[private] and in my dreams i've kissed your lips a thousand times // Wolfbane

[Kagerus]

Kagerus

{ and in my dreams I've kissed your lips a thousand times }

He speaks to me as if I'm a child; perhaps I ought to be more used to men speaking to me in this way, but my single father raised me in the Jungle. That's not to say of course that I didn't experience patronizing condescension from the women therein - but it's different coming from the mouth of a stallion ten years your younger and far less experienced in the realm of ruling a kingdom.

But we all start somewhere. My composure stays unaffected as he speaks, even when he insists on emphasizing words as if to do so will help me better understand his Superior Logic.

"And I'm sure you're saying that to cover your asses since the steal fell flat." The words fall bluntly, any pretense of anything more than civility long since gone. Wolfbane goes on to explain their original intent of the steal, and I speak again. "We couldn't have known that. We have a duty to ourselves before we have one to you. We were not going to stand idly by in the face of a max-sentence steal."

He addresses me next with a flamboyant and unneeded title; my patience draws thin. He lectures me, as if he has the upper hand here.

"If I trusted your kingdom to be thoughtful of their actions at square one before, I certainly don't now." After all, at square one, they tried to steal Ilma - and there's no way to know whether their little story about letting her go afterward is a cover up or not. Either way, square one just puts Hyaline in jeopardy again. Square one means teaching Loess that Hyaline is to be fucked with. "If you aren't willing to establish at the very least a cease-fire between our nations, then Lepis will remain in Hyaline for as long as my council decides. You offer us nothing for her return; change that, and I'll reconsider your plea."

He wants a discussion later, I want one now; unfortunately for him, I'm the one calling the shots.

Waiting a moment to see if he'll budge, I hold his eyes for one second longer before turning and going. It'll be a long winter yet.

@[Wolfbane] I'm assuming he wouldn't budge, but if I'm wrong just write another post and she'll not leave