I'm your Queen, you're my Ruler.
”I do.”
Although her thoughts are filled with questions, arguments and decisions the silence around her is eerie. She had been one of the last to accept their quest and her words still linger in the air. There is this strange realisation, this feeling that makes it clear that there is no going back anymore. Esileif snorts – and flinches slightly as she disturbs the silence – to express her nervous state. She forces herself to stand still, but her legs are itching to move, so she can get away from this madness fast. When the lamb appears again she doesn’t have to worry about her dancing legs anymore, as its gaze freezes her movements almost completely. It isn’t the first time that Esileif feels like she’s being read like an open book and she instantly knows it can see right through her. She wants to look away, to cast her gaze down in shame, but she cannot.
Her blue and brown eyes follow its every movement. It steps forward and Esileif’s gaze follows its seven eyed gaze down to whatever it was right in front of its cloven hooves. Four circular flat stones. She questions herself, wondering if they hadn’t been there before or if she just hadn’t seen them. Finally she is able to move herself, but instead of fleeing the two toned girl moves a few steps forward in curiosity. Esileif is eager to get a better look at the stones, her heart swelling with some unfamiliar and unknown feeling. She is too engrossed with the stones and their mysterious swirling pattern that she doesn’t notice the lamb stepping forward, not until it is too late. ”No!” Her voice breaks the silence rather aggressively, echoing across the lands before the sounds dies somewhere in the distance. Too late, she had been too late. The seal was broken, shattered, gone. Just as the seven eyed and seven horned lamb.
She can only look around her in shock and the silence grows eerie once again. It had been obvious – or maybe not so if you would think about it in any other circumstance – that the stones were seals, locking something away from the world. But what was it, what was dangerous enough to be caged by such force? The answer comes soon enough as the air is filled with laughter. The Spanish hybrid moves, closer to the fellow equines that have gathered, the child within her calling silently out for their support. Except for the victorious and almost humouring laughing it’s still silent. The first flash actually manages to get her off the ground, jumping away from the sudden streak of light. Esileif’s muscles are tense, her head raised high in the air, ears pointing forward into the direction of the light and nostrils flaring. What was going on?
Never, never before Esileif had seen such a thing. Sure she knew that there were magical horses around, from which some could even manipulate elements – like her father Belgarath, but this was entirely different. It had been a long time ago since she had last felt her mask crack, that she had felt this vulnerable, fearful and insecure. What was this creature? She doesn’t have to voice out her thoughts to get an answer, he drops his name in such way that nobody would be able to question it. And he doesn’t give them the chance to forget about his name, the echo repeating it over and over again, until there is no more than a ringing sound. ”Conquest” she repeats the name, after having swallowed the dry lump in her throat.
Her head tilts a little to the side, her eyes wandering across his figure, before she finally looks up to meet his gaze again. Those yellow eyes are terrifying and only the thought of how eerie and ghostly they will look at night send shivers to run down her spine. Esileif wants to look away, but finds herself unable to. He holds her captive, his gaze locking with hers in such way that her knees begin to tremble. She can see the content twitch of his lips and instantly she knows that he wants her to give in, to simply give up and bow her head for him. The bay and faint orangey white mare has to admit that the pressure is hostile and undesired, yet Esileif cannot ignore the spark of interest and attraction that triggers her at the same time. But you know what they say; ‘curiosity killed the cat’.
When she finally is able to tear her eyes away from his gaze they land upon the army that has formed behind him. Creatures she knows well and recognizes – but which she had luckily enough not encountered before – yet at the same time so different and terribly mutated and malformed. A one eyed wolf, a bear clad in iron armor and many more. They are simply too many and come too fast to pay attention to every single one at the time they appear. All she can do is stare, lost in thoughts and the things she sees and not paying attention to anything else. Esileif is only remembered about the lamb, the explosion and the seal when its voice booms. Her flinch isn’t really unsurprising, as she has been on the edge ever since she had been summoned to this place. Yet she doesn’t miss the way Conquest reacts to the voice and then it struck her.
It was hím who the seal had been meant to cage, it was hím who was about to break free – or did he already succeed at that? She doesn’t know and right now she doesn’t want to wait for answers. Esileif takes off, jumping before galloping. She leaves the others behind her, the only thought in her mind was how to get away. No, that isn’t true. And she knows it. Another struggle has surfaced and the masked queen clashes with the insecure girl. She is panting by the time she comes to a stop, turning halfway around to look back in the direction she had just left. ”This is my chance! The chance I’ve been waiting for. Maybe I don’t need to prove myself, maybe hé is the path to take!” she mumbles out loud to herself and a slight shock of excitement travels down her spine. As the thought forms more and more in her head, the smile upon her lips grows. Why would she even try and take the righteous path, as the dark one may be so much easier? Esileif doesn’t care how she is able to reach her goals, it is the result that matters. Only then Belgarath would give her his approval and recognition.
