She would never have gotten where she is if opinions mattered so much. Perhaps they are far too similar in that respect. In too many respects. So that he might be offended by hers bothers her little. She has always been blunt, speaking the truth as she sees it. He could correct her truth, but she suspects he will not. She is not infallible of course, but it’s likely more accurate than he cares to admit.
Still, he is family. And she has always had more regard for those related to her, even if they may not feel the same.
“You didn’t have to agree when I asked,” she advises mildly. But he had, though she leaves that part unsaid. Her eyes are sharp as she studies him, notes the irritation and displeasure. It’s clear he had never bothered to try knowing her. Of course, on the surface, it appears she hadn’t tried knowing him either. But only a fool would believe she hadn’t kept him in her sights.
She wouldn’t have been upset if he had declined her offer when she first made it. Indeed, she likely would’ve even helped him still, had he asked. She’d had little expectation of him then, other than that of a largely absent elder brother. Until he’d chosen to offer his loose allegiance to Nerine. Until she’d called on that agreement, thinking to help those in the kingdom and providing him something in return. She isn’t entirely selfish, and she knows him perhaps better than he cares to admit. She’d rarely seen him do anything that didn’t interest or benefit him in some way.
He had agreed though. And she had taken him at his word.
He is here now, and she recognizes he is holding to the letter of their bargain. He could renege, of course. Indeed, she would not retaliate in any way. It is his right, after all. But her trust is difficult to gain and easily lost. Perhaps it seems insignificant now, but she has a long reach. He must know by now she does not play a short game.
As his power filters through her, drawing on his own reserves rather than anything she might offer, she can feel her lungs clearing and the ache easing from her muscles, leaving her feeling far more normal than she has in months. Her gaze shift briefly to Ether, out of curiousity. He is indistinct in the lee of the cliff, yellow eyes wide and unblinking. He seems to straighten a bit, the strain easing from his eyes as she watches.
Turning her gaze back to Woolf, she tilts her head slightly, the harshness of her gaze softening slightly. A small, unspoken part of her wishes they might have known each other as siblings should. But it’s foolish to wish for things that might have been.
After a moment’s silence, she finally continues, “Don’t think I am ungrateful, Woolf, because I am not.” She shifts subtly, eyes focused, thoughtful. “You have my aid when you need it. But I need to know, are you still willing to continue our bargain?”
She might now be healed, but her bargain had never been meant to be selfish. She needed to know if other arrangements needed to be made. Because next time, she may not be so lucky. It would be one thing if she died over such a thing. Her children though? She might go entirely mad. And her madness is not something world could afford now. There is still a crater decorating Nerine’s neighboring isle that attests to that.
i see your sins
and i want to set them free
I'm sorry this is such hot garbage D: