#rivervale_lodge

"You never would"

Firm

"I would like to think so. Our Truehearts Oath is still strong. But still, we don't know what happened exactly. This is one of those things that... well, you know you've made mistakes, and you learn from it."

"In -this- case, several mistakes, each of which built on the others."

"Maybe, seems more like your mistake was not being perfect... " A shrug " So what's one of your little mistakes?"

"Hm." He thinks.

"My mullet phase."

"You had a mullet?" Eyes wide

"In my defense, it was intended as a disguise." He scratches his chin. "Clean shaven, too."

"Oh my ...do you have a picture of these dark days?" Amused

"No." Pointedly. "I was -disguised.-"

A short chuff. "My brief taste of war."

"Did mom ever see you with a mullet? and clean face? And if so, waht did she think?" still amused

"She did." He confirms ruefully. "She was glad I was alive."

"Aye" More seriously "A mortal war?"

He shakes his head. "Beltain, year 2000."

"Oh" Curious again

OOC I think; let's agree on a little leeway on that one...

OOC: Surely

BIC: "Who against?"

He nods. "Concordian Nobility. And the fact she was a baroness at the time was not lost on me."

"I stood in the Garden of New Agengard freehold and begged her to take me back, marks of war still on me." He shakes his head.

"Oh..wait, begged mom to take you back? "

He nods. "It was... complicated."

"More mistakes, although I will credit myself with -trying- to do the right thing."

"What else can one do but what they feel is right?" She says 'Well, Bancroft says you have to use your head too, but he's a lump"

"A stirring recommendation."

A smile at that, then "But Hemlock, pardon, Count Hemlock, he never made folks take the oath of loyalty. ANd I KNOW mum would na"

He nods. "To his credit, he did not."

Frank sits back. "Well. There are a few of my mistakes, Siv. So far, you're doing fine."

"Please, I'm already building quite a list meself" A sigh

He pats her hand. "Nothing like mine, but it's not a competition."

"Ha, fair. " A thought "Do you really forgive yourself for them? or do they just..gnaw at you? Like rats on wood?"