Love's Mercy

18 Renounce What Made You

"...And thus, while he slept, I drew a Door of my own. The Lady had asked to join me as of days prior, but, I was rather dishonest. I think I had made such a scene that she had forgotten our agreement."

"What do you mean 'of your own'?" His eyes trailed their person for a moment. "You're wearing the very same coat as before."

"N-not for that reason! How facetious you believe me, Alfred! Am I so known to you? I wanted to  know the history of our little campsite."

"You can do such a thing?" Alfred questioned.

"I can do many things," Giovanni said. "Let us not place so much weight upon those words. But, yes, sir, I found there was an easy enough trace of the Blood to have passed without issue."

"Aren't you charmed."

"I hope!" Giovanni said, proudly.

Alfred hesitated to ask what he wished, but decided he might as well; "Your Doors..."

"Hm?"

"Of what you told me; does it mean you have an innate connection to the Blood? All of it?"

"Yes. It- it does not have to be the Blood," Giovanni admitted, for they hadn't told him as of earlier. "For sorcery to work at all, that is. Not even my own. My master's was entwined with nature. You see how I fail to tend the gardens left to me- it is for the reason my touch is not what they love. I see how little I connect to them when the flowers die and the trees give us no fruit... They do not want my enchantments, mine are..." Giovanni held their tongue, and Alfred heard a break to their voice. "I made a mistake, once."

"Giovanni, you needn't..."

"After Violet had died," they continued, "I was desperate to find my focus. There was nothing I could focus upon in such a state: my sister, taking her own life without a word to me, Maria burnt her final message and left all the same!" Giovanni's manner was exasperated, and Alfred made no notion to interrupt. They wanted to speak to it, thus, he could only let them, and be the one to hear.

"My master was unhappy with my proceedings, I failed in all concentrations... I only wanted to show them I could achieve anything with my sorcery; that I was worthy to be their student. Only, I wanted to make a difference before my very eyes, one that would give Maria reason to return to me. I sought a call in which would change things... immediately." Giovanni stared at the ground as they spoke. "Well, you know as well as I the power in the Blood. Sorcerers were killed for trying to touch it, that sort of unbridled power threatened the order of the world as it were. The Church held it as their own, and lorded it over all of us. I thought no one would know. I lived so very isolated of society proper, no one would know if I used it to do right by my own family. All I wanted was-!" They halted, and glanced to him. "I made that mistake, and it has not helped a single soul in the meantime."

"You have not hurt anyone, either, Giovanni. You were not at fault for the loss of your sister, or Maria."

"Alfred... I do not know if I believe that, myself. No, I did not hurt them, but I use that of which did, to help them, and thusly I have even failed."

"No," Alfred said, stolidly. "You are not finished, though you speak as if you are."

Giovanni did not reply. He noticed they must have reached to their limit of the conversation's matter. "Would that you could..." Alfred spoke, "what else would you have chosen as the derivative of your craft?"

"Oh," Giovanni sighed. "I do so miss seeing the flowers grow."

"And, if the Blood were to disappear from this world, as we hope to accomplish- will your sorcery go along with it?" Alfred asked.