so you wanna play with magic?
"Never even once?" she replies to Yael easily, entirely untroubled by holding a mental conversation at the same time as a physical one. "I wasn't born here, but I stayed here for a time when I was growing up. Many, many years ago." she smiles at Yael. She doesn't actually think the gold woman is a nun – it's just a metaphor, one that anyone hiding a secret knows all too well. "My grandmother and father both ruled here too, long ago." she pauses, correcting herself. "Well, my grandmother ruled long ago, but she lives here still. I'm sure she's around, somewhere."
He slides out of the air and greets them by name, and she gives him a small nod. Moments later, his voice floods into her mind and it's like cool, clear water. Everything about it is familiar, the teasing tones, the gentle warmth, it's them, condensed into a few words whispered from mind to mind, just as her words had been them, condensed, too. The ghost of a smile plays on her lips, fading almost before it exists.
It isn't lost on her, just how much power is contained in this meeting. They may all wield that power differently, each in their own way, with varying degrees of flash and circumstance – but it's no mistake that they all wield it. And my god, if all three of them were to wield their powers in one concerted effort…well, who could stand in their way?
The thought is both terrifying and exhilarating.
He speaks again, every bit as courteous as you'd want any ruler to be, giving her the congratulations that must be given – although she knows he means it. She gives him a smile, and the light seems to strike the diamonds and gemstones along her cheek (his diamonds and gemstones) with a particularly strong radiance. "Thank you, Eight." her voice is velvet and silk.
He dives right in, then, to the meat of the conversation. She truly has no idea how it will unfold. Of course both of them would favor tying their kingdoms closer together, but the history is quite an object to overcome. She understands Yael's forgiving nature; it's Pevensie's that she questions. The Valley has done much wrong in its recent (and not so recent) history, but if anyone can be persuaded to consider wiping clean the slate, isn't it the lights? She nods, confirming his assumption – they're here on business.
He tells them of the Chamber, and it doesn't surprise Camrynn. She has known most of his maneuvering (just as she knows of the conversation he has with Lagertha, and just as he would know of the conversation she has with Lokii in the meadow). They hide very little from each other; such is the result of the moment she'd gently blended their magic, such is the nature of magical romance.
Or, y'know, whatever you want to call the two of them. Carnage and Gail aren't the only undefinables around here.
"That was well done." she speaks, referring to the business with the Chamber. "Straia seems an able leader, and the Chamber breathes with life again. And I trust Rodrik is enjoying your hospitality." she says the last with a smile, knowing that the man is, in fact, more or less free within the borders of the Valley at the moment. She'd reached out to him, once, when she'd first come to Beqanna, but he had been too preoccupied with fading away to reach back.
He speaks again, a final time, and she gives him a small smile. "Aren't there always ties?" her grin is wry, and her words teasing. Of course, she's speaking with double meaning – the Deserts has ties, Camrynn and Eight have ties, even Yael has ties through the history of the past to the Valley, although she's never seen it. Her grin fades and she grows serious. "The Deserts have voted to ally with the Amazons." She pauses for a moment. "Scorch pressed for sister kingdoms, but our people were not willing to go closer than alliance."
She pauses again, thinking about how much she wants to say to Eight in front of Yael. She trusts Eight implicitly – not only that, but he already knows everything she'd say, just as she knows everything he might say. They are connected so deeply, it's almost a foolish charade to pretend otherwise. She's beginning to wonder if revealing the relationship might be wise after all. She pockets that thought, willing to revisit it later in the discussion. "But I'm not sure that the Deserts should rest on only one alliance. Any single kingdom can be so…tumultuous." she says, and of course she means Scorch.
She walks past him then, striding into the borders of the Valley with confidence. She is perhaps a hair too close, just close enough that the wind can conveniently drift her tail to touch his front legs as she walks by, just close enough that the tips of the wings she grew for the flight over (and has continued to keep because she's kinda fond of them) might brush just ever so slightly along the tips of Eight's wings - in short, close enough that they can feel the magnetic nature of closeness, but not enough that they'll be satisfied with touch. It's all a part of the game that is them.
