Zèklè

The lightning boy nodded seriously as Själ, too, denounced the weight of royalty. Mothers who were queens, he silently decided, were probably just as bad as Das who were sultans. Once upon a time Zero had thought it to be something of his birthright, that he was a mighty prince of the Throat- but as surely as his mother had given up her position as Sultana long ago, the boy had eventually discarded this particular life goal. It would be much better, he'd decided, to be a great fighter and hero and badass of the entire world, than just a Prince of the Throat.

Besides, Gaucho had like a zillion children who were 100% his and not just maybe his, and so being a prince wasn't even that special, really.

They continued up the steep mountainside, two children caught up in an adult's world, trapped beneath the weights of their mothers, even if the lightning boy didn't exactly see it that way. Black lips contorted into an expression of uncertainty, his ears dropping down as he attempted to voice Ampere's opinion on companions- something he had never really come to terms with, himself, but accepted nonetheless because it was Ma. "I guess she thinks that nobody oughta be forced to be with someone else, y'know? That 'panions oughta be able t'choose if they're gonna bond, 'stead of bein' born into it." Zero sighed, shaking his head- it was horribly complicated, and the boy didn't like to think about it too hard. He shrugged. "But I never met a 'panion who wasn't happy bein' bonded, I think, so... I dunno."

It didn't help that Ma was bonded, now, too. Or that his sisters both were. In fact it only made things worse.

He was happy to turn the subject back to her, although that happiness quickly faded, his expression flashing from disbelief to righteous anger as Själ described her family. "What a bitch!" the boy exclaimed, mouth fumbling over the unfamiliar insult (one he had heard Ma use to describe mares she did not like, which seemed appropriate here). "How could anyone hate you? You're awesome!" So earnest and emphatic was his opinion on the matter that for a moment he forgot about his strange new feelings and simply stared at her, a protective disbelief adamant in his sunbeam eyes. How dare anyone tell his Själ to leave?! Why if he'd been there he would've- would've-

Then he realized he was staring and quickly looked away, powerful embarrassment mixing with his dislike for Själ's sister, who was obviously an idiot anyway.

He shrugged at the mention of his own sisters, his anger quickly subsiding. "They're just babies, 'cept they keep actin' like they're grown up and it drives Ma crazy," the boy explained sagely, blissfully oblivious to the share of insanity he'd unwittingly added to Ampere's life. Then he perked up. "But my Ma's awesome! She knows all the best stories, an' she's teachin' me to fight 'cus she's a great warrior, an' she used to be Sultana of the Throat but she stopped 'cus she wanted to be able to do more stuff an' have adventures an' spend time with me!" If the filly felt any discomfort or sadness as Zero described his mother, the boy did not notice. He was fully recovered from his earlier dismay, always more than happy to brag about the Ma he adored to anyone who would listen.

"Anyway, we live in the Dragon's Throat, an'- HEY!" he practically shouted, because just then he got a perfect idea, and he couldn't bear to hold it in. "Why don't you an' Ansgar come to the Throat? It's really warm an' nice an' everyone's super friendly an' you could live with me-" Oh, no, that was an embarrassing slip. "I mean not with me but in the same place as me, an' then y'could meet my Ma an' my sisters an' I could show you all around an'- an'-"

He sputtered, catching himself, pulling himself into a facade of calm so she wouldn't think he was too desperate. "I mean, y'know, if you want to." But his eyes shone with hopeful affection, and his tailfeathers shook with anticipation at her answers. "You could be whatever you wanted. You don't have to be alone anymore," he finished softly, a quiet promise in his earnest voice, a quavering and youthful pledge from a Badass to his Princess Själ. "You never have to be alone again."