Every turn, every motion, every assuring response to her story was enough to convince the black and white mare that she was correct in her assumptions- Thranduil was some kind of fugitive from the law, happy to be in her presence because it meant, for a moment, he was safe and among those that thought similarly to him. In some ways, it was easy to be the daft queen, because she did not have to question her grandiose imagination, wonder if she was correct or not, fret that she might be doing something wrong. If she had an idea, if she had hatched it of her own accord, then she was usually more than happy to believe that tale without question, as she was indeed demonstrating now.

Little did she know, despite her idiocy and because of her babbling mouth, she had introduced the golden stud to a world that had previously been outside of his knowledge. Illynx the Gilded Blade, the golden queen, the racist bitch. Any of them worked, all of them had been screamed to the wind and one time or another... Yes, the queen was as hateful of the equines and pegasi as could be, even if she tried to hide it.

Glad to have the golden beast to search the woods for imaginary sleuths, the queen took the opportunity to really look him over. He was an interesting beast, overall- quite handsome, though perhaps not as handsome as her beloved King. Had she the capacity to wonder about such things, she might have been curious what his aim in life was. Was he a warrior, suited to take on soldiers in open battle? A doctor, ready to heal at a moment's notice? A crafter, ready to build beautiful things in the way that she had once done? But ah, the queen did not wonder, she only stared, memorizing his interesting coat, the flick of his tail, the way his name rolled off her tongue as he pronounced it for her. Thranduil... she liked it.

“I'm glad as well,” she murmured, turning her head with his this time, curious to know what he had heard. She heard nothing, of course, but her vigilant watchdog seemed content that it had only been a leaf or some tree creaking in the wind. She was safe, she felt, so long as he was here... but he still seemed so disturbed. She understood well. A meeting with the golden queen was not one to be taken lightly, especially not one ended on bad terms.

“We can rest together, yes,” she smiled kindly, “And the doors of the Edge are always open to a weary traveler, or someone looking for a more permanent home.” Her moment of fear long gone from before, the queen placed her trust entirely in the horned beast. How the foolish woman had never fallen prey to the whimsical fantasies of someone so conniving before was a mystery that only the gods knew the answer to. “But please, forgive me!” she added when he had done, her eyes begging as much as her words for his forgiveness. “I judged you too soon. I was wrong.” Her conversation with Eva came drifting back to her mind.

“A history with the unicorns of the Basin has made me suspicious sometimes, but I should not judge before I know the facts. A few have ruined trust for the many, but I am trying to forget the horrors that they committed.” She stopped, mind wandering back to when they attacked the Edge. “But surely you understand, given your interaction with them,” she ended, giving voice to the story that she had created. She did not entertain the idea that she might be wrong, give a moment's thought that she may not be making any sense. She was resolute in her convictions and at peace with the golden nearby. Indeed, the momentary distrust given to him earlier gone, she found that she liked him rather a lot.