She looks out into the land for a moment, regarding it silently before turning back around so they are a conversation group again. "And what does the Valley think? Are you seeking new ties, or are you content with the Chamber?"
He slides out of the air and greets them by name, and she gives him a small nod. Moments later, his voice floods into her mind and it's like cool, clear water. Everything about it is familiar, the teasing tones, the gentle warmth, it's them, condensed into a few words whispered from mind to mind, just as her words had been them, condensed, too. The ghost of a smile plays on her lips, fading almost before it exists.
It isn't lost on her, just how much power is contained in this meeting. They may all wield that power differently, each in their own way, with varying degrees of flash and circumstance – but it's no mistake that they all wield it. And my god, if all three of them were to wield their powers in one concerted effort…well, who could stand in their way?
The thought is both terrifying and exhilarating.
He speaks again, every bit as courteous as you'd want any ruler to be, giving her the congratulations that must be given – although she knows he means it. She gives him a smile, and the light seems to strike the diamonds and gemstones along her cheek (his diamonds and gemstones) with a particularly strong radiance. "Thank you, Eight." her voice is velvet and silk.
He dives right in, then, to the meat of the conversation. She truly has no idea how it will unfold. Of course both of them would favor tying their kingdoms closer together, but the history is quite an object to overcome. She understands Yael's forgiving nature; it's Pevensie's that she questions. The Valley has done much wrong in its recent (and not so recent) history, but if anyone can be persuaded to consider wiping clean the slate, isn't it the lights? She nods, confirming his assumption – they're here on business.
He tells them of the Chamber, and it doesn't surprise Camrynn. She has known most of his maneuvering (just as she knows of the conversation he has with Lagertha, and just as he would know of the conversation she has with Lokii in the meadow). They hide very little from each other; such is the result of the moment she'd gently blended their magic, such is the nature of magical romance.
Or, y'know, whatever you want to call the two of them. Carnage and Gail aren't the only undefinables around here.
"That was well done." she speaks, referring to the business with the Chamber. "Straia seems an able leader, and the Chamber breathes with life again. And I trust Rodrik is enjoying your hospitality." she says the last with a smile, knowing that the man is, in fact, more or less free within the borders of the Valley at the moment. She'd reached out to him, once, when she'd first come to Beqanna, but he had been too preoccupied with fading away to reach back.
He speaks again, a final time, and she gives him a small smile. "Aren't there always ties?" her grin is wry, and her words teasing. Of course, she's speaking with double meaning – the Deserts has ties, Camrynn and Eight have ties, even Yael has ties through the history of the past to the Valley, although she's never seen it. Her grin fades and she grows serious. "The Deserts have voted to ally with the Amazons." She pauses for a moment. "Scorch pressed for sister kingdoms, but our people were not willing to go closer than alliance."
She pauses again, thinking about how much she wants to say to Eight in front of Yael. She trusts Eight implicitly – not only that, but he already knows everything she'd say, just as she knows everything he might say. They are connected so deeply, it's almost a foolish charade to pretend otherwise. She's beginning to wonder if revealing the relationship might be wise after all. She pockets that thought, willing to revisit it later in the discussion. "But I'm not sure that the Deserts should rest on only one alliance. Any single kingdom can be so…tumultuous." she says, and of course she means Scorch.
She walks past him then, striding into the borders of the Valley with confidence. She is perhaps a hair too close, just close enough that the wind can conveniently drift her tail to touch his front legs as she walks by, just close enough that the tips of the wings she grew for the flight over (and has continued to keep because she's kinda fond of them) might brush just ever so slightly along the tips of Eight's wings - in short, close enough that they can feel the magnetic nature of closeness, but not enough that they'll be satisfied with touch. It's all a part of the game that is them.
She looks out into the land for a moment, regarding it silently before turning back around so they are a conversation group again. "And what does the Valley think? Are you seeking new ties, or are you content with the Chamber?"
CAMRYNN
co-queen of the deserts, magical, mother of badassery