The tenseness coiled inside her relaxed as Persephone explained she hadn’t been treated poorly while in Warsaw’s home, yet to hear he’d thought Persephone’s rule strange gave her pause. Mariael frowned. She had been willing to allow him time to adjust, which was more gracious than she’d ever been in the past, but would have expected he wouldn’t be as surprised when crossing paths with another island queen. Mariael murmured an agreement along with Persephone.
“It is odd he’s so transfixed…” She trailed off, and decided when next she met face-to-face with Warsaw, before the fall of winter, she would press him to be certain he had no issue with her leadership.
Persephone’s support pulled Mariael from her thoughts. Her blue eyes rested on her friend and she smiled, faltering for just a moment. She’d spent so long standing on her own, with her head raised, stomping her hooves and proclaiming herself a leader… she always expected those outside her home to harbor doubts of her abilities. Yet Persephone was only in support… and it meant more to Mariael than she could say.
“Thank you, I appreciate it.” A pause lingered. “I hope my need to control Tinuvel will not cause backlash for my allies.” Shamwari was her family’s truest and longest friend, and Persephone was hers. Mariael wouldn’t see ill wished upon them because of a potential loose end she might lack control in reigning in.
“Warsaw is of old blood, but my neighbor before him was too. They’ve all left… if Warsaw intends to stay, he will do so on my terms. Luthien – my allies, my friends – will not be touched… or so help me, the retribution paid to him will be great enough he’ll wish he’d never returned to the islands in the first place.”
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