you and i both know the house is haunted; kokachin

[magnus]

we carry these things inside that no one else can see
they hold us down like anchors; they drown us out at sea

He smiled at her enthusiasm, thrilled that she was so happy to be here.  “There’s no need to apologize,” he offered gently, ink-tipped ears perking forward. He stepped to the side to let her pass, motioning for her to come join him. Before them, the kingdom spread out in waves, alight with the sun. It was beautiful when it looked like this, and he felt his pulse slow in response to the sight of it. After all, he was home.

“I do not mind the questions! You should have questions about your home.” One corner of his mouth pulled into a crooked smile. “I will do my best to answer them all as fully and accurately as I can.”

He rolled his shoulders lightly, feeling the tension melt away from him. “Let’s see. I suppose you could say Zeik is in charge because he is King.” The sentence soured in his mouth—the buckskin stallion still upset by the latest political maneuverings that had occurred—but he did his best to keep that out of his tone. He did no want to pass along his own personal misgivings about the situation. Let her meet Zeik and determine her own opinion. “We are, however, very much a family, and there are few rules to follow.”

He glanced around toward the rest of his kingdom mates. “All we ask is that you respect your fellow kingdom mates and treat them kindly. Other than that, you are free to live to your own rules. Should you wish, you can choose to join one of our castes: the diplomats and the soldiers. You can work on climbing those ranks by becoming active within the kingdom, recruiting others here, and being a presence.”

Magnus reached over to bump his nose against her neck. “So while there are elements that make it very different from a herd, you will find that the core of it, the love and protection, may be very similar.”

magnus