"But the dream, the echo, slips from him as quickly as he had found it and as consciousness comes to him (a slap and not the gentle waves of oceanic tides), it dissolves entirely. His muscles relax as the cold claims him again, as the numbness sets in, and when his grey eyes open, there’s nothing but the faint after burn of a dream often trod and never remembered." --Brigade, written by Laura
Despite their previous altercations, and for lack of a better word, hatred of each other, she knew she had to come here. To talk to Sylva's new general, to find some sort of peace between them (and if not between them, between their kingdoms). For although they were less than fond of each other, they had one annoying thing connecting them.
Klaudius. Who, whether she liked it or not, fathered their children. She knows if she can just talk to Sabra, explain what had happened, she may feel better about the situation at hand.
Her stomach is swollen, nearly ready to burst at any given moment, and as she lands in the autumnal forest, she realizes how much it is weighing her down. She trips, struggling to regain her balance with the added weight upon her barrel throwing her off. The heart of the forest is where she figures Sabra will be (during her time in Ischia, that is where she had stayed), so she travels at a steady pace to try and find her.
The opalescent blue of her skin is what helps Krone spot her, and she can't help but be intrigued (no wonder Klaudius had been so fond of her). Both mares scream diplomacy: heads held high, shoulder straight, eyes forever watchful. A deep breath emerges from the Keeper's chest, and she approaches calmly.
"Sabra," She speaks, no hint of emotion on her face or in her words. "We must speak. It is long overdue, and I wish for you to hear me out."
Krone
you could be the King (but watch the Queen conquer)
Gemstone ears flickered curiously, reacting without the mare they belonged to even being aware at first. The crunching of leaves and twigs underfoot draws her attention, alerting her to the entrance of another. Twisting her delicate neck to glance behind, a shapely brow arching in surprise at the newcomer's identity. "Well well. If it isn't the very last soul I ever expected to set foot in my woods." She paused, considering whether the vibrantly pointed woman was here to pick a fight. She wouldn't mind terribly, to be honest. Krone did make such an entertaining sparring partner. Something in her eyes held back the biting words the new general knew would set fire to the Island woman's temper though.
Tipping her flame-crowned head in a careless manner, she ended up nodding, a mask of ambiguity fixed carefully over her features. "Very well then. Walk with me, Keeper, and tell me what you have to say." She acquiesced, tail flicking lightly in the still air. Both women bore their growing burdens cautiously, moving with a heaviness that belayed their typically light gaits. With an expression that was bordering on a smile, she gestured to Krone's and her own swollen barrels. It was a wonder the bay could have flown here at all, with just how distended her form was. Perhaps more than one life existed within the glossy confines of her flanks. "I pray they do not take after their father." She admitted quietly, almost to herself. Klaudius was the Ischian queen's brother, after all, though their relationship seemed far from that of siblings. And perhaps he had managed to win a sense of loyalty from his sister, despite their outward angst. Eyes slightly hooded against the rolling in her core, she stepped out beside her companion, waiting on the words that had been so important to bring her here.
Sabra looks less than thrilled at the newcomer in her woods, and while Krone had traversed this very forest long before the opalescent mare became queen, she was cautious of her body language and her words. This is not her turf to pick a fight on (”Don’t start fights, but always finish them...” her mother’s words linger).
”....I pray they do not take after their father.” Krone suddenly realizes she hadn’t been paying much attention, lost in her own thoughts. She sighs at the comment.
”Actually, that’s one of the reasons I have come here,” She admits, looking over. ”Your...assumptions about what happened between me and that purple devil are wrong, Sabra.” They hadn’t talked about it, but by the way she had left so hastily in the middle of the night, Krone could tell she was angry, and that her truth was much different than reality.
The memory of the day on the beach comes back violently, and Krone takes a minute to recover. His unwanted advancements, her pointless attempt at escape, his manhood thrusting into her frozen body, unable to do anything.
”I did not want him, Sabra,” She finally manages to squeak out. ”I’ve never trusted him. Never had an interest in him. Why, after how much I hate my father, would I have sex with the one horse who bares the closest resemblance?” She laughs coldly. ”The...the thing inside me was not conceived of love. Not even of mutual respect. It is a child of rape, no more, no less.” She puts it simply, trying to hide the disgust on her face. She turns her head back to the direction they are walking, contemplating how to continue. ”I didn’t want it. But what’s done is done, and regardless of our feelings toward each other, our children are siblings. We must ensure their futures...futures that are kept separate from Klaudius.” She stops looking down towards the mare with sincere eyes.
”No one knows what happened that day but you, Sabra. And I trust you’re woman enough to accept my apology for the hard feelings Klaudius made us harbor towards each other. That being said, I would like to establish a treaty, one to keep both our lands safe, one that if one of us falls, we can keep it out of Klaudius’ power. If you do not accept, I’ll take my leave. But if you do, I would like to negotiate some terms.”
