal had been achieved. He knew now that they thought him merciless and blind, killing the massive amount of innocents along with a few guilty people.
Bill shifted uncomfortably in his chair, he seemed moved though he must have heard that story at least once before, or else he wouldn’t have been able to refer to Guthric as a source of information. “Well… I guess our king needs to learn one thing: That there is always more sides to a thing than just one, that you can’t be blinded by your own opinion so much you force it on others, especially not when lives are at stake. It should matter what you DO, not simply what you are. Can anyone help being born with magic? I don’t think so, and living in this country I thank the stars every day I was born without.”

Nimueh nodded slowly, then propped her hands up on the table, pushing herself off her chair. “I couldn’t agree with you more there, Bill and I thank you all for this enlightening discussion. But I think me and my uncle have places to be. Guthric”, she turned to the man who was now staring sullenly on the table top, his hands slightly trembling. “I am truly sorry for what happened to you. Just remember one thing: There is always hope. Even for those without any hope at all.” This was all the High Priestess could offer for now. Had she been alone and in her true form, she probably would have added a blessing, entrusting the broken man into the Goddess’ care. But right now this was impossible, it would have aroused too many questions. With a sweet smile she then turned to face Uther. “Shall we, Uncle Cuthbert?”

[kinguthersqueen]

Uther could see that Nimueh was also being affected by the stories, though naturally not in the same way he was. She was, as one would expect, sympathizing with them, although she did not make a display of it. Uther's internal thoughts were still repeating his beliefs as the speech was made. No one, certainly not them, understood because they were not in his position. He, as king, was the only one who knew the danger of letting magic exist in the kingdom and not taking preemptive action to protect the people before a threat could happen.

Nimueh said that they had places to go, and Uther readily agreed. He wondered, though, if they would go anywhere else, or if there was not enough time before the spell ended. He followed her out without a lot of complaint and waited to see. He didn't want to voice his opinions where there was a chance of anyone else hearing him, but he would say it later. He was too stubborn to relent so easily.

[Deleted]

Stepping out into the cooler night air, Nimueh took a deep breath to clear her mind from all the confusion and mixed feelings that had assaulted her inside. She needed a clear head if she wanted to lead Uther through this night, she was still in charge and couldn’t allow herself to grow weak or sentimental. Then she turned to Uther and shot him a superior smile, curious how he would react now. Could he really hold on to his mantra-like protestation that he was doing this all for the greater good? There was a limit to everything, even the greatest stupidity and stubbornness!
“So silent, my dear Cuthbert?” she teased in a low tone. “Cat got your tongue? Or do you finally realize there are things you can’t talk yourself out of?”

She chuckled and turned to face the street, starting to walk a little bit further downtown. “There’s still some time, you know, and there are more aspects to your reign people can judge you about, though your view of magic surely is the prominent one. Any idea what I might be talking about?”
Of course was talking about taxes, also referring to a few incidents in the past where Uther had shown particular ignorance towards his people’s. And once again, probably all she needed was to drop hints towards people who had suffered from this. Uther’s subjects might be able to endure and forgive, but they would never forget. So now, for their second and probably last station Nimueh had a particular shabby tavern in mind, where only the poorest could think of leaving a penny for a drink. Of course she also could just take him on a trip down on some particular streets of Camelot the king most likely had never set a foot in, but Nimueh had a hunch that Uther was always more likely to blend out mere pictures, than when he was forced to listen AND see.

[kinguthersqueen]

Uther had to fight the urge to roll his eyes at Nimueh's comments. She thought obviously that she might have gotten through to him with this idea, but it was more complicated than that. Inside, the emotions were stirred-he recalled the terrible visions the Mandrake had induced, that he wanted to dismiss as magic, but couldn't quite. He felt misunderstood and unhappy, but did his best to hide it with stubbornness. He had to; she could see no weakness. He glared back at her.

"No. It is the same as it always has been. No one can understand my position without being in my position. I take no pleasure in what happens. I do what I must to ensure the safety of my people."

Nimueh spoke of using their remaining time to explore more. Uther thought about what she said.

"I think perhaps I do. There must be opinions about more than just my battle against magic. It would be interesting to discover more."

