Ea
She eases the longer she is around him. Despite her best efforts to remain impartial, unemotional, she is still her mother’s daughter – fire-girl, quick to burn when she feels threatened. Phaedrus doesn’t threaten her physically: he is obviously a hard worker, kind-hearted and loyal. But he does threaten her authority, make her feel as though she hasn’t earned her crown. Perhaps she hasn’t. She’s never recruited for the kingdom, never fought any battles in their honor. But this is what she was trained for, her entire life – this is what her mother molded her into. This is all she knows. But it is obvious he doesn’t slight her purposely. He just seems oblivious.
He is absent in front of her, lost in thought, and she stands still, watching him. Phaedrus mumbles something about the Tundra and the Desert, and this piques her interest. If there is one thing Ea knows, it’s diplomatic relations between the kingdoms. She knows the Dale’s only true alliances are with the Jungle – Ea’s first home and the home of Ramiel’s sister Joscelin – and the Falls, a historically purely neutral kingdom. She knows of the Desert king, Vanquish – he’s been a longstanding member of the kingdom, both as a king and an advisor, and he is relatively predictable. Ea likes this predictability. It makes it easy for their kingdoms to work together, just like the ease of working with the Jungle and the Falls. She is far less familiar, however, with the Tundra king.
“Do you know much about the kingdoms, Phaedrus? And their relationships with other kingdoms?” She knows he is a part of the peace caste, but she also imagines that he spends more energy protecting the kingdom and cultivating his own herd. There is nothing wrong with that; he does a good job and keeps himself busy. “Vanquish has been with the Deserts for a very long time. Most of us know and understand him. He is very loyal to those he builds relationships with. A good king, in my opinion.” Although Ea knows of the king, she is unsure of where their kingdom lies with him. She is sure he is aligned with the Jungle, perhaps the Gates as well, despite the Gates’ alliance with the Valley. It is worth investigating. “I’ll admit I don’t know much about the Tundra. Is this something you’re interested in? Would you like to join me in visiting a few kingdoms?”
ea
now you're staring at a queen.
sorry I'm awful and don't know how to read! I could've sworn he actually called for them, lmao