08-22-2017, 09:13 PM
if there's a light at the end, it's just the sun in your eyes
Amet has come to realize that Nerine never makes him feel the same way twice. The first time he'd visited Nayl inside her Kingdom, the vast ocean before him had made him feel small and unimportant in a world full of creatures and natural formations that could eat him alive. It had reminded him that he was simply a young colt who had run away from his problems and was trying with all of his might to keep himself and his younger siblings alive.
The second time he had visited Nerine, it had been in the dead of night, following the invasion of his own home. The ocean had fed into his turmoil, had roiled it and fueled it and made him all the more anxious. The wet sands beneath his hooves had dragged him down and slowed his progress when all he had wanted to do was race back to Hyaline to make sure the rest of his congregation was safe from the group that had attacked them.
Now, though, the ocean makes him hopeful. It makes him feel powerful, as if staring at it long enough could give him the strength to do anything he set his mind to. Go boldly, and great forces will come to your aid, his mind whispers to him as his amber eyes gaze over the unfathomable depths. It's only when hoof steps draw near that Amet turns his eyes from the vociferous ocean to see the pied Queen of Nerine draw beside him. He notices that her own gaze falls not on him, but on the sea, and so he gives her a moment to appreciate the beauty just as he has before giving the mare a polite nod and a warm smile.
"It's good to see you, Nayl," he offers kindly, before she probes into the reason behind his visit today. The Dragon King watches her closely, the great Queen Nayl, and realizes for the first time that he is not intimidated by her prowess. He acknowledges it, without a doubt, but the gilded stallion has grown into himself over the last year, and he is confident enough to know that he is a good ruler, and a kind King.
Where once an uncertain boy stood, now stands King Amet. "I'd like to discuss our arrangement," he expresses without preamble, though his words are measured, "It's been nearly three years since Brennen offered to protect Hyaline, and about the same amount of time has passed since the last time we saw him. I have handled Hyaline skillfully since then, with assistance from yourself and Djinni after we were attacked, which I appreciated more than I can ever express."
Amet pauses for a brief moment, a small smile finding its way across his muzzle. "As a subkingdom of Nerine, I'm quite sure that there was the possibility of other attacks that did not come to fruition simply because Hyaline's name was associated with yours. With that being said, I feel that our relationship thus far has been that which you would normally expect from an ally," he says gingerly, though without hesitation, "And I hope that you take no offense, because I mean none by it, but I would like for Hyaline to be an ally of Nerine's from this point forward, instead of a subkingdom."
Amet
@[Nayl]