[P] daybreak

[Seraphina]

OH MY OWN VOICE CANNOT SAVE ME NOW

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She watched him roll his thoughts over in his mind in silence; Eik, she’d learned, was always thinking. His mind reminded her of a dam keeping water at bay – once the floodgates were opened, everything came rushing out at once in a long, meandering stream. Of all the Solterrans that had come to mind when she’d considered who she wanted at her side as emissary, he’d been the only one to stand out. Eik wanted to learn, and, at some point in her nation’s bloodsoaked history, that burning desire for knowledge had flickered out to nothing, or perhaps it had been smothered; either way, it was gone, like dust in the wind. (Reforming the court’s educational system would be a mess, and she shuddered to think of it.) Those thoughts receded with his words – she was quick to consider and just as quick to answer.

“Most of them are domestic,” She admitted, though he pointed the direction of his inquiry towards her foreign policy before she could rattle off a rambling explanation of Solterran politics and history. “Zolin has caused more than his share of problems in Solterra – those must be dealt with. However, in order to do so, we need to maintain positive relations with Terrastella and Delumine…and prevent tensions with Denocte from reaching a head. I believe it would be in our best interests to see if Dawn would be interested in trade and to see if Dusk would be inclined towards an alliance.” Seraphina doubted that the perpetually-neutral citizens of Delumine would ever truly seek an alliance, least of all with as brutal a kingdom as Solterra; Terrastella, on the other hand, had shown some interest in their warriors in the past, and she had heard whispers of a falling-out in their relationship with Denocte at the festival that she had been unable to attend. They were mere rumors, of course, whispers on the wind, but smoke never existed without fire to feed it. Perhaps the situation in Terrastella was not so out of her grasp as she had anticipated – perhaps love was as fickle as Avdotya had claimed the day Seraphina had taken the throne.

He asked, then, about taking companions on the road. That would, she imagine, be for the best – guards, at the very least. “If you so desire, though I would be cautious in your choices.” Most of her travels were in the company of Avdotya and Maxence or alone. The silver was, after all, distrusting by nature; on unsteady ground, she preferred an environment that she had some degree of control over, and she’d learned that Solterran tempers were difficult to bridle. His next question provoked the mare to momentary, contemplative silence, before she mused, “Gifts…mmm. I know not what we could offer other nations – Solterran steel is the best in Novus, but I…do not know if it is in our best interest to give weapons, unless we have firm alliances in place.” Specifically, she’d prefer the sun kingdom’s weapons kept far from the hands of Caligo’s children, and she was still unsure of Solterra’s standing with Dusk and Dawn. “Perhaps you could ask the blacksmiths to craft something more…aesthetic as a gift.” Lanterns, or jewelry – pretty things. Seraphina despised pretty on principle; it left the bitter taste of Solterran nobility in her mouth. However, pretty was good for earning favors, and Solterra needed them desperately.

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@Eik - <3