we are aching bones and wasted years; esileif

[magnus]

you and I both know that the house is haunted
and you and I both know that the ghost is me

Magnus understands the indecision that rests at the bottom of this conversation; he even appreciates it as, to him, it means that she is giving this decision the weight that it deserves. So he does not think to begrudge her the time that this meeting is taking—does not think to be upset about how long they spend talking and walking around the kingdom, dancing around the subject of recruitment. Instead, the buckskin stallion takes genuine pleasure in her company, watching her with a golden gaze, his smile easy, languid.

“It would be my pleasure,” he responds kindly, gesturing toward the large tree that grew near the heart of the kingdom, its branching sprawling outward. With that, he begins to walk toward it, matching his gait to the speed of her own and letting silence fall between them for several moments. The last thing that he wanted was to pressure her with more inquiries or crowd her with perceived expectations. If she had any questions, he would gladly answer them, but he was content to simply show her more of the kingdom.

As they near the tree, he comes to a stop, tilting his handsome head back slightly to take it in. For a moment, he looks at it—wondering what it had been like in its prime—before glancing back down toward her. “This is our Mother Tree.” His scarred lips break into a smile. “I must admit that it was both before and after my time, so I never did see it when it was truly grand, but I have heard that it was a sight to be seen. Perhaps one day it will reach its full splendor once more.” Magnus then looks down to the garden growing around it, the scars of both fire and insidious poison still present but fading.

“This is our garden—our kingdom’s magical entity.” The magic was beyond his understanding, but he was beginning to comprehend it. “If you eat of the fruit, you can be prompted to speak the truth. If you drink of the water that feeds it, you may be gifted with traits during time of distress.” He laughs lightly, the sound rich in his throat. “At least, that is what I have been told. I have not tried it myself just yet.”

MAGNUS

once general. once lord. once king.