05-17-2017, 05:23 PM
Her fury was instant, ignited so quickly just as the fire inside her was want to do, eager to lick into flames. Her ears tucked away from him and she stood tense. "Don't look at me like that," she told him quietly. After a moment, she stepped carefully closer to him. "I won't say I'm sorry, dad, because I am not. I wanted this. So yes, I'm happy. Can you please be happy for me too?"
He'd stiffened at her admission, that she'd wanted this, but he said nothing. Maybe she'd always be his little girl, but it was so hard to accept that she would choose this. And without a marriage like he'd had. Perhaps such bonds were rare, though. It wasn't fair of him to feel disappointed. He certainly didn't want marriage for her if it would turn out like his did in the end.
He brushed the thoughts away and smoothed his face, lifting his eyes to meet hers. "If this is what you want, then I am happy for you." With a roll of his shoulders, he tried to shake the tension that had released more of his magic before stepping to meet her with a light touch across her nose. "I'll do whatever I can for you through this. Just call and I will be here. If your mother were here--" she could help you through this. He cut himself off, his heart burning that he'd even brought her up. Maybe a father's steady support would be enough for her first pregnancy, her first child. He couldn't possibly understand it as a mother could, but he'd do anything for her.
"Whatever you need," he repeated instead.
His ear flicked to the side, a nerve in his neck pinching and tingling. Instinctively, he tried to catch a scent, but found none despite intuition telling him someone was near. Watching. His head turned, searching until he caught just the slightest movement in the shadows, just a bare flicker of shaded gold. Recognition flashed in his bright eyes and he gestured with a small jerk of his head for the young man to join them. "Come."
He'd been wanting to speak with Aten anyway, and it was fitting that he would show now.
His attention returned to Jinju to allow Aten time to approach them. "When you're closer, showing more, I'd like you to stay within the Taiga where I can help protect you and be nearby if you need anything. Please, for me, it would make me feel better knowing where you are." He expected her to fight against that request, growing more and more independent with each day. Needing him less and less for anything at all. "For now, will you join me in paying a visit to other lands? I'd like you to come to Tephra with me and see Magnus again. Then after, continue without me to Nerine. Take Aten with you," he added with a glance to him. Keep her safe, he didn't say.
It didn't matter that the gold stallion hadn't shown any magical abilities, whether he had them or not wasn't why Ruan had chosen him. The young man had shown himself to have impeccable instinct, had seemed to trust his own intuition like a close friend. That was what Ruan needed from him, what Jinju might need from him. He had a better chance at sensing dangerous situations, weighing little details that others might overlook. And he could be trusted. With the amount of toned muscle, he could probably hold his own in a fight as well, if he had to.
"Can you do this for me?" he asked them both, meeting the fire of Jinju's ruby eyes.
He'd stiffened at her admission, that she'd wanted this, but he said nothing. Maybe she'd always be his little girl, but it was so hard to accept that she would choose this. And without a marriage like he'd had. Perhaps such bonds were rare, though. It wasn't fair of him to feel disappointed. He certainly didn't want marriage for her if it would turn out like his did in the end.
He brushed the thoughts away and smoothed his face, lifting his eyes to meet hers. "If this is what you want, then I am happy for you." With a roll of his shoulders, he tried to shake the tension that had released more of his magic before stepping to meet her with a light touch across her nose. "I'll do whatever I can for you through this. Just call and I will be here. If your mother were here--" she could help you through this. He cut himself off, his heart burning that he'd even brought her up. Maybe a father's steady support would be enough for her first pregnancy, her first child. He couldn't possibly understand it as a mother could, but he'd do anything for her.
"Whatever you need," he repeated instead.
His ear flicked to the side, a nerve in his neck pinching and tingling. Instinctively, he tried to catch a scent, but found none despite intuition telling him someone was near. Watching. His head turned, searching until he caught just the slightest movement in the shadows, just a bare flicker of shaded gold. Recognition flashed in his bright eyes and he gestured with a small jerk of his head for the young man to join them. "Come."
He'd been wanting to speak with Aten anyway, and it was fitting that he would show now.
His attention returned to Jinju to allow Aten time to approach them. "When you're closer, showing more, I'd like you to stay within the Taiga where I can help protect you and be nearby if you need anything. Please, for me, it would make me feel better knowing where you are." He expected her to fight against that request, growing more and more independent with each day. Needing him less and less for anything at all. "For now, will you join me in paying a visit to other lands? I'd like you to come to Tephra with me and see Magnus again. Then after, continue without me to Nerine. Take Aten with you," he added with a glance to him. Keep her safe, he didn't say.
It didn't matter that the gold stallion hadn't shown any magical abilities, whether he had them or not wasn't why Ruan had chosen him. The young man had shown himself to have impeccable instinct, had seemed to trust his own intuition like a close friend. That was what Ruan needed from him, what Jinju might need from him. He had a better chance at sensing dangerous situations, weighing little details that others might overlook. And he could be trusted. With the amount of toned muscle, he could probably hold his own in a fight as well, if he had to.
"Can you do this for me?" he asked them both, meeting the fire of Jinju's ruby eyes.
