My darling, you look so upset. I am sorry I had to lie. You were just a child. The journey to peace is a long and winding road. I couldn't have told you that; you wouldn't have believed me.

I have not found it yet. Peace. Yet, I long for it. For a breath without restraint, a feathery step, a laugh that starts in my belly. Instead, I am encumbered by duty.

You'll know what I mean soon enough; that such is the fate of those who hoard power, whether through conquest or by inheritance. Power requires holding, consolidating, reiterating. It knows no peace. At least not for long.

Come now, let's eat.