A Letter
As always, I shall write this and keep it with the others. To present it to you when the time shows itself. The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity. Several months of preparation and planning were focused into a single event. Into a single night. The War against the Brood is over. United under a single cause and a single banner, we threw down our enemy into the dirt. Our Butcher’s bill was more than acceptable, roughly six percent. I mourn the absence of Archon Dante. He was a student of mine. But I do not mourn his choice. I will not spit upon his memory, or his sacrifice. This was not a Pyrric victory. This was an orchestrated campaign that resulted in victory. An extension of my will. An additional scar, or mark, to remind me of the carnage that I have wrought. And with the end to this particular chapter…new ones have emerged.
My childe, Victor Penn, slew the Beast of the Bronx. In single combat he did what we could not. And in this moment I was not filled with pride…having put the sword into his hands. No…I was filled with hope. Hope that our Family is not truly shattered. The Prince had asked him what honor, what price, what present he could bestow upon the man who had finally ended this tragic play…who had burnt the theatre to the very ground and pissed in its ashes. The Prince had asked him this, and Victor had responded with a mere two words. “Rule Justly.” That was the moment of my hope and pride and envy. To look upon Victor and know that some good has come from my blood. To look upon my creation and know that he was free in all of the ways that you and I are not. To look upon my childe and realize that the son does indeed become the father.
You should also know that I have spoken at length with Cardinal Dirae. Marcus and I have never been friends…but we are remarkably similar. We are both men of stern aspect, fatal opinions, and devout righteousness. In this regard we are also quite predictable…but he and I have always been honest about who and what we are. We are predators, linked by a single individual. I may have been her father…but he is her Sire. My connection to her died the moment she was embraced, and Cardinal Dirae holds the authority here. She has made her own choices, some of which will result in consequence. But she at least appears to be happy, and despite her obfuscation, and those whom she has allowed to influence her, it is not my place to educate her. I am strangely content with this.
Alder Bella Evengii has taken your place, and awaits your return. She will no doubt elect Alder Thetis to the rank of Secondus, and although I do not believe she has earned that right, having been outside of our purview for some time, in the final analysis it will profit me. Regarding further matters within the First Estate, Mister St. George has utterly failed in his duties and very soon a new Archon will be chosen. To this I can only smile, having watched his descent mirror my own ascension. The Court of Albany is suffering from a disastrous alliance on the part of her Prince…but they will soon recover. The Court of Norwich, and the so-called Midnight Empire, stand upon a blade…and I believe they will see this turn of events for what they are…a chance to prosper. The alternative would be foolish…and fatal. And as for myself, I am already working to fill your role as Judex. Alder De la Torre will serve as my Liege, and thus me and mine shall remain within our Honored House. Xavier always said that I was a younger version of Miguel…but I am not so sure. Miguel does not see our familial cause as I do…but I am patient. In time the relation between Rebecca and I will be repaired, and House Dumah will remain intact. As will Xavier’s private joke. Charlie, Danica, Victor, Rebecca, Kato, Shade, Malek, Abigail…we are what we are. And we shall endure and survive.
In conclusion…you should know and smile that I shall be hosting the next gathering in New York City. There I intend to show my Prince, and my fellow citizens, what I am capable of. I will confound their expectations, and drag the arrogance of children into the light of day.
Sincerely,
Simon