The curiosity on Diamant’s face melts away when the mare steps in front of her foal, partially blocking the filly from his view. He straightens a little, his muscles tensing, but otherwise remains composed in the face of the mare’s suspicion. Even though the Lagoon and the Inlet are so-called allies, he does not blame her for not trusting him. He has seen firsthand the unsavory characters that call the Lagoon home, and he knows the impression he must give when he calls himself one of them.

Yet his amber eyes widen a little in surprise when Cherokee reveals that she had once been one of the bachelors’ captives. This further explains her distrust. Diamant racks his brain for any memory of her, but his memory is still so spotty, and he has stayed well out of the Lagoon’s antics, avoiding and ignoring them in the hopes that they will ignore him too.

Diamant opens his mouth to respond, then closes it again. He does not know what to say. He is not responsible for what happened to the mare, and he can do nothing to correct the past. He could tell her that not all bachelors are so cruel and vile, but the fierceness in her face tells him how that would likely go down.

Movement in his peripheral vision catches his attention then, and his eyes slide to an approaching young stallion, who promptly thanks him for coming. Some of the tension in Diamant’s expression softens, and he bobs his head in grateful acknowledgement, wondering if the colt had come to smooth over the situation. He frowns with sympathy at what Letavice tells him, his mouth pressing together to form a firm line. Inwardly he wonders what kind of stallion Warsaw is, to leave his Queen for some war when she is apparently so ill, but he has no intention of voicing these thoughts.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” he says. “I’d be happy to help in whatever way I can.” His gaze slides to Cherokee. “And I’m sorry for what you went through. There are certainly some individuals in the Lagoon that are… less than pleasant.”