Quote:
"Doctor Rasen? Really?" Raffy blinked. "I knew I liked that guy. He taught you all about... democracy? And... rights?"
“Ha, no,” laughed Maria. “History and arithmetic, mainly. The good doctor was a bit younger then, he just took the work to put food on his plate. Some of the other boy were frightfully dull, just sent there to learn figures and letters so that they could grow up to be guilders like their fathers. But, I developed a taste for it, so when I was older I begged my father to send me to the University in Nuln. That’s where I found out about more... interesting ideas.”
She looked up at the portrait above the fireplace. The family resemblance was clear, although Lord Samtzunge had a harsher set to his face than his daughter.
“Father doted on me. I think I was all he had left of mother. Still, he did the work of two.” She smiled to herself. “The books in this old house, that he used to read to me...”
Quote:
"Most other women may not have the same chances you had, but some do. Most don't do what you've done." He sighs. "We all have to make our own way in the world. Choose a destiny, fix our sights on it, fight for it, hold on no matter what happens." Another pause. "Do any of the philosophers teach that?" He glances up at her, sincerely interested in the answer.
“Not in this country,” she said. “At least, no philosophers of which people
approve,” she said, doing her best stuffy impression of the Lector on the last word. Reaching forwards, she jabbed the fire with the poker. “If you look south, though, you can find a Tilean in support of pretty much anything.”
“I used to read Dolmancé’s early works religiously. He was a Breton, but nothing like the rest of them – worse than the Church here, for the most part. Von Leiderot, here, too, although he got into trouble with the nobility. He’d agree with you, I think. He thought that liberty was the greatest good of all – that the worst sin a man could commit was to prevent another from following their own path.”
She looked sideways at Raffy with a wry smile.
“It turns out you can write about liberty all you like, provided it’s liberty for the
right people. And provided it doesn’t trespass on their prejudices.” She gave the fire another prod. “After that, things get a bit iffy.”
At that point, Hans and Alfons came back into the room, carrying supper between them: it was only cold meat from the pantry, but it was richer than anything Raffy had eaten in his life. Laying it down on the low table in the centre of the room, the two servants hung back a bit, unsure of themselves – Maria motioned for them to sit down, insisting that everybody eat. Nervously seating himself on a chaise-longue, checking first to make sure no mud or straw was adhering to his breeches, Hans obeyed: Alfons was rather less disconcerted by his lady’s company, taking a seat across the room from Raffy and looking at the young man with milky, hooded eyes as he picked slowly away at his food...
OOC: To synch up with the others, I’ll have to ration your night at Maria’s out into segments. Feel free to continue to interact with the NPCs yourself, but if you don’t, don’t worry – I’ll put up ‘highlights’ according to your instructions as time progresses.