Mostly, that I’ve gotten up to Chapter 13 back from my alpha reader (about half, in terms of wordcount). The current plan is to chew through the edits thus far this weekend, killing a darling in the process. I have been persuaded that it, while good, simply does not work when it’s being said by the character in question.
But I like it, so here it is:
How do we hate thee? Let us count the ways.
We hate you for the slaves you find and catch
The lives you blight, the mages that you snatch
For your ends so wicked, full of disgrace.
We hate you for how you seek to take and raze
All other realms, to build your land of fright.
We hate you freely, for your noxious might.
We hate you purely, with most righteous rage.
We hate you with the taste of your abuse
Fresh in our mouths; it tests our kingdom’s faith.
We hate you with a strength we shall not lose
As years go on. We hate with all our breaths,
Words, deeds, for all our lives; and, if we might choose,
We shall but hate you still past your realm’s death.
Oooooh. Sounds like a good Oath you could work into the greater Lore in some way still.