Yield Under Great Persuasion

by Alexandra Rowland

“Have you told him to stop?” “...I can’t remember,” said Tam, who knew very fucking well that he hadn’t.

“So let me make sure I understand—you don’t like him because he flirts with you—” “I don’t like him because he’s an insufferable ass.” “Aha! Well, is there anything he could change or do differently that would be more... er... sufferable?” “No.” Mrs Hart squinted at him. “If there’s nothing for him to change, then... Honestly, Tam, it sounds a bit like you decided not to like him.” “I beg your pardon?” She shrugged. “You could try making a different decision.”

He could see the shape of the task he had been set—he understood what was being asked of him, and why. He could have wept with gratitude for it. It was healing. It was a second chance. It was the kindest fucking thing that anyone had ever done for him.

“There it is. That’s the source of all your trouble. That’s what I’m supposed to talk to you about, I’d wager. You were not tricked into being in the bath; you chose to be in the bath. I invited you to make yourself comfortable, and that was your decision. The fact that you aren’t enjoying the consequences does not mean that the responsibility for your discomfort is suddenly mine to account for. That’s on you, Tamerlin.”

But Idunet—poor, misunderstood, abused and mistreated Idunet—reminds us that we are powerful, that the choice to shape our own lives is ours, that there is always a way out, and that even as you care for others, you must always care for yourself.”

totality. If I could, I’d make everyone change the names they call him. He’s not the Lord of Temptation—he’s the Lord of Free Will. The Lord of Choices and Questions. The Lord of Consent.” Tam flinched. Kel absolutely caught it, because his smile tightened. “Most people don’t find that a very pleasant thought. It’s easy to say ‘I was tempted by Idunet,’ isn’t it? It is much harder to say, ‘Idunet offered me a choice, and I said yes, because I wanted it.’ I might walk into a public house and catch someone’s eye—or maybe they catch my eye, and I flirt with them, because I want them—but if they’re married or promised to another and they still say yes and go to bed with me, I cannot be held accountable for that. It was their choice; it was their decision to say yes. They wanted my body more than they wanted to be faithful to their lover. It is not remotely my place to take responsibility for another adult’s poor choices and weakness of character. If they meet the consequences and are surprised at how unpleasant they are, that’s a shame, and perhaps they’ll learn a lesson about how to make choices that are actually in their best interests, rather than whining that Idunet made them do it when they find that they’re unhappy with how things turned out—but their personal journey is not my business, no matter how much their angry lovers would like it to be.