Laetitia dries her tears and responds hotly, "But I WASN'T tricked! It was a ridiculous second magnitude Rego Mentem spell. I KNEW he'd penetrated my Parma and I still couldn't rationalize myself out of obeying him." Her face burns red with anger and shame. "Wait-- you have one of them here?" Her brow furrows in worry. "We can't-- oh but they attacked-- but-- I just can't think straight, the Code assumes that magi don't just do things like they've done, so there's no precedents for what recourse we have as the wronged party. Caecilius is the one who looks like an ugly woman. Romulus is the one who's had his nose broken more times than he's had Corpus vis for."
She sighs in frustration, but clearly having a problem to focus on helps distract her from the self-loathing and shame. She accepts her cup thankfully, though Glaukopis demurs, "Oh, thank you, but I don't drink."
"It's not the entire House; it is the Inner Council only. But of course they are the highest-ranking members the House, and command much respect; their subordinates will have no reason to believe they shouldn't follow orders, so... it is safest to trust none of them. Nor any Hoplites they command.
"Alexei, the ritual I first mentioned- the one they taught me, under the pretense that the Order of Odin might threaten us? Moebius heard them discussing me; they were going to ritually murder me to lay a Curse of Thoth on Mons Electi. They were only going to wait until after I'd given birth-- and then only out of respect for my father, who thought I was an acceptable loss so long as he safely held my replacement." She puts both hands on her belly protectively, and her eyes blaze with anger. "They are not playing games; they are committed to seeing this through. They want us out of their way, and will exercise no restraint. They had planned to shed my blood to eliminate this covenant the same way they eliminated Diedne."