[AW] >> soul of sand <<

[Seraphina]

The acknowledgement of the sheer amount of material that all of those that had risen to power provoked nothing more than another stiff nod from the silver mare, though Inkheart’s words were more true than she’d like to admit. They were all terribly inexperienced in their respective positions, insofar as she could tell, stumbling into power like children unprepared of the world it offered them. She was not a woman who was frightened of much, but she had felt more fear and apprehension in the past several weeks than she ever had before in her life, and more uncertainty. She’d never had to question authority before, and she’d never been authority before. Seraphina had only ever been a soldier giving orders, and now she was meant to give orders, to strategize in her own right? It was nerve-wracking. (If Viceroy could see her now, she had a feeling that he’d be laughing.) But her focus wasn’t on her own duties – rather, it was on Inkheart’s proposition. “A temple, eh?” She sounded, for once, genuinely thoughtful. It would certainly improve morale – the Solterrans were a religious people, as a general rule, living and dying by the sun, and there was nothing to bring people together like religion. “I can get word to Maxence, if nothing else. What did you have in mind?” If Inkheart sought rare materials for the temple, and Seraphina imagined she would, they would take time – and effort – to procure. Best to get started in advance, considering that negotiating trade probably fell under her jurisdiction.


Her next words caught Seraphina off guard. Spread the word of Solis? Although Seraphina was religious, and well-versed in the lore of Solterra, she was not a sage or a prophet – she hadn’t even seen the texts that dictated the words she claimed to believe so deeply until very recently. For a fraction of a second, her eyes narrowed, as though diagnosing the other mare’s sudden smile for some sign of ill intentions, but there were none to be found. Her next words were chosen carefully. “I would worry about the diplomatic consequences of spreading Solis’s word myself. Religion is touchy for many. However…what would you suggest I do?” If she could suggest a particularly diplomatic way of bringing people to Solis’s light, Seraphina might be willing to go along with it, if only to further the cause of the Day Court. Loyalty to Solis meant loyalty to his people, after all. Her next words were met with an immediate, “Of course. And the library is completely open to you. Should you need anything, I can likely tell you where to search – I’ve been cataloguing our historical documents.” She didn’t particularly like Inkheart, but she wouldn’t dream of keeping her from her duties – her foremost concern was the efficiency of the court, and an efficient court needed efficient champions.


@Inkheart <3