The smell of incense competed with the tinkling of the water and the soft music. Armande rather enjoyed this. Not the lobby of the spa, of course. Though he had paused and considered getting a massage himself. Despite his supplement and hormonal regimen, there was no question he was getting older. Still good, but definitely older, especially in the morning when his muscles and joints were stiff from sleep. He chuckled to himself. Or when Vale had been especially amorous. She left more than soreness. Her nails were sharp, her bite strong.
But he did enjoy the impeding surprise for her. She wanted to be queen, to be honored as such. She would find that, here. An indulgence, but life was not always about warfare.
It was odd, this change that had slowly come over him the past few months. He'd been a warrior his entire life. And for the last 20 years at least, had contented himself with a solitary and intellectual existence. Passion still ruled him, but it was the fire of the struggle, the battle for the safety of the entire world. The enemies too numerous and his people a fractured whole. By Pope Gregory's design. The Church needed control. Cells rather than a monolithic structure.
The Atharim were far older than the Church, with traditions and descendants on every continent. Those who'd held his office before had worked to bring them under their control- or to stamp them out. The pogroms and purges of indigenous peoples usually had Atharim influence at their core. It was not the route he would have taken. No, not at all. He couldn't begin to imagine the amount of knowledge that had been lost.
Zealots!, he thought disgustedly. It was Alexandria all over again, religion the cover these Atharim used to stomp out the others. Australia. The Americas. Siberia. Africa. Those Reguses had been fools. Di Inferi disgusted him, but they had been weeds that had grown in the soil those fools had created.
So much lost that should have been his by right.
He realized he had clenched his fists and relaxed. Over and done. He allowed the scent to wash over him, let the water fall lull his mind to quiet.
Yes, a massage might be nice, he thought as he stood and went to the desk. There was still tension in his shoulders.
But he did enjoy the impeding surprise for her. She wanted to be queen, to be honored as such. She would find that, here. An indulgence, but life was not always about warfare.
It was odd, this change that had slowly come over him the past few months. He'd been a warrior his entire life. And for the last 20 years at least, had contented himself with a solitary and intellectual existence. Passion still ruled him, but it was the fire of the struggle, the battle for the safety of the entire world. The enemies too numerous and his people a fractured whole. By Pope Gregory's design. The Church needed control. Cells rather than a monolithic structure.
The Atharim were far older than the Church, with traditions and descendants on every continent. Those who'd held his office before had worked to bring them under their control- or to stamp them out. The pogroms and purges of indigenous peoples usually had Atharim influence at their core. It was not the route he would have taken. No, not at all. He couldn't begin to imagine the amount of knowledge that had been lost.
Zealots!, he thought disgustedly. It was Alexandria all over again, religion the cover these Atharim used to stomp out the others. Australia. The Americas. Siberia. Africa. Those Reguses had been fools. Di Inferi disgusted him, but they had been weeds that had grown in the soil those fools had created.
So much lost that should have been his by right.
He realized he had clenched his fists and relaxed. Over and done. He allowed the scent to wash over him, let the water fall lull his mind to quiet.
Yes, a massage might be nice, he thought as he stood and went to the desk. There was still tension in his shoulders.