Ulric Final HTH

As I'm lost in thought, a knock at the door jolts me awake.\!
Without hesitation, I open it up, and Ulric steps inside.\!
He seems calm. He's seen tons of battle in his lifetime.

Ulric:
Hey, Monarch. I just wanted to come see you. \n[1]
We won't be getting much sleep tonight, after all.

It's true; and I don't blame anybody for it.\!
Espeically Ulric. We were fighting his former masters.\!
This would be harder on him than it would be for us.

Ulric:
I can't stop thinking about our visit to Alarinthia.
You know, I broke your nose, and I feel awful about that.
But I couldn't let you get in the way, and compromise our plan.

Ulric:
It -needed- to come down to just Pro and myself.
It was the only way that we could guarantee our victory.
I guess I came here seeking your forgiveness. I feel foolish, though.

Ulric:
Your forgiveness was implied when you removed that curse from me.
I mean, you wouldn't do something like that if you resented me, right?
But still -- having it implied? It's not the same as hearing you say it.

I can tell what he's after, so I tell him that he's forgiven.\!
To be honest, it's the last thing on my mind right now.\!
If it secured us our Draconic Alliance, it was worth it.

Ulric:
That's the thing, though. Forgiveness shouldn't come so easy.
When you're on the throne, you'll need to learn how to punish.
I lied to you. I hurt you. I shouldn't deserve your forgiveness.

Then why did he come here asking for it...?\!
I tell him that he deserves forgiveness because he meant no ill will.\!
He did what he did out of necessity. To help further our cause, and win.

Ulric:
I guess what I'm trying to say is -- you're lucky it was just your nose.
In that moment, I would've done whatever I deemed necessary, Monarch.
And given the opportunity, I would do it again. I would go as far as I needed.

Ulric:
Do you still think I'm worthy of your forgiveness?
Who knows what I might have to do during the final battle.
The fate of the world is in the balance. I can't hold back.

What's gotten into him all of a sudden...?\!
He's acting odd, but I try not to bring it to his attention.\!
For all I know, he's just anxious about the upcoming battle.

But still, I tell him that he's forgiven.\!
I can't hold him accountable for things he hasn't done.\!
What he -has- done, however, he's more than made up for.

Ulric:
Alright. As long as we're both on the same page.
I expect the same from you. Don't hold back in any way.
If I'm in danger, don't stop to help me. You have your goal.

He wants me to just leave him for dead...?

Ulric:
I know what I was getting into when you removed my curse.
I'm vulnerable -- for the first time in thousands of years.
But while I'm vulnerable, I also feel -alive-, Monarch. \n[1]

Ulric:
It's amazing how much the possibility of death can motivate us.
In some ways, that's what drives us to accomplish our goals.
Without some sort of end, there's no time for us to seize.

He would no better than me.\!
I don't think even he knows how old he is.\!
At that point, the years would start to blur together.

His demeanor makes sense, now that he's facing his mortality.\!
His actions have consequences that could affect the rest of his life.\!
In the past, no matter what he did, he could just outlive repercussion.

I tell him I'll do it. I'll leave him behind, only if it's necessary.\!
I do have my goal -- but part of that is ensuring my comrades stay alive.\!
The pledge seems to satisfy him enough, and he changes the subject.

Ulric:
Thank you, Monarch. \n[1]
I knew you'd be strong enough to make the tough decisions.
Since we met, I've seen nothing but a capable ruler in you.

Ulric:
And that was before the attack on the Rebel HQ.
Remember back in Valinorth, when we were at Peregrino?
You've been leading this world for much longer than you think.

[Peregrino Kept]

Ulric:
And I have to say, I agree with your choices.
Keeping Peregrino as a tavern? I thought about that for a while.
Anybody who values alcohol that much is good in -my- books.

[Peregrino Changed]

Ulric:
And I have to say, I agree with your choices.
Turning Peregrino into a barracks to protect your homeland?
Anybody who cares about their people that much is a great leader.

[Merger]

He smiles at me, and places a hand on my shoulder.

[Romance]

Ulric:
When I look back on times like that, I realize how far we've come.
Complete strangers -- to lovers. And it all happened so fast.
I wasn't expecting it, but that's how I know it's real.

Ulric:
Some people pursue love, like it'll make them whole.
But it's not right to place a burden like that on somebody else.
I think you can only really enjoy love, when you love yourself first.

Ulric:
And that's what you helped me do, Monarch. \n[1]
It's like -- the more I know about you, the more I know about myself.
And I don't want to stop learning. I want it for the rest of my life.

Ulric:
I'm just grateful that now, it's a life I deem worth living.
If I don't lose it on the battlefield, then I want to spend it with -you-.
Being able to grow old, and say goodbye? It's an odd thing to desire.

Ulric:
But when you lose the ability to die, you start to miss it.
In fact, you can almost forget what it's like to feel alive.
I did -- at least until I first laid eyes on you.

He takes the hand off of my shoulder, and laughs.

Ulric:
I'm going to quit while I'm ahead.
Don't want to give away my wedding vows.
This is actually some prime material, now that I think about it.

Pulling me into a hug, he places a kiss on the top of my head.

[Non-Romance]

Ulric:
When I look back on times like that, I realize how far we've come.
Complete strangers -- to loyal comrades, ready to kill false Gods.
I never would've expected this, but it's not an unwelcome change.

Ulric:
I always pledged myself to Damek, but the tables have shifted.
The sword arm meant for him, now belongs to you, Monarch. \n[1]
I will protect you, and do my best to help you liberate this world.

Ulric:
It's the least I can do, after all. You removed this curse from me.
Now that I can die, it's almost as if -- I know what it's like to be alive.
To live, -without- feeling alive? I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.

Ulric:
Yet, The Triumvirate hands it out so freely.
They disguise the tightest shackles as the path to freedom.
And in our blindness, we accept it without hesitation.

He shakes his head, as if throwing away thoughts of the enemy.\!
A moment later, the hand on my shoulder is removed.

Ulric:
The Rebellion, however, strives for -true- freedom.
Salus, and Damek? We have them to thank for everything.
Even you wouldn't have realized your full potential without them.

That's true. It was Salus who broke Valinorth's non-partisan stance.\!
He helped seize the blade, and deliver it to me. He knew about my power.\!
He may not have known about The Monarchy, but he knew enough.

Ulric:
It feels weird saying this, but you might be my first real friend.
Those are hard to come by when you're serving The Triumvirate.
And harder still, to come by, when you close yourself off to the world.

Ulric:
I'm not used to friends. I'm used to people who take advantage of me.
Whether it's my strength, or my sense of honor. They've all been used.
When people learn who you are, they might try and use you too, Monarch. \n[1]

Ulric:
But when it comes to you, I know that my strength and honor -aren't- misguided.
You can trust me to have your back, in the final battle, and beyond. I promise.
For once, I've found a cause I'd be happy to both live, -and- die for.

He smiles, a real, genuine smile.

[Merger]

Ulric:
Let's continue this after the battle, alright?
Unfinished business is just one more reason to survive.
In times like these, we need as many of those as we can get.

I nod, and see him out of my room.\!
He seems a bit different, but I don't blame him.\!
Anybody would change when given the ability to die.

I'm just thankful that he's staying optimistic about it.\!
It makes me realize that he really wanted it. It wasn't a hasty decision.\!
And with that optimism, I know he'd survive, and live a long, happy life.

[End]