Vita Nova was wary of strangers ever since Xiomara.
The spotted mare always believed in Warsaw's ability to protect her and their kin, until the day that bald-faced witch showed up. It changed everything, and in an effort to protect her sons, Vita Nova was forced to step up to do something about it all on her own. Her mindset changed then, after she beat the warrior mare, and after she took back control of the Inlet herd, all while pregnant with Brunhild, mind you. Any mare - the inky girl Nova came to mind - who ever questioned Vita Nova's right to the throne was squashed that day.
While the ashen mare fiercely loved her King, she was also keenly aware of the hell he'd put her and the rest of the herd through on this crusade against Persephone and the Luthien tribes. He was relentless - obsessed - to the point that his family suffered for his gain. It had taken them a long time to finally reach the finish line, and Vita Nova was determined to maintain this period of peace in the wake of all the chaos for as long as possible. Strange stallions showing up on a whim did not fit into the Queen's purview of "quiet and calm."
Her brilliant blue eyes studied him now. He was as well-spoken as he was handsome, but Vita Nova was too old to be wooed by such cheap tricks. He maintained his facade well, even as Vita Nova stared at him intensely, waiting for him to reveal any sign of disgruntlement or weakness. Her ears flicked forward for just a second when the stallion explained he was their neighbor. "Under Shaydowfax." The mare corrected him. "So you're a nobody then." Vita Nova quipped back with the flick of her steely tail and roll of her eyes. He was just freeloading under the Desert mare. Maybe he was biding his time, but to come here and act like he was Warsaw's equal - Vita Nova snorted at the thought.
She flashed her King a stern side-eyed glare as the splashed stallion continued. It was true, they were all better off with Shaydowfax off their island. But the last thing the Inlet needed was to trade one problem for another. When Solomon addressed Vita Nova directly, she stiffened up, her jaw clenching and unclenching as she listened to his explanation. "We don't know you." She spat back.
The steely mare flashed Warsaw another glare before