The gigantic physique of her King smothered her in shadow as he leaned closer, and her own narrow bodice felt so weak and fragile. Her mind and body was broken to a point that she felt there was no return, but the way Anzanie felt as Tembovu looked at her gave her the sense that she could have died at that moment and done so peacefully. The contrasting feelings within her wanted to spring out onto him and repeatedly scream everything that she had felt for too long.

The abandoned princess had fallen for the King, but even for royalty there was no future.

After she had spurted out her words of embarrassment at him, her horrified expression gave away everything to him. But perhaps the splashed had not yet realised that her words were to have a lasting effect, and it seemed incredible to her that his own reaction to being called her love was as soft. But this was Tembovu, and he was the gentlest of all giants. She shivered slightly as his cranium came close to hers, and the touch of his own soft skin under the base of her horn sent lightning sparks down her bodice. She recalled the glass crown that he had suggested she craft for herself, the same place where he was focussing his attention on, and it was like a rememberance of when a life was simpler for her - when she didn't have such desires for him...

But her sorrowful pools, now closed as she took in his scent, were disturbed with his soft tones from her King, prompting her to explain why she was so downtrodden. It was going to take so much more than a sentence to explain to the dark brute, but her soul was torn anyway, so why not break it completely,
"As are you, Temb, never have I ever had a friend like you, but if I was to tell you, ohh..." the pain in her pools screamed at him, "We would be a broken friendship." she hesitated once more before she carried on, wincing as she spoke again, "We would be a broken friendship because there's one of us who longs for more than that..."

And in the tension of it all, even through the sadness that pierced her skull, Anzanie felt a wave of love as Mbwene, Tembovu's little elephant bonded, entwined herself in her long ivory tassles. Anzanie smiled through the tears she fought back and leaned her leg into the little creature, feeling comfort in the touch of her. Her King's small smile touched her hewart too, as he spoke of winning over his otherwise cautious little one, "One day I will have a Mbwene of my own." Her attempt at humour was tainted with a truthful statement, the lonliness that she felt eased by just one small little bonded that she assumed had given Tembovu so much love and purpose.

" . "