good at goodbyes
The lavender stud made a study of her. The silver of his hazel eyes traced along the length of her as he moved himself nearer closer to her. She held her position and arched her neck slightly against his approach. He was too familiar and his words echoed in her ears like a threat, though she accepted them as a challenge.
Klaudius, proud and purple, did very little hide the curiosity of his manner. As he drew uncomfortably close, she resisted the urge to flinch away from him. Physical contact often left her insides a tangled mess, but his interest was different. He had all the right words to say and his manner was that of a well rehearsed routine. He wanted something from her, something more than idle chatter.
An uncharacteristic smile caught the edge of her lips, brightening her features instantaneously. He continued to inquire upon her identity and the reality of her lack of knowledge caught her off guard. She was just one of Brennen's spawn - a daughter lost in the sea of male counterparts. Replaceable.
Who am I?
The question filled her with sudden heat. "I am a girl who loves her island, I'm a girl who loves the sea," she began, finding a truth to the words as they bubbled up from inside her. "I'm fairly uncomplicated, Klaudius Champion of Ischia."
Complexity, however, remained lost within the depths of her reality. As Brennen's ambition grew, her uncertainty rose to meet it. Who would she be when the dust settled and the island fell under new authority? The island had always been her home and Krone had always been her queen. There was a part of her, however small, that felt wrapped up in the truths she'd been raised under.
Although she'd seen five autumns, three as a grown mare, she'd never known the touch of a man - nor seen an affection held for her besides that of fatherly love. Whilst her siblings all took lovers for themselves, she'd devoted herself to the growth of other, equally important things - the furthering of her skills and abilities. She knew that she'd made her father proud and, up until recently, she'd been the youngest of his and Galilee's daughters. Even though Astarael had waltzed into their lives in the aftermath of a hurricane, she'd always known that Brennen held a greater affection for her.
She'd never wanted to disappoint him and had never sought out any affection other than his.
Until now.
Klaudius' breath against her skin, rose goose flesh upon the back of her neck. It was exciting. The anticipation of his growing interest. Though she'd never considered herself to be particularly interesting, still he remained. His eyes boring into hers in search of the soul that lingered beyond her irises
@[Klaudius]