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25 comments
So Astrid is no more and we see clearly it is a master scheme played by the bi#ch Zu Zu!
She must pay. LONG overdue!!!!!
I liked how you portrayed it as a welcome and forgiving closure to Astrid's wholly sad, sordid and sorry state of affairs.
Speaking of "affairs", I'm still sceptical of whether Astrid was truly ZuZu's "discrete lover-on-the-side".... (besides Rathe, that is ^^ )....is ZuZu even capable of such emotion?
I very-much doubt it, seeing as how poisonous (pun intended) she is, but Astrid foolishly went along with her vicious plots anyway, so she couldn't possibly have cared that much about Rathe to begin with.
ZuZu kinda reminds me of "Queen-Regent Cercei" of Game of Thrones, except with far more brains and ruthless cunning than that stupid, incompetent, self-important, temperMENTAL, petulant Inbred. (Her parents, Tywin and Joanna Lannister, were 1st-cousins, go figure! ^^ )
The "group discussion" on what to do next was very well and accurately portrayed, as was Nazir's short-lived outrage that Cicero was still alive, until he was given a rational explanation as to why, then he was forced to calm himself as he had the mind to see reason in the end.
Had he lived, Arnbjorn would NOT have been so understanding and logical at all, he would have battled Rathe on sight anyway (right after dealing with the P.O. ), just like he promised to do so right outside the Dawnstar Sanctuary!
I've got a powerful suspicion that the "old friend" Quin is NOT to be trusted at ALL.
He shows up, seemingly out of the blue, at a VERY convenient time for Rathe....just a little TOO convenient for my liking....ZuZu might just be employing him and/or Darius as "back-up plans" in case Astrid were to fail in the very elaborately and cunningly-planned mission to arrange Fleur's death, all to be pinned on Rathe's devastated conscience. ^^
Swiftly endorsed. Warm and kind thanks and cheers, Jess!
Now, on to the next chapters....^^
Yeah the more I write ZuZu the more she strikes me as similar to Cersei too! It's the manipulative beautiful woman syndrome I think! Hmm, maybe I need to write a Tyrion character too...
Thanks as always for your wicked insights and comments that bring a huge smile to my face!!
Being a leader? Hmm not sure if I see Rathe in that role. He is capable of course - he leads the little pack as it wore ... if not entirely to his liking. Still he gets along with the others and perhaps it would work. Just not sure I see him in that role. Would almost be .. domestic. Leader of the DB hanging out with Fleur at home making little baby assassins :-)
Enjoy these two chapters a great deal - lots of cool revelations and twists. Still very nervous about Mr. Quint though! Off to the next chapter ....
Yes in the end it was Astrid. She who thought she was so clever... but actually just a pawn for the real matriarch. Poor, poor Astrid. In the end she was just so pathetic that it would have been cruel of Rathe not to grant her forgiveness. He may be a cold, bastard but he's not wantonly cruel.
Thanks my dear for your comments!
So on to Dawnstar, presumably to drop the Night Mother off with Cicero and pick up Quintis.
(A small inconsistency: Earlier, the Night Mother is in her coffin when Rathe and the others use it to smash the window. Further down, you say Cicero has the Night Mother in Dawnstar.)
Anyway, good as always!
I sense a final confrontation soon, and a certain loner becoming a leader.
Yes a confrontation looms but perhaps not with the anticipated outcome....
i loved the conversation between astrid and rathe...probably for the first time they had an honest one (i may be wrong)
cant wait for the confrontation b/w the siblings ...
Yes, it's all on towards the Rose now...
Thanks hon for your comments and support!
It is an interesting twist when Astrid revealed that Rathe's sister was behind the poison, I would guess that the poison was meant for him and not Darius, little did she know that he had stopped drinking, I guess that is what she meant by him being the one to kill Fleur. I had wondered about that mysterious meeting you described some chapters ago, seems it was behind Astrid and Zuzu, unfortunate that she became that twisted one's puppet, nice that Rathe saw this and was able to forgive her.
Seems Rathe is being pulled back even more into that world of assassins, a choice made for him, he does have the trust of the others of the guild. Looks like quite the battle lies ahead to take down the Red Rose, a very intriguing chapter, Jess ^^
Anyway, as you said, poor Astrid really was just a puppet after all; her strings pulled by a more masterful puppeteer. I found her to be quite a tragic figure in the end. All that she did she really did for love; love of her guild, love of Rathe, love of ZuZu... and in the end, she lost it all.
And yes... it's off to the 'Rose' now... for the final showdown...
Thanks again dear!
The moments when Rathe and his companions waited for fire to decrease was still full of tension, especially when Rathe and Fleur embraced and something tels me that Rathe might have problems with Darius about it later... thigh he has it in him, an ability to put Darius place.
I can say that I like your take on what has happened with Astrid much more then in original storyline, she doesn't strike me as a type of person who could sacrifice herself... no, her dreary fate as a sick joke of Maro seems much more fitting. And what is worse, she did it to herself, like Rathe has rightly said so, and her torment might not even end with her death. I think Sithis will be most displeased that Astrid out of her geed and ambitions has almost destroyed his precious Brotherhood, so she might suffer eternal torment for her failure, since Sithis was never forgiving one....
Rathe seemed to take pity on Astrid, but not as much as Babette who seemed to be fond of her in general. Like in original storyline little vampire survive, she is interesting character in my opinion, with childish look but mature wisdom of old woman, who she really is, given that she is older then Rathe, Fleur, Darius and Nazir combined.
It was very powerful scene with Astrid in her last moments and Rathe, who seemed shaken by her fate. I found it surprising that he did forgive her, but maybe he wanted to give her final mercy in more then one way... Still, upon the brink of death Astrid finally did something good, told the truth and Rathe might finally see what a dangerous viper his sister is.
Rathe was very uninterested in leading his fellow assassins and I am not surprised, he was always a lone wolf, the place in his heart belong to Fleur but leading such thing as guild doesn't strike me as his life dream... I think Babette won't give up so easily on seeing him go, since she apparently sees him as Listener as well as Cicero and Rtahe give her a good advice about Dawnstar.
And speaking of Dawnstar... since Astrid confession Rathe is clearly up to revenge, only I feel very anxious that he wants to drag Quin into that... who might be ZuZu helper all along and even if he is not, this man is not to be trusted. I think Babette would have sufficed better as Rathe's helper or even Cicero who will follow Listener commands without hesitation... hope that revenge on Red Rose won't end up as sad and dreadful as it might be, give the place defenses and ZuZu crazy but cunning mind...
I will look forward to the continuation and thank you very much for sharing your awesome work!
Rathe may turn back to the DB but any thoughts of their future as a guild are far from his mind after Astrid's revelation about ZuZu's role in the poisoned brandy that nearly got Fleur killed. I think he finally realises that he has to deal with her once and for all - he cannot put her to the back of his mind any longer... she just won't stay there!
I hope to have the final chapters put up over the course of the next week. It's all done and written in stone... so no matter what people comment, the outcome can't be changed!!
Thanks again my dear for your continued support throughout this LOOOOONG journey.