As the fires died away,
Matthew saw a chance to escape with Janet,
He'd get them far from fear,
And distanced from harm but,
She was entranced by that accursed artifact,
Eyes locked forward, held by a brain that couldn't process,
The lulling messages it was receiving,
I'll stay here and perish comfortably,
Rather than listen to the silence again...

After Seeing Sharin's tears dried up and gone,
I laid back in my entitlement as two stooges,
With unblemished necks, I hadn't the strength to bite.
Delivered me and my carriage to Cornelius's logic.
Hopefully he'd be open to reason and able to appreciate true beauty.
Otherwise I'd use my ivy to convince him to see the light.
I don't like to reveal myself a monster it,
Is always a ****** affair and I,
Have no change of clothes.
He's a wise man with charisma to spare,
A mind accustomed to nocking quicker than most,
His age or freshly endowed,
His arrows strike hearts both mortal and devious.
Tacticians fear his unflappable leadership,
Politicians never question mobs of support,
Moving as one coordinated wave of outrage,
Voice cannot pierce a united cause,
Nor can gifts win the favor,
Of spoiled children,
Grown old and bitter,
Thirsty for change.
Toblin learned respect at the tip of a sword,
Fell short of defeating Cornelius by countless miles,
He'd forgotten the lessons he'd taught the man.
Came back offering old challenges to minds,
Bolstered through loss and sacrifice.
Crawling back still fat and worthless,
Toblin was fittingly rewarded.

They had their heiress.
Conquest given beauteous form.
Primed and ready to serve,
Beside a puppet of her choosing,
Father promised me Prienne.
Had Jacob killed to set free,
That throne to a younger, stronger brother.
His mind sharpened to earn him a general's chair,
One I wouldn't subjugate for a change we'd,
Stand as equals.
Beside a cheering world of followers,
Eager to receive purpose through fangs,
Earned through constant trials that left me weakened,
Disheartened and cursing my father.
I'm a monster without purpose,
Why'd you do it?
I could've brought a king into this world to replace Prienne,
Once he'd outlived his purpose and I stood a wilted flower by his side,
As we faded away together. No instead,
I'll spend years surrounding my perfect kingdom with ivies,
Loyal at a whim's notice, with Dragon's might that,
Drank the world dry during that fiery age of,
Inner strife, disease and never-ending displacement.
Men and women alike sought shelter beneath our giving branches,
Back then they knew their place, were granted gorgeous subservient lives,
Observing grace given flesh with eyes unfit to touch upon,
Such rare elegance.

A girl dressed in lace,
Green buds sewn into sleeves of emerald,
Gave the child queen scales she didn't wear.
It was a funny little ruse,
Placed with kindness.
Unlike the vines coiled around her insides,
Tightening around her legacy,
Implanted by a caring person,
She trusted to protect and serve.
Her trust was betrayed by agony,
Nights spent clutching onto the world,
Trying to hold on while,
Those seeds replaced her own.

Within infinite darkness a light can be found
Those that bask in it are cleansed
Their minds cleared of all doubt and resistance
They drink from life's chalice and are sated
Others despise them and scoff at the miracle
Many will fade to retrieve it, the light will be lost
Seized by force its power is faint
Set free it opens a gate to eternity
Won't you walk there with me?

Normals cannot see hearts.
As we do outside form.
Taken apart to be remade.
Unknown is terrifying precisely because.
Required viewings will be forced upon us.
Always the same is never stressful,
Leave me by the lantern, please.