His past is what had brought Rhone to Novus. He had been fleeing a life that he had royally messed up. To truly understand Rhone, one must understand where he has come from. But that past, that past has for so long been locked away and never shared. He was not ashamed of his days as King of the Rajputs or King of the North. He loved each one of those places with all of his being (Terrastella is quickly gaining ground as well) and he will never regret leading them both with strength and integrity. But the decisions he has made, those decisions are what has brought him here. Some of those decisions he regrets. He regrets how he chose his kingdom over his lovers and his children. He has made many mistakes in life and he is determined not to repeat them. So when Asterion offered his kingship, Rhone did not apply. Novus was supposed to be a place of retirement and a place to make up for lost time. Rhone had come to Novus to live a peaceful life, loving those around him and hopefully righting some of the wrongs of his life. He never came here to lead.
He can see the look in Marisol’s eye when she realizes the truths he is telling her. He can see the way she thinks about his words, realizing that she can see the qualities of a king in him. He’s always been that way. Those qualities were not taught but they were there even in his infancy. Those would never fade away, even if he is determined not to make use of them here. But they are there, bubbling just below the surface and just waiting to be shown. Marisol is getting a glimpse of that now and he knows she is seeing the part of his past he has tried to keep secret.
She asks him how he started to rebuild what was lost. It was a loaded question, one that had no easy answer. He sighed. Asterion had done so much good for Terrastella. It would be hard for anyone to fill his shoes, even Marisol. But those shoes had to be filled and it would only take a little time for Marisol to grow into them. In time, things would get easier. But for now, things would be difficult and she would have to be willing to put in the work to make sure her reign was successful.
His silence lingers over the crashing of the ocean waves. His eyes looking out as blue sky erupts. After a few moments, he looks back to Marisol, surprised to see her looking back at him in an almost submissive way. "Don’t try to repair it. Trying to fix it makes it seem as if it was broken from the start." He pauses a moment, thinking carefully on how he wanted to word his replies. "Your people want to see that you are hurting too…that you feel the same loss they do. Don’t hide your feelings, even if you are trying to be tough. Letting them see that you are being real and vulnerable makes them feel as though their own feelings are validated." He remembered when his father stepped down and he took control. He remembered when he left the kingdom he was born for and into another for the sake of love. Both times, the regimes were in shambles and they looked to him for comfort. Letting them see that he too was hurting helped them respect him more. Sure, this might not work for those of the opinion that warriors cannot have feelings and feelings make them weak. Such was an old way of thinking that Rhone thought very unproductive.
He is silent a moment longer, thinking long and hard. He doesn’t know Marisol well enough to give her the advice that she needs to hear. He can only offer her what has worked for himself. It will be up to her to figure out what will work for her and her council. "Secondly, don’t be a dictator. Listen to your people and take their suggestions. I’m not saying that you have to say yes to everything they ask of you, but let them truly know that you have heard their grievances and that you will take their suggestions under consideration. Democracy works far better than dictatorship." If she started off her reign by telling them what to do and when to do it, they will push back and resist. But if she makes their opinion feel valued, they are more likely to stick to her side, even if she chooses not to implement their ideas.
He pauses a moment as he looks up at her, his eyes meeting her own. He wants her to know that he is being genuine, real. "But most importantly, be yourself and stick to what you believe in." Most people wanted genuine leaders, not leaders that told each person what they wanted to hear. Coming off as fake hurts everyone.
But end the end, this is her reign. She is queen now and ultimately it is her decision. What she chooses to do from this point onward will pave the way to the success or demise of her reign as Queen of Terrestella. "I am always here to guide you, Marisol, to council you if you need it. I do not need anything in return." He did not need riches, fancy titles, or words of affirmation. All he needed was to see that she was flourishing. He had never expected Asterion to appoint him Champion of Wisdom. He knows that he will not openly seek a formal position on her council. He doesn’t need that recognition. Perhaps as a younger stallion he did. But now, now Rhone was far older and wiser. Just seeing her success was enough for him.
@Marisol
