He had remained tangled into the island's edge, vines draped over and around his large horns from his recent trip through the jungle in search of Adria once more. It had been months since the dispute over her land had started and she had gracefully but unwillingly walked away. He had missed her every single day, had searched for her every moment he did not find himself patrolling Tephra's borders.
He had heard the whispers of conflict showing her ugly head between the kingdoms. Had heard from Wolfbane's own mouth that he would stand beside Loess. Had watched Vulgaris welcome the soulless man into Leli's garden.
Conflict riddled his body, it's claws reaching from Beqanna's ground infesting his mind. It had been a battle, as of late, to keep his mouth shut, to keep his thoughts to himself. Leli had handed her crown over to her husband, an act he was not sure centered more around her personal feelings then the good of Tephra. He would not blame her if this was the case, but how could one ignore the whispers of stories of his now King.
He had not been fond of him since the first he had laid eyes on him during the party in Hyaline. A possessive presence next to Leliana. A new man, but all his sharp and blunt edges on view for all to see.
Jakub's midnight eyes watch the King join the party he had chosen to stay away from, for he was not a resident of this island. His voice was not needed. His ears strain to hear as his eyes darted to the King's stranger companion, crinkling in curiosity but for only a minute. Vulgaris presses his kingly presence into the crowd that had accumulated, denied. A denied herd, a denied congregation of "subjects". The hairs on Jakub's back prickle in disgust at Vulgaris' words, and his ears pin to his head. Arrogant, entitled prick. he thought.
Had he not learned from Beqanna's past, from his own past, from Leli's past? Since when has unity came from forcing your "subjects" to do anything they did not wish to do? He didn't honestly think that anything good would come from ripping Ischia's leader, a good and trusted leader, away from her residence did he?
As Jakub went to move from the palms and vines that had hid him away he is stopped mid step as Adria pulled herself from the sea. The vermillion beauty a force to be reckoned with moved to join the crowd. He watched in awe as she said her piece. Even stripped of her leadership she held herself with all the integrity of Ischia's leader. He listened as she said her peace, standing tall between her friends and family, standing tall on her island. A half grin pulled at Jakub's mouth, pride swelling in his chest for the nereid woman.
It was then while Larke spoke her peace that he pulled himself away from the jungle's welcoming edge, ripping vines from their homes as he went. Is that the same ideals you will be sticking to once chaos breaks loose between and amongst the rest of Beqanna? his voice barreled from his throat in pleasing tenor tones. When Loess, Pangea, Taiga, Nerine, and even Tephra finally make their moves upon and against each other? his gaze moved from Larke to her father. I remember not long ago when Tephra burned, have you forgotten? When Leliana had tried to put a stop to a man forcing others to bend to his will without their consent. Denying them their basic rights of freedom. his black, midnight gaze steeled against Vulgaris. The muscles pulled tight in his face as he continued, I think it's only right that if you expect your subjects to kneel to your decisions and your decisions alone you tell them what is happening outside of their sanctuary. When Tephra burned it was Adria and these individuals before you that had came to our shores to help take our residence to safety that had gathered on our beaches, running from the same man that gave me these scars, the same man that you recently held court with in Leli's garden, your old friend. The same guy who confessed his loyalty to Loess above all other.
Jakub's body had gone rigid in the anger and frustration he had held onto since the war, since Adria's title had been ripped away, since the improvised meeting he had stumbled into at the edge of Tephra between Vulgaris, Leli, and Wolfbane. His nostrils flared as he pulled himself to his full height. You strip a good leader from her title so that your own blood can reign over a land she knows nothing about. And when others oppose your decision instead of letting things resolve themselves you resign to intimidation and threats? You talk of unity, but there is no unity in coercion, do not act so surprised by their retaliation. Jakub's eyes do not falter from Vulgaris.
JAKUB
and out he came, holding his brothers heel
Word vomit but... he's sooo conflicted
In short: Jakub is pissed that Adrias (his major crush babe) title was stripped away by Vulgaris simply because he could do it and all the tension amongst Beqanna has been eating at him. Hes never been a big fan of Vulgaris and now he wants to tell him how it is.