There is something behind the throne

Quilyan

greater than the king himself.

The complete withdrawal of her magic catches him by surprise, but even that pales with the revelation that he has managed to shock her. Caught off guard, his own magic evaporates, leaving the pair of them with a strange distance between them. He watches her warily, waiting for some kind of trap - but there is a certain defiance, a certain menace in the way she throws her head haughtily in the air, as though preparing for a battle, that assures him that she has set their little game aside. For now. When she spoke, she had become cold and aloof, and he wondered if it was merely his redirection of their path that had forced her into this strange role or if it was something more.

He doesn't miss the way she sneers as she speaks of Resplendence, and a small part of him resents the implication that he could do better, that she thinks so highly of herself as to imagine he would prefer her over his beloved. An even smaller part of him entertains the idea, albeit briefly - considers that in another land, in another life, Phaedra would have been the perfect partner, for Resplendence, with all of her virtues, would not thrive as Queen. But this mare, the Opulent one, she would reign supreme over any court, would surely prove an asset in every way - she was cunning, she was charming, and she could get anything out of anyone.

Well, in truth, that remained to be seen.

Even so, he had to admit that her arrogance would have been well suited to him and his life in Th'orqui, and the part of him that admitted it spent a moment considering how different things could have been, how happy he could have been, how his Queen would have been someone just like Phaedra. And it made him uncomfortable, especially now, with how far he has come away from that lifestyle and that persona, with how much he has grown and matured. He is better now, isn't he? A better pegasus, a better stallion, a better... everything. Isn't he?

And it is that doubt that allows her to work her way into his head, belittling Resplendence's fears and the prince's anger, sending the negativity scuttling away into the recesses of his mind. When she speaks of past times, she makes it all seem so harmless, so idiotic - two mares thrust into a battle they had no right to be fighting, destined to dislike one another because, after all, isn't that what we do to those with whom we are at war?

"Archibald sent a spy into a war?" he queried with a quirk of his brow. "Now, either you are incredibly talented, or someone just doesn't like you." He smirks slightly, a teasing glint returning to his eye. "Though," he adds with a slight frown and a serious tone, "targeting your companion was entirely uncalled for. I believe that is a bond that you and I have in common." He resolves to keep an eye on Archibald in the future, for he is now in charge of the World's Edge's warriors. It never hurts to be aware of those in positions of power.

He ignores the various jabs aimed at Resplendence and then, it would seem, at him. Had he managed to offend her, to hurt her feelings? Now, surely she was made of firmer stuff than that. And he could have corrected her, could have defended Resplendence, could have told her how the lockets really worked - but why give out free information? "If anything, my dear," he teased, "I applaud your dedication. I do have one question, however." He sauntered closer, narrowing the gap between them in what appeared to be an intimidating-but-flirtatious kind of way. "Why me?"

@[Phaedra]

[W/C | ---]
Walk walk walk.
Talk talk talk.
Think think think.

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