“I frankly doubt that.” “Ah. That is your privilege. But doubt doesn’t alter fact, sir.” - C. J. Cherryh

Take care of him, her father had charged her. She had thought - until he wakes. But she began to see what her father had trusted to her, and how very much Sasha needed someone he could trust-

Someone as brave as her father, someone not afraid of him - no matter what.

Baji-naji, nand' paidhi. Fortune has a human face and bastard Chance whores drunken down your streets.

It lent a Man a certain peace of mind... to ride through threats and terrors unhearing: it even lent a man a certain real protection, for he could not hear temptation and bad advice to be swayed by it, but it was no protection at all when power reached out with tangible results and brought down the lightning.