this is the road to ruin - castile, any

[Nayl]

I am not afraid... I was born to do this.

Nayl didn’t linger within Nerine. A kiss upon Isobell’s poll and a cry from Amet was enough to lure her from the caves and steer her immediately toward Hyaline. The trek was long still, even as neighboring kingdoms, but the travel doesn’t wear on her anymore. Roaming the hills and dunes of Nerine have chiseled her muscles, creating a lithe and powerful empress that moves as fluidly as water next to him. Amet advises her of everything, the invasion, the death, the burning, but it couldn’t prepare her enough for the stench that sinks into the pores of her nostrils. A putrid odor it is, but somehow her face remains stoic until her gaze settles on Djinni moments before taking to her side.

Although she has heard his admission already – the names tumbling from his lips like poison – Nayl listens again, memorizing those names and what they’ve done. Maugrim, Deathwish, Kolera, Levi… Iset.

The silence she holds is deadly.

Her eyes flash to the decaying pond, then to the scorched hillsides, then to Amet and Djinni. What had once been so beautiful, so new, is now withering and spitting ash into the wind. ”My friend,” she glances to the genie, ”are you able to fix this? I can remove the water and empty it into the sea, but then can only replace it with the salt water, not fresh.” A sigh passes her lips, her mind heavy. ”The ground and trees will have to regrow, I imagine. I know no one with a green thumb, unfortunately.” Talking of Hyaline’s fields and pond are a mere distraction until her fiery eyes shift to Amet. They hold onto him steadily, unyielding, as her voice turns to ice. ”I want her fucking removed from the throne.” Her name, Iset, isn’t worthy of being spoken. It is dirt, scum.

”I had a bad feeling about her and this proves it. No Queen would lay harm to her own land, to her own people. She is shit in my eyes. Remove her from the fucking throne, Amet. I refuse to let her have further control of my subkingdom. She should find herself lucky if I don’t get my hands on her.” The earth thunders beneath their feet before quieting into another threatening silence.

queen of nerine
daughter of covet & myrina