Like a thorn to the holy ones [Magnus]

[magnus]

magnus

howling ghosts, they reappear
in mountains that are stacked with fear

Magnus respects Nymphetamine’s history, his skills; he respects all he has done, even when he had done them after betraying the Gates. Still, within this new Beqanna, this new land, he is relatively untested. He has not worked alongside Magnus and not been there over the past few years as a reliable diplomat. He has, instead, been wrestling with his own inner demons—trying to find his place within this new structure.

Magnus can understand that, but it doesn’t change the fact that he has been toiling to build this land up, working on strengthening their reputation and numbers, reaching out to potential allies, all without the active support of the blood bay—and now he was being asked to answer to him. His handsome face remains impassive but his gold-flecked eyes are sharp beneath his tangled, matted forelock.

“I am aware of all of this, Nymphetamine,” he growls lightly,. “Do you think that I take the responsibility of being a leader so lightly? Do you think so little of me to think that Tephra has been kept under a negligent eye for the last few years?” He snorts and then falls silent eying the younger stallion, irritation built in his veins. Still, he knows the other stallion is not without his talents so he reins it in just a little.

There is silence for a few moments before he shrugs. “There have been few, if any, formal alliances established between the lands so far,” he finally says. “We have established friendly relations with Nerine, Taiga, Sylva, and Ischia, although we have not formally tied ourselves in anyway.” He lifts his nose to the border, looking outward. “We are not friendly with Pangea,” a simple declaration, built mostly on his own gut intuition than anything else. “Nothing has been established outside of that as of right now.”

Another pause as he tilts his head toward him.

“I would be interested in hearing your opinion on whether we should establish formal alliances.”

but you're a king and I'm a lionheart