She's got the devil's eyes
Heartfire has always been a ruler inclined to let others live their lives with minimal interference on her part. Of course, that does not mean she neglects to leave behind certain… incentives, but she certainly is not heavily involved, nor does she hover. There is freedom in that, no doubt. But also danger, though many do not realize it. She may refrain from stepping in often, but that does not mean she was not watching. And more often than not, she would give others just enough rope to hang themselves.
Indeed, she’d been watching many nooses begin to tighten these last several months.
She has little doubt Neverwhere had come to at least some of those conclusions regarding why Heartfire had made her such a strange, and seemingly benign, offer. Of course, she had soon discovered her gift only functioned within the confines of the northern kingdom. The mare might have her freedom, might be able to walk away at any moment with no further repercussion, but Heartfire had certainly provided her with enough incentive to return.
You see, Heartfire knows horses. She knows their minds and how they work far too well. Or perhaps just enough, given how much she has studied them. And she had known, from the very moment she had met Neverwhere, that the only one who could ever convince Neverwhere of anything was Neverwhere.
But she had also seen enough to believe the woman had a great deal of potential within her. A potential Heartfire had been keenly interested in further exploring. And thus, her solution had been as elegantly simple as it had subtly underhanded. And yet, she frequently finds the dappled mare returning, time and again, to the windswept cliffs of her kingdom.
For the most part, she had not bothered her. She had offered her welcome, and she had given her space. But now, today, she does approach, for the first time since she had shown her the lovely vistas of Nerine. Her steps would no doubt indicate her presence first, and she does not try to mask her approach. She settles comfortably alongside the brown mare, gaze sweeping over the expansive waters before shifting to settle on her companion.
“I see you have been enjoying Nerine’s views.”
and they'll cut you like a weapon