DIAMANT
The surprise on Mariael’s face - or what he could see of it in the poor light - was evident only for a moment before her features hardened like marble into the mask she’d worn when they first met. Diamant thought he caught a glimpse of wetness shining on her cheek as her head jerked up, but then the shadows swallowed her face and it was gone. There before him stood a Queen that was all pride and composure, and suddenly he doubted that he had ever heard a gasp at all.
He expected a demand to fly from her lips, and in that he was right - but when it came, it was not the one he had expected. Rather than ask why he was there or where he had come from, which might have shown some uncertainty on her part, she demanded his name. She demanded the only part of him that he had been able to keep for himself during his stay as her prisoner.
Diamant was silent for a long few moments afterward, and stood in the dark simply staring at Mariael, his amber eyes reflecting the cold light that spilled in from the mouth of the cave. He considered his options: he could withhold his name, and assert what autonomy and power he still had over her. He imagined her reaction if he said “no one” again, and felt a wave of twisted satisfaction in his chest. He could even lie. But what would it accomplish? It was clear the Queen was a prideful creature, and possibly even more stubborn than he. If he did not cooperate, they were likely to be at each other’s throats come the springtime. And he did not relish the thought of a long winter of tension and resentment.
“Diamant,” he said at last, his low voice echoing through the cave. “Are you satisfied?”
FRIESIAN; 17’2HH; BLACK; FOUR
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