@[Sabra] hastily written on my phone bc super excited for this thread. Ignore errors and lack of HTML xD
There is no aggression between them, and the novelty is not lost on her. Walking through the woods almost companionably, Krone seemed willing to mind her own counsel until the multi-toned woman's offhanded comment ignited her flood of words. Sabra listened gravely, a sick sensation beginning to stir her gut as Krone's admission stumbled from her lips. She wanted to believe that somehow, for some reason, the other woman was lying. It was far easier to hate her, believing that she and Klaudius had conspired and lain together willingly, than to accept this horrid truth. Horrid truth. That's what it was, alright. She didn't like Krone, though that had stemmed more from jealousy of her position than anything. Now, they stood on even ground, equals for most intents. She stopped her slow progress forward, digesting the idea of Klaudius attacking his sister so callously. And then... her eyes shut against the light of the day as pieces fell into line. That one glossy green feather she had discovered caught in his wing that night. What had he said? That he'd had a run in with his sister, that things had... 'gotten physical'? And she'd let it go, just as he'd wanted her too.
"That bastard..." A growl caught low in her throat. What kind of sick, depraved fiend could go from the rape of his sister one hour, straight to the bed of his lover (ex lover, she thought viciously), without a second thought? Steely determination burned burned with blue fire in her eyes, a cruel smile painting the lines of her pretty face. A short, harsh laugh echoed from the trees as she pushed forward, until her muzzle was only inches from Krone's emerald one. "I think I may be agreeable to these terms. And I think you will find a better sister in me, than the brother you found in that waste of air. We, you and I, shall make him regret the day his mother let him out into this world." Her pale pink nose gently met the deep green one, a touch of confidence. As suddenly as it had come about, the intensity drained from her. She stepped back, a gleam of flame still lingering in her eyes, now more restrained. Continuing their walking, she considered the words of her fellow leader.
"I would appreciate such a pact. I also suggest, as we are in similar... conditions, that we consider our soon-to-be-here children. The fact of their father can't be changed, but their upbringing will have nothing to do with him. Surely you've expelled him from your land after such treatment? You threatened to do as much to me for far less." She wryly acknowledged. "If you bear a daughter, I would like to take her on as a handmaiden for the year after her second birthday. She'll learn to fight, and some measure of diplomacy. And my child will be sent to live with you for that same year, if you're agreeable." She stated, warming to the idea. "If yours is a boy, the offer is still there, he'll just look a bit out of place with my girls. Or perhaps he'll be apprenticed to a warrior." A small smile at the idea, and then she paused, curious to see if Krone was amenable to the idea.
@[Krone] Just having code issues in general now that I'm on my laptop. Go figure lol
Words fall from the pale woman's lips, angry words (reliving the memories of Klaudius, just as Krone was, she supposed), that turn soft in a moment's notice. Then, Sabra is there, the warmth of her breath hot against Krone's muzzle. The Keeper's chest tightens, much like it had that day with Deathwish, but as soon as it had began the moment is over, and the general is continuing their walk through the autumnal forest. The emerald mare regains her composure before coming to Sabra's side, weaving between the long stretch of trees and listening to what she has to say.
"Not yet," She admits of Klaudius' status within her kingdom. "A friend of mine and I...have plans for what to do with him. But until then, he seems loyal to Ischia and may come of good use in the meantime." She gives her opalescent, dare she say it, friend a sly wink. "Since Sylva has established itself as a war-oriented herd with leaders prior, I suppose you will be keeping it that way, yes?" She asks, flicking her tail.
Krone
you could be the King (but watch the Queen conquer)
Krone's lapse in focus does not escape the jeweled mare. For a moment, she wonders at the look in her contemporary's eye, but she'd already moved on. It's just as well. They continue through the woods, the mood becoming almost companionable. More words, more suppositions. A mention of a 'friend', and the air of conspiracy flavors the conversation. What friend was this? A fine brow quirks, but she doesn't voice the question. Perhaps there would be time for that later. She can't help the snort of derision when the bay and green woman mentions Klaudius's potential usefulness. "You'd be safer trusting a snake in the grass..." She scoffed lightly.
Shaking off her break in decorum, she listened to Krone and her allusions to Sabra's potential leadership. She glanced at her companion without breaking stride, considering her words. "I would not consider us war-oriented, per say. I will not seek fights, but I see no issue with defending what's ours. A battle just for the sake of battle is a man's game. Women can deal in tact if we wish." She stated with a measured voice. A friend would be nice, but the well being of her land came before any such concept.
"I would very much like to visit Ischia again. As visiting ruler, this time. It would be a good opportunity for our children to meet, as well as a show of good faith between our two nations. We would, of course, be willing to host an Ischian envoy, in turn. So long as your brother is not among your companions. He is not welcome on Sylvan soil." She flipped her tail at the last sentence, ears tilted backward slightly. On this, she would not be moved. Still, she hoped Krone would look favorably on this proposition. It would do well to give the other lands some show of solidarity. A united front was less likely to be attacked than a lone land.
