i lit a flame in my heart to guide you home

Alysanne had been certain that she had made herself look ridiculous and incompetent in the eyes of Isopia but to her surprise, the younger mare explained that had not been the case. They had simply disagreed. Which was… new for the painted mare. Before, when she had first arrived in Helovia, she had been such a peaceful and happy mare that she didn’t have disagreements with anyone. And then when she started to, they were twisted up and tangled in her anger so that they had never been just simple disagreements - they had always been volatile arguments.

It surprised her to learn that it was possible to understand and respect each other and disagree all the same. Discussing things in a more friendly manner was significantly more appealing, if only she could keep her cool.

Isopia apologized and Alysanne dipped her head, quietly accepting it. Hemlock felt pleased - hooting quietly in approval as he unburied himself enough to poke his small head out of Alysanne’s wings. Although not brave enough to look and see whether the damned dragon was there, he didn’t mind sitting here amongst her soft white feathers and listening more actively to the conversation. The Czarina continued, explaining her side and as she did so - Alysanne felt sympathetic towards the girl’s position. It can’t have been easy, born the daughter of a god and placed in the position to rule - all while she was still so young.

The muttered comment about how they were expected to do a good job of ruling, even when the Gods didn’t, and Alysanne’s mouth twisted into a rueful smile. “Yes. Often, I think, more is expected of rulers than gods and goddesses.” The gods of Helovia weren’t expected to be everywhere, to be present for every single thing that happened in Helovia or in the herd lands they governed. They were fleeting, ethereal beings tied to magic and death - not to the everyday lives of Helovians. At least, from Alysanne’s minimal dealings with them - and mostly just the Moon Goddess at that - she never learned to expect them to show up everywhere. And yet that was exactly what the members of the Edge expected of her and Tembovu. She had been two heartbeats late for the fight with the Czarina and by the time she got there, Tembovu had already stepped up to take her place and Alune was questioning why she had not shown up!

Her gaze softened once more when she addressed the alliance between their herds. Could they patch up whatever damage they had caused here and now? “I hope our alliance is not affected by all of this. Your partner, Ranjiri, said much the same to me while we were watching the battle. Perhaps it will be stronger now that we understand each other a little better… I do promise to not let my emotions get the better of me in the future.” Her eyes brightened in a small smile as she finished that sentence though it was completely genuine. It was something that she seriously needed to work on, especially in a diplomatic setting. They were both new to the world of queens and czarinas and it might just take them a little more time to get comfortable and settled into their roles. Alysanne knew that more mistakes would be down her path but if she tried to keep a clear head… perhaps there would not be so many.

“And... I hope that maybe we can be friends?” She asked, a warm smile in her green eyes - something almost childlike about the openness of her expression and voice. Still, she would not be offended to be turned down - maybe she was being too presumptuous or pushy but she would regret it if she did not ask. “Your mother means a great deal to me and I would consider it an honour to get to know you, if you’d like.” From what Alysanne knew of Kahlua and her daughter, there hadn’t been much mothering needed at all - so it wasn’t fair for her to keep thinking of the girl as ‘Kahlua’s daughter’ when she had always been someone all on her own.