She had been like him, once.
Lilliana hadn’t known what to be afraid of. She hadn’t known fear other than the childhood ones - of thunderstorms, of strangers and silver demons who waited by riversides. After all this time, she still doesn’t know what to be truly afraid of. The copper mare is blinded (and binded) by her promises and to keep them, the western woods of Nerine pays a price.
Certainly (and foolishly), she doesn't let herself be afraid of him.
She will apologize later - in private - to the Khaleesi. Her plan hadn’t intended to be carried out this far. The Taigan mare had thought one step ahead but Ghaul had flown three ahead of her.
There is a rather classic eyeroll of their Queen as Lilliana studies her from where she stands, momentarily distracted from the buckskin stallion and his ring of chaos. An ear flicks towards him before she glances to her dappled friend. "If I can?” Lilli quips back, not intending to sound as sharp as she does. Was that a command or a dare?
Her blue eyes come back to the winged stallion again as if she is truly considering the words that Neverwhere has spoken. She studies his size - a form that dwarfs her own - and accounts for his wings, his horns, the fangs, and the talons and the scales. (And these are only the things she can see - there is the troubling thought there could be much more to Ghaul.) Could she keep him?
Her dark mouth curves downward at the thought. The trouble that had been building behind her eyes drowns her whole expression and the chestnut mare turns her full attention to the Pangean heir.
Could she keep him?
Not likely. But the laws of this land give her a momentary hold - a proverbial edge - and she means to hold on to that as long as she can.
He laughs at her - at Neverwhere’s words - that he is her responsibility. Something in her means to wince, to shy away from him but instead, she is all quiet fury. His rage had been exposed by the smoldering ruin around them and hers is kept within - burning away at the last restraint she holds. He slinks closer, approaches her as fluidly as a snake slithers through the meadow grass.
She means to look at @[Brazen] to confirm an understanding between them but his size and presence prevent her. Her name coming from his fanged mouth keeps the chestnut mare in place though every inch of her wants to recoil away from him. She can’t, she knows. She is the reason he is here. "Brine is to be returned immediately,” Lilliana states. "Unharmed.”
"If either she or Brinly have been harmed in any way, your release is recanted and you will finish the rest of your sentence.” (And then Lilli smiles at @[ghaul] like she might place flowers in his wings and tease him for how lovely he looked afterward), "with me.”
And at his mention of favors, well - Lilliana is done with those.
"And a year of peace between Nerine and Pangea. No steals. No fighting.”
Her blue eyes return to @[Neverwhere], "Provided you and the Khaleesi agree to these terms, you are free to go.”
Lilliana hadn’t known what to be afraid of. She hadn’t known fear other than the childhood ones - of thunderstorms, of strangers and silver demons who waited by riversides. After all this time, she still doesn’t know what to be truly afraid of. The copper mare is blinded (and binded) by her promises and to keep them, the western woods of Nerine pays a price.
Certainly (and foolishly), she doesn't let herself be afraid of him.
She will apologize later - in private - to the Khaleesi. Her plan hadn’t intended to be carried out this far. The Taigan mare had thought one step ahead but Ghaul had flown three ahead of her.
There is a rather classic eyeroll of their Queen as Lilliana studies her from where she stands, momentarily distracted from the buckskin stallion and his ring of chaos. An ear flicks towards him before she glances to her dappled friend. "If I can?” Lilli quips back, not intending to sound as sharp as she does. Was that a command or a dare?
Her blue eyes come back to the winged stallion again as if she is truly considering the words that Neverwhere has spoken. She studies his size - a form that dwarfs her own - and accounts for his wings, his horns, the fangs, and the talons and the scales. (And these are only the things she can see - there is the troubling thought there could be much more to Ghaul.) Could she keep him?
Her dark mouth curves downward at the thought. The trouble that had been building behind her eyes drowns her whole expression and the chestnut mare turns her full attention to the Pangean heir.
Could she keep him?
Not likely. But the laws of this land give her a momentary hold - a proverbial edge - and she means to hold on to that as long as she can.
He laughs at her - at Neverwhere’s words - that he is her responsibility. Something in her means to wince, to shy away from him but instead, she is all quiet fury. His rage had been exposed by the smoldering ruin around them and hers is kept within - burning away at the last restraint she holds. He slinks closer, approaches her as fluidly as a snake slithers through the meadow grass.
She means to look at @[Brazen] to confirm an understanding between them but his size and presence prevent her. Her name coming from his fanged mouth keeps the chestnut mare in place though every inch of her wants to recoil away from him. She can’t, she knows. She is the reason he is here. "Brine is to be returned immediately,” Lilliana states. "Unharmed.”
"If either she or Brinly have been harmed in any way, your release is recanted and you will finish the rest of your sentence.” (And then Lilli smiles at @[ghaul] like she might place flowers in his wings and tease him for how lovely he looked afterward), "with me.”
And at his mention of favors, well - Lilliana is done with those.
"And a year of peace between Nerine and Pangea. No steals. No fighting.”
Her blue eyes return to @[Neverwhere], "Provided you and the Khaleesi agree to these terms, you are free to go.”
LILLIANA
all that i'm after is a life full of laughter
(as long as i'm laughing with you)
but it's all in the past, love
it's all gone with the wind