"I propose first to speak to the commander before I make my decision on what will happen next." It is a surprise to temper his blade, but he is older now. For all his ultimatums, he would give the man who has worked with the Herald and brought the army to where it is, a chance to listen and to be heard. Even if the man seemingly would abandon the Order that taught him how to do what he is doing now. "Before we make a decision on what must happen."
A beat.
"The people are, at present, focused on restoring Skyhold. They are focused on their own fixings but there will be a time when we have to address what is here in these walls." Stannis lets a sigh fall out once more as he finally stops pacing. "It should be sooner than not. The longer we wait, the easier it will be for those to say that things are working fine as they are and why should there be change? Because we are filling ourselves with spite and stupidity."
He makes a wave of his hand about forcing the mages' hand. "Force their hand and they may very well start another rebellion. I will not have what happened in Kirkwall happen here. I will not let myself be written as Meredith or some mage who destroys the Great Hall as that Anders." He points towards where the rebuilding is happening and that is the only place to destroy, is it not. "We force their hand and they become cornered. But if they continue to set themselves to be turned to abominations, I would let them handle their own. Let them kill their own and tell me how much wiser they are for it.
"Maybe after they have suffered what we have suffered to do by our own blade, they will come to understand the reason for it." He turns then to walk toward where he could look out toward the wilderness outside of Skyhold.
no subject
A beat.
"The people are, at present, focused on restoring Skyhold. They are focused on their own fixings but there will be a time when we have to address what is here in these walls." Stannis lets a sigh fall out once more as he finally stops pacing. "It should be sooner than not. The longer we wait, the easier it will be for those to say that things are working fine as they are and why should there be change? Because we are filling ourselves with spite and stupidity."
He makes a wave of his hand about forcing the mages' hand. "Force their hand and they may very well start another rebellion. I will not have what happened in Kirkwall happen here. I will not let myself be written as Meredith or some mage who destroys the Great Hall as that Anders." He points towards where the rebuilding is happening and that is the only place to destroy, is it not. "We force their hand and they become cornered. But if they continue to set themselves to be turned to abominations, I would let them handle their own. Let them kill their own and tell me how much wiser they are for it.
"Maybe after they have suffered what we have suffered to do by our own blade, they will come to understand the reason for it." He turns then to walk toward where he could look out toward the wilderness outside of Skyhold.