She doesn't reply for a little while after his statements - he's so sure of her, but it doesn't surprise him she doesn't immediately respond. The Lilliana he knows is one who processes her thoughts internally, and has a hard time accepting a compliment about herself. Modest to the point of being... meek? Yes - she might not agree with the word, but she self-sacrifices so much, others might take advantage of it - others had taken advantage of it. Surely she could have escaped from Pangea, but someone might have threatened someone she loves. Anything she cares about - and she would have stayed. Willingly, thinking it's the best thing to do.
However, when she speaks, she changes the topic - reverses the conversation until it is about him, instead. He blinks at her once, twice, taking in her... was it a compliment? He does not counter - that seems pointless. He does mull over the (almost shy?) comment she made, ears moving back and forth a few times. "Aren't we all, given the chance?" he muses - but his heart isn't in it; this is not a discussion, this is a conclusion she had made long before, and only now speaks it aloud. Whether she is right about it, remains to be seen, of course. But that's not for him to decide.
Great things - but he is certain that this could be either for good, or for bad; or perhaps in his case, both, should he go in that direction.
There are a few directions he has not gone into yet, and he steers clear of them for some reason.
He remembers Straia's challenge - your deepest desire? King in the north. Had it been? At the time, yes, but really, really really, he just wants his old life back. Icicle Isle was just one part of that old life - his wife had been the other half that he cannot seem to find again. Lilliana might be the closest thing he has - a friend who challenges him similarly. Eurwen might do it too, but she has too many of her mother's looks for him to be completely comfortable with that.
When he continues the conversation, almost skipping over Izora Lethia and moving on to this talk supposedly being interesting, she shows a little of her mischievous side, and he smiles at that. But then she starts on politics, and he knows their playful banter is over.
A unified North - at that, he nods. It had been more unified when Breckin ruled and was his wife, and when Aten and his predecessor ruled as friends of the northern kingdom. "Taiga was always the independent one," he interjects with a touch of humour to his eyes. That it is Taiga's initiative to try to unify the north is an irony not lost on Leilan.
For a moment, just a small moment, it seems like this conversation is becoming a personal one. You were who I thought of - a phrase that could have been as suggestive as meet me in the fall - but he knows now that is not the way she thinks of him, or at least, he is pretty sure that's not it. So he waits, still as a glacier, still as the lake in the northern part of the Isle - still as the mirror he has been throughout this whole conversation. Taiga needs numbers - warriors, she means, and guardians; they have more children than they can protect - Nerine needs a reputation again - it had relied on Heartfire's reputation, but she was no longer the face that represented them. He nods, agrees - he knows this. Many things are wrong in the presentation of Nerine these days - they're not acting like a kingdom, but as three separate ones - not even allied ones, as they don't usually stand up for one another; but rather like it's some sort of truce.
That he doesn't usually get himself involved, doesn't mean he hasn't seen it, too. Even though that makes him a part of it, just the same.
It is her question that baffles him, that makes his still-face fall in surprise, dropping the mirror and becoming... he's not sure. He tilts his head, for a moment wondering if she is joking, but no, she would not joke about a thing like this. So then he starts to wonder. Would he? Would he want the responsibility to act against any enemy they have - to attack Bane if he shows his face? To steal from Pangea or Loess if they made the wrong move? To find a replacement leader to fill the hole that another might leave behind?
He wonders if he could - but could any of them, right now, do better?
He chuckles a bit. "I had appointed a council on the Isle once before, just in case I made stupid decisions." Thankfully it had never come to that; his authority had never needed to be undermined. Nowadays, it seemed one wasn't needed, not so much anyway.
Then, his eyes grow serious once again, and he nods to Lilli. "Your wish is my command," and he bows his head to her in what's perhaps better described as a slow, low nod. "I will serve wherever you decide is best." Though when he rises, the twinkle is there in his semi-green eyes again. "But I do expect you to act as my conscience."
However, when she speaks, she changes the topic - reverses the conversation until it is about him, instead. He blinks at her once, twice, taking in her... was it a compliment? He does not counter - that seems pointless. He does mull over the (almost shy?) comment she made, ears moving back and forth a few times. "Aren't we all, given the chance?" he muses - but his heart isn't in it; this is not a discussion, this is a conclusion she had made long before, and only now speaks it aloud. Whether she is right about it, remains to be seen, of course. But that's not for him to decide.
Great things - but he is certain that this could be either for good, or for bad; or perhaps in his case, both, should he go in that direction.
There are a few directions he has not gone into yet, and he steers clear of them for some reason.
He remembers Straia's challenge - your deepest desire? King in the north. Had it been? At the time, yes, but really, really really, he just wants his old life back. Icicle Isle was just one part of that old life - his wife had been the other half that he cannot seem to find again. Lilliana might be the closest thing he has - a friend who challenges him similarly. Eurwen might do it too, but she has too many of her mother's looks for him to be completely comfortable with that.
When he continues the conversation, almost skipping over Izora Lethia and moving on to this talk supposedly being interesting, she shows a little of her mischievous side, and he smiles at that. But then she starts on politics, and he knows their playful banter is over.
A unified North - at that, he nods. It had been more unified when Breckin ruled and was his wife, and when Aten and his predecessor ruled as friends of the northern kingdom. "Taiga was always the independent one," he interjects with a touch of humour to his eyes. That it is Taiga's initiative to try to unify the north is an irony not lost on Leilan.
For a moment, just a small moment, it seems like this conversation is becoming a personal one. You were who I thought of - a phrase that could have been as suggestive as meet me in the fall - but he knows now that is not the way she thinks of him, or at least, he is pretty sure that's not it. So he waits, still as a glacier, still as the lake in the northern part of the Isle - still as the mirror he has been throughout this whole conversation. Taiga needs numbers - warriors, she means, and guardians; they have more children than they can protect - Nerine needs a reputation again - it had relied on Heartfire's reputation, but she was no longer the face that represented them. He nods, agrees - he knows this. Many things are wrong in the presentation of Nerine these days - they're not acting like a kingdom, but as three separate ones - not even allied ones, as they don't usually stand up for one another; but rather like it's some sort of truce.
That he doesn't usually get himself involved, doesn't mean he hasn't seen it, too. Even though that makes him a part of it, just the same.
It is her question that baffles him, that makes his still-face fall in surprise, dropping the mirror and becoming... he's not sure. He tilts his head, for a moment wondering if she is joking, but no, she would not joke about a thing like this. So then he starts to wonder. Would he? Would he want the responsibility to act against any enemy they have - to attack Bane if he shows his face? To steal from Pangea or Loess if they made the wrong move? To find a replacement leader to fill the hole that another might leave behind?
He wonders if he could - but could any of them, right now, do better?
He chuckles a bit. "I had appointed a council on the Isle once before, just in case I made stupid decisions." Thankfully it had never come to that; his authority had never needed to be undermined. Nowadays, it seemed one wasn't needed, not so much anyway.
Then, his eyes grow serious once again, and he nods to Lilli. "Your wish is my command," and he bows his head to her in what's perhaps better described as a slow, low nod. "I will serve wherever you decide is best." Though when he rises, the twinkle is there in his semi-green eyes again. "But I do expect you to act as my conscience."
nothing burns like the cold
Leilan
@[lilliana] sorry worst typo/autocorrect in the world
Two things I know I can make: pretty kids, and people mad.
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