[Deleted]

Trying to convince Uther of something he didn’t want to be convinced of was like running your head repeatedly against a solid stone wall, equally useless and equally hurtful to the head. Could it really be he still thought himself in the right after what he had just witnessed? Oh, maybe he didn’t and was just too stubborn to show it. Going with that possibility the High Priestess started to search for tiny hints of unease in Uther’s posture and demeanour. What the king said and what the king felt could be two completely different things after all. And really, underneath a whole pile of stubbornness and self-illusion, Nimueh found a glimmer of it, showing maybe in the subconscious twitching of his eyebrow, in the way his tongue moved several times over his lips… tiny hints, but there.

And this truly was the only thing Nimueh could have ever dreamt to see, she was not so illusional to think one evening amongst his subjects would change his entire view of the world or – to think! – make him change his ways, she just had aimed for his self-delusion getting just so much harder by poking his nose repeatedly and unmistakably into the truth.
“Oh you know what, grow up Uther!” she snorted. “Did it ever occur to you that you’re not the only person in this world shouldering such responsibility? I am queen in all but name to those who still have the guts to not deny their magical roots, and my duty is to them, in all I do.” Well, maybe it was also for Nimueh and the magical world, but always for them as well! “So don’t you dare raise yourself onto a pedestal that is not yours to take! Every head of a family’s responsibilities is equal to yours, maybe their responsibilities weighing down on their shoulders are even graver, because they actually CARE about what happens to those they have sworn to protect!”
With that she pushed against the door of a very shabby house, not more than a lopsided near-derelict shack to be precise. Two rusty chains screeched softly in the evening breeze, but no tavern sign was attached to it.
“Welcome to the house with no name”, Nimueh declared, gesturing inside. “The place where the poorest men drink away their last penny to forget their sorrows while their children starve at home.”

[kinguthersqueen]

Uther did have to concede that Nimueh had a point, but at the same time, it wasn't entirely correct, what she was saying. It was true that there was some similarity to leading a family, but it wasn't the same. Even the head of a family didn't have an entire kingdom looking to them for safety and protection."There may be a likeness, but it is not the same."he said."And do not tell me whether or not I care. I care that my kingdom does not fall and that its people are safe."

They came to a smaller, more dilapidated tavern, which Nimueh said was the meeting place of the poor and destitute. Uther did not consider himself a harsh man in the area of taxes, but he was curious as they entered what the people here would have to say.

[Deleted]

Of course, yes she knew that Uther had a point to some extent. Ruling a kingdom was one hell of a hassle and one reason why Nimueh herself had never desired a crown. As a spiritual leader you didn’t have to deal with all the dirty work and the petty commands of lords and peasants alike. Nimueh knew she would have no nerve for it, so that’s why she stayed clear from any ambitions to the throne. Uther and her, though she hated to admit that most of the time, were very similar, so maybe he should follow her example? Nimueh couldn’t think of anyone worse to the throne of Camelot right now, with his blockhead that made Uther so blind to any fault he made. It was one thing to lash out in blind grief and find an outlet in punishing those you thought responsible, but it was something completely else to make a law and custom out of killing people whose only fault was that they had one thing in common. It was nothing short of genocide!

“Well, yes, your precious safety”, she snorted and flipped a strand of her hair back in annoyance, such an untypical gesture for the commoner girl she was posing as it earned her a weird look from a passerby, and she quickly got her act together. “Just… don’t you think if you to achieve said safety you kill your subjects you’ve sworn to protect, there isn’t something wrong? Doesn’t that rub at least a little wrong? Come on, I know it does, you’re not daft after all.”

When entering the tavern, Nimueh took in a sharp breath. Alright, she had visited this place some time ago, but it had truly deteriorated ever since. There was almost no light, coming from miserable grease lamps that filled the air with a rancid stench. Two ramshackle tables was all there was, broken stools in the corner would serve as firewood in the long run. Five or so shabby and shady personas sat at said at mentioned tables, talking lowly, while staring either into their poorly filled, greasy mugs or on the equally greasy tabletops. The landlord – if you could call him that, he was only distinguished from the others by a fatty apron dangling loosely around his hollow, miserable frame – jerked his head and addressed Uther in a very grumpy voice. “Haven’t seen YOU here before… finally reached the bottom have we? Well, welcome to hell’s antechambers!”

