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Prince Emerald Fluff
c4c313
Here's a fun idea. Let's assume they're both telling the complete truth. Both would let you live with your father, and protect you from Alexander to some degree. Both would try to save your mother, but more likely kill her left to their own devices. Both are old families going way back, which is really more trouble than it's worth. Trust me on this.
The Rothwalds would set you up for a posh education and not actually tell you how any of it actually works until you're so endebted to (and blackmailed by) them that you can't twitch a finger without their approval. You would live in palaces. You would most certainly learn to speak German. They wouldn't restrict what you can do, even allowing you to achieve a level of mastery comparable to Alexander, but it would be more likely to blow up in your face. More pertinently, if you stopped seeming useful to them (i.e. they got the book) you would quickly find yourself as one of their experiments. While this would admittedly be totally freaking awesome and give you three eyes and mutant powers, you are probably the kind of person who would pass up a chance like that.
The Kinsleys would give you a less structured but comprehensive education. They have access to rare materials and sources of information. From what you've seen so far, magic is Old, so the key to saving your mother is probably neither diligence nor ability, but simply whether you have access to that ancient fragmented knowledge base. The Kinsleys have not been accused of any crimes against humanity, of killing anyone, or of harboring Alexander (who tried to kill you, and stole your mom), unlike the Rothwalds. If they had been accused as such, I'm sure Martin would have been eager to bring it up. That means you wouldn't be in nearly as much danger, because nobody would be trying to kill or experiment on you, but your mastery at sorcery might not be nearly as marked or dramatic as with the Rothwalds. Plus they'd neglect your base education. Not cool man. How'd you like to get stuck in Calculus class, without even having taken Algebra? The Kinsleys have actually fought Alexander, unlike the Rothwalds whose only action so far has been to attempt to steal your mother's stuff and then kidnap you. Kinsleys would probably teach you the language of the Book of the Dead.
Oh and finally between the two of them they're probably powerful enough to give Alexander a run for his money, so telling them to fuck off because you're going to go study with the Man on the Mountain isn't going to work. They'd just compromise and each would take half of you, or something ugly like that. Neither can you go on your own, as your grandfather is still out there trying to kill you and you're really really really unprepared for anything like that at this point.
I'm going to say you should go with the Kinsleys. But that's not just because they've been nice to you and more worthy of trust. It's also because they have those sources of arcane knowledge that you want to learn about. They're more likely to be truthful with you (if restrictive) and that means less shit politics that you have to deal with. God damn there's nothing I hate worse than a web of political intrigue. The Rothwalds lose in the end, because they're just simply too complicated to deal with.
However.
You should try to keep communication going with Martin. Try to make it seem like you might be willing to act as a double agent within the Kinsleys. I'm sure if he's into political shenanigans as the rest of the Rothwalds, he'll be happy to take you up on your offer. Then you can completely ignore it, but you will have a way to send out a distress call after the Kinsleys turn out to be a bunch of child sacrificing Satan worshipping cultists. (Assuming they do.)
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