Xina had hardly dared to hope, to breathe or think while Sahin spoke. She had just watched him, trying to read his expression to see what was to come before it came. What she had anticipated and what was said were two totally different things. As the golden stallion’s eyes drifted back up to her face after staring at her knees in thought, Xina couldn’t do anything but gawp at him a moment. Thoughts whirled through her mind and in that chaos one screamed the loudest. It was time to let go. She needed to let go of all the things she had held pent up with Debonaire and move on with her life just as he had most certainly did with his should he be alive.


Slowly the mare gave a faint nod of her head, her two toned eyes still glued upon him. For Conquistador to stand as second here would be for the best and maybe someday even rule it when Sahin was no longer able. For the palomino child to follow in his father’s footsteps would be a dream for the buckskin man if he were ever to see it where Mera would never be able to conquer so much that only a son could provide. “I would want nothing else for the boy.” She finally replied, her voice barely making it passed her lips.


Before Xina realized what she was doing her dark legs had carried her closer to the stallion, her head lowering so that she could stretch out her muzzle to his skin. Brushing her lips along the line of his neck to his shoulder, they then traveled up towards his withers. Each movement was hesitant as if she was unsure just as she had been for calling him here but she continued, her lips catching at the stray hairs before she parted them and lightly drew her blunt teeth over his shoulder. Xina then froze, turning her head ever so slightly so that her eye could roll back to peer at the stallion as an ear twisted in his direction. It had been a grooming gesture; something only a herd close enough to be called family would give. The roan mare had taken a big leap from where she had stood with him before and now she waited, wondering if he would return the affection or if he would reject her and leave her to rebuild the wall that had only moments ago crumbled that left her bare and vulnerable.