[kinguthersqueen]

Uther had to listen to her, but arguing with him was likely beginning to get frustrating. He often yielded inwardly that she had points in her arguments, but not outwardly. It was a sort of Catch-22, although his mind would not have had that label to use for it. He was responsible for the safety and security of his kingdom, yet had to kill to ensure that safety. Still, though he might not be able to hide glimpses of expression in his eyes or face, he didn't acquiesce verbally.

"Enemies are enemies, whether from inside Camelot or out. Sometimes a few must be destroyed to protect the greater majority."

The landlord started talking and told Uther to have a seat, and the king couldn't disagree with his first statement. He hadn't been here before, because he would never have reason to. Still, he didn't want to blow his cover.

"Er, no...I'm new to here. Not to Camelot, that is, just to here."

Part of him wondered how there were many born or coming to be this poor, but another part of his brain was telling him that it didn't matter, they were just peasants. He wasn't certain how to think of them.

[Deleted]

Oh well… this argument probably would be carried in front of the gates of hell, as it was everlasting. Why they both hadn’t grown tired yet of their constant back and forth Nimueh couldn’t tell, even if the subject and even the points were always the same: ‘Killing magical people is necessary’ vs. ‘No it’s not and you’re nothing but a murderer, not a king!’ And in the end it didn’t really matter what Uther said, as that would never change, Nimueh just wanted to jab at him constantly, to be his personal poltergeist until the end of time. She could not undo what had been done and for now she couldn’t even make much of a difference, but riling Uther, never letting him forget was as good a revenge as anything. And soon there would be another, better planned opportunity to get rid of him, she just had to bide her time until then.

“Ha, don’t tell me you actually don’t know where this will lead, my dear friend, cause that’s a laugh”, she scoffed, glowering at him, but still careful enough to not use his name. “You’ve been infected with the tyrant’s virus the minute your wife died, or rather before that but she could keep you at bay. The virus will not stop wiping out everyone who you think opposes you, until you will chop of the heads of people who as much as dare to clear their throat in your presence. You will end up just like the Fisher King, clinging to your miserable life while everyone has already deserted you and your kingdom is dying around you.”

The landlord mumbled as a response and shambled behind the bar to retrieve a wooden can and greasy wooden cup which he both presented Uther with a grunt. He didn’t even acknowledge Nimueh or give her any second glance, but she didn’t mind, content to be the puppet master in the background. Knowing this man, he wouldn’t need an extra invitation to start on his favourite subject: King Uther and his taxes.
“Sooo”, he dragged out, slumping down on a chair beside Uther with a huff. “What’s your story, man? Did our beloved king also rob you of your last penny just so he can eat three warm meals a day and sleep in silken bedcloth while telling us that’s all for our own good? We here”, he made a vague gesture to the few other people present who didn’t look like they paid much attention though, “are always eager to hear different stories, so we realise we’re not the only ones having it tough.” He laughed a wheezy laugh, showing two lines of rotten and missing teeth in the process.

[kinguthersqueen]

It was true that they went in a *lot* of circles, due to Uther's stubborn nature. She would know that she had accomplished *something* if she could get inside his head and listen to his thoughts, but he was too proud to ever admit it out loud. The things she was more likely to see were the brief looks in his eyes, the split second facial expressions that sometimes manifested as he tried to pretend she was having no affect at all.

Her words brought Morgana's to mind."For one by one, you make enemies of us all."

"You speak like Morgana. But that will not come to be. Some may desert me, but there are enough still loyal to me."

He had to stop talking about it once inside, and he couldn't answer the bartender the way he really wanted to. They were taking jabs at him obviously having no way of knowing he was there, although if they did, it might have become worse.

He did not think his taxes too high; there were enough of the people still living well. And she likely didn't get his position as royalty. These were just peasants, they didn't matter much. They farmed land for the lords and indirectly ensured Uther got his troops and crop tributes, but it didn't matter how many died, there were always more to take their place. Uther never concerned himself as much with them as with the nobles, the ones whose loyalty was crucial to the kingdom's success. Unless, of course, something killed *all* the peasants, but Uther didn't see that happening.

It took a lot of force to push his anger down and maintain his cover, and his demeanor was a bit awkward. He had little idea of what to say.

"Yeah, yeah...that's right. I'm just not certain I wish to talk about it much. I would rather attempt to forget, but it is difficult to do so."