11-08-2017, 03:01 AM
Damnit, he knew it; he said the wrong thing. This is what he gets for opening his big mouth and saying the honest truth to a filly who no doubt, based on what she said, did not remember a thing about Ruan, anything at all, from the fact that he was her father to that she was actually Ander's biological mother.
He can see the anxiety creeping into her veins, her muscles twitching, and her posture tells him that she is ready to turn and run, back to the safety of the dark stallion that guards her, and the colt that treats her as his own little sister. Aten honestly wouldn't blame her if she did decide to leave him standing here like the dumb fool he was, with only his loud mouth for company.
Jinju's words that those who protected her took good care of her reassured the golden stallion a bit, but he knew he couldn't leave her tear-ridden words hanging the way he did. In regards to Jinju's question about Ruan, Aten took in a small breath and gave him a soft look, his brown eyes struggling to not break down in front of her. He was trying to keep strong, for her, when in reality the pain losing Ruan hurt just as much for him. The roan had been like a father to the golden stallion as well, even if neither truly acknowledged it to one another. It was more one of those comfortable friendships shared between two horses, but at the same time a bond developed that was closer than what the golden stallion shared with his own sire.
Aten had been born before the Reckoning, so he did grow up knowing who Archam was. But shortly before everything went down, the stallion disappeared, and unknown to him, Aten was not there to help his dam through one of her darkest hours when she found out that the stallion she loved was dead. Aten had found out his own way, and while it hurt to know that Archam, his father, was gone, it didn't phase him like it did his mother.
Did it have to do with how she'd spent so many years with him? Had given him four foals who all bore a striking resemblance to her in color? Whereas Ruan, he'd been there to give Aten the support he needed, even if they knew each other for an even shorter period than Aten and Archam did. Ruan entrusted the golden stallion with responsibilities for the kingdom; he knew how to make him feel important, like whatever he was doing mattered in some small way. Perhaps if the Reckoning never occurred, he might've had a chance to do that with his own father.
But something in Aten's gut told him that Archam would've turned to two of his other colts, since they were older. Aten didn't want to admit he was jealous of those two, that one would grow to inherit the herd, and the other Archam's position in the kingdom, even if that had to be earned. It had once upon a time told the golden colt that his own sire didn't have as much faith in him as he did the other twin colts, which pained Aten. Still to this day, some of his motives were pushed by an unconscious desire to please his sire, even in death, though he didn't consciously know that.
Not yet anyway.
The golden stallion spoke softly to the filly, as if trying to take back the pain of the words he'd just said, "I... don't know for sure why he left Jinju. There were things Ruan kept hidden from me. But what I do know, as I said, is that he loved you. If he had to leave, more than likely, in some way, he was doing it to protect you. I know that Ruan, like my father, had some enemies. And Ruan would've done whatever he could to protect you, as I'm sure your guardians would too."
He didn't want to let it slip again... he pretty much for certain knew that Ander and Terran were looking after her. But if she found out that he knew, it might already pushed her beyond the edge of the breaking point she was so carefully balancing at right now. And he couldn't exactly afford that.
He can see the anxiety creeping into her veins, her muscles twitching, and her posture tells him that she is ready to turn and run, back to the safety of the dark stallion that guards her, and the colt that treats her as his own little sister. Aten honestly wouldn't blame her if she did decide to leave him standing here like the dumb fool he was, with only his loud mouth for company.
Jinju's words that those who protected her took good care of her reassured the golden stallion a bit, but he knew he couldn't leave her tear-ridden words hanging the way he did. In regards to Jinju's question about Ruan, Aten took in a small breath and gave him a soft look, his brown eyes struggling to not break down in front of her. He was trying to keep strong, for her, when in reality the pain losing Ruan hurt just as much for him. The roan had been like a father to the golden stallion as well, even if neither truly acknowledged it to one another. It was more one of those comfortable friendships shared between two horses, but at the same time a bond developed that was closer than what the golden stallion shared with his own sire.
Aten had been born before the Reckoning, so he did grow up knowing who Archam was. But shortly before everything went down, the stallion disappeared, and unknown to him, Aten was not there to help his dam through one of her darkest hours when she found out that the stallion she loved was dead. Aten had found out his own way, and while it hurt to know that Archam, his father, was gone, it didn't phase him like it did his mother.
Did it have to do with how she'd spent so many years with him? Had given him four foals who all bore a striking resemblance to her in color? Whereas Ruan, he'd been there to give Aten the support he needed, even if they knew each other for an even shorter period than Aten and Archam did. Ruan entrusted the golden stallion with responsibilities for the kingdom; he knew how to make him feel important, like whatever he was doing mattered in some small way. Perhaps if the Reckoning never occurred, he might've had a chance to do that with his own father.
But something in Aten's gut told him that Archam would've turned to two of his other colts, since they were older. Aten didn't want to admit he was jealous of those two, that one would grow to inherit the herd, and the other Archam's position in the kingdom, even if that had to be earned. It had once upon a time told the golden colt that his own sire didn't have as much faith in him as he did the other twin colts, which pained Aten. Still to this day, some of his motives were pushed by an unconscious desire to please his sire, even in death, though he didn't consciously know that.
Not yet anyway.
The golden stallion spoke softly to the filly, as if trying to take back the pain of the words he'd just said, "I... don't know for sure why he left Jinju. There were things Ruan kept hidden from me. But what I do know, as I said, is that he loved you. If he had to leave, more than likely, in some way, he was doing it to protect you. I know that Ruan, like my father, had some enemies. And Ruan would've done whatever he could to protect you, as I'm sure your guardians would too."
He didn't want to let it slip again... he pretty much for certain knew that Ander and Terran were looking after her. But if she found out that he knew, it might already pushed her beyond the edge of the breaking point she was so carefully balancing at right now. And he couldn't exactly afford that.