When the two toned girl looks up again she can see him standing there. He has been watching her, almost like he knew what she has been thinking. That he could’ve thought of her as an easy prey when she had ran didn’t really cross her mind. ”Conquest” she greets him, her voice steady and pleasant to the ear. The smile still adorns her lips and after the first step with some hesitation she starts to walk in his direction. ”Well, well, what do we have here?” Esileif doesn’t like it how he is humouring her, how he looks down on her with those eerie yellow eyes of him. Gritting her teeth together she tries to hold her compose, desperate to keep her repaired mask intact this time. ”Instead of who I am, the thing I have to offer is more interesting” she replies him, eyes never leaving his to read the reaction off his features.
He laughs and Esileif still cannot say that the sound is enjoyable to listen too. The sound dies just as quick as it has come and with a smirk that twitches the corners of his lips he steps forward, circling around her as he is taking in all of her rather thoroughly. Her blue and brown eyes follow him, turning her neck a little to never let him get out of sight completely. ”You are willing to side with me?” he asks, although it isn’t really a question. ”You want to be my pawn, my toy, at my command. You honestly cannot think that siding with me will be a pleasant experience for you?” This time he is expecting an answer and for a short second Esileif can’t hide the distaste in her expression. When he comes to a halt in front of her she just looks at him for a few seconds, refusing to cast her gaze down. ”Because of the thing I might gain of you” she then honestly answers. He would come to know her motivation one way or another and once he know how driven she is to achieve her goals, he would know how much of a loyal companion she could be. Well, that was as long as she was given the thing she desires, but for now it would do.
”You want power so much that you’d be willing to turn your back on all those others?” His voice voices how much he likes the current turn of events, laced with victory and triumph like he had already won. Without hesitation Esileif nods. She doesn’t care about any of them, only one opinion matters and all the others could perish if it was up to her. ”I will do whatever you ask of me, but you’ll have to promise to give me something in return. Power, might, a way to show them my worth.” He stays silent for a moment, the smirk falling of his lips and it is like his yellow eyes glow more intensely. For the first time since their conversation had started Esileif is forced to cast her gaze down, even flinching a little. This seems to satisfy him. ”Carry out your task, and I will consider your .. request” he replies. He hasn’t promised anything yet, but blinded by the opportunity the Spanish girl is blind for the truth.
To seal their contract he reaches out to her, his muzzle trailing down her neck in such way that it sends shivers down her spine. Both out of the unpleasant feeling – Conquest still gives off a dark vibe – and also out of forbidden excitement. Never before had a male intrigued her like this, except for her father of course, and she would’ve given herself to him willingly if not for the sudden nip at her withers. Esileif’s knees buckle, and she’s close to falling on her knees before she’s able to compose herself. A pained groan has escaped from her lips in the same time. Her stomach contracted for a moment, muscles tense and a sharp pain in her stomach, but it was gone just as soon as it had come.
The pain is soon forgotten as his muzzles travels down her spine and instantly she can feel the heat taking over her body. She groans contently, pressing closer against him, desperate for more skin to skin contact. Esileif turns her head to the side, her blue eye meeting his yellow ones, lips parted in a silent grunt. Their bodies dance, as they both want and enjoy it, never pulling away from each other for too long. Once the dance is over they are both satisfied. He for relieving some of his tension, she for getting something that binds him to keep his promise. Panting lightly she presses closer against him, seeking affection for a short moment before she’s able to collect herself again.
”Now, go. Bring me a piece of that seal” he instructs her, his muzzle giving her an almost gentle bump on her hindquarter. With that she’s off, rather smug of herself and what she has accomplished. Esileif doesn’t feel like rushing, instead her tail flicks around rather comfortable. She maybe feels just as euphoric as he does and although the things happening might be strange and even frightful, she is content with the way things have gone. Finally her goal was getting within reach.
She finds herself walking through the meadow, blue and brown eyes scanning the ground for glimpses of the seal. When the thing had shattered the pieces had been shot into the air with strength, spreading them out across the lands of Beqanna – or not really Beqanna but something that looked like it. She hasn’t even crossed the meadow half way when the pains strike her again. Groaning rather loudly she kicks her own stomach. The cramp in her stomach forces her to stop, the pain fierce and prominent. Almost like she had eaten something bad. Esileif would’ve believed that, if not for the short flash of pain in her stomach that she had felt when Conquest had nipped her skin. She knows it had been him who had done this and the anger fuels her. ”The bastard!” she hisses, teeth gritting together as she glances around to the nature around her angrily.
The colic symptoms seem to get less the further she walks. Her pace is slow, calculating, yet she isn’t about to give up now. If she brings him a piece of the seal, then maybe he would take the pains away from her. It was worth trying. And if not, then the walk would be her only way of getting rid of the cramps. So she walks and walks and walks. She searches and searches and searches. ”God.. How hard can it be to find one stupid piece?” she snarls out loud, slowly getting more and more frustrated as the pain and cramps have yet to fade away. But then, there it is. Only a glitter in the distance, but with the light reflecting on it it’s hard to miss. It takes Esileif longer to reach the piece than she would’ve liked, but a grateful grunt slips past her lips as she reaches down to pick up the piece.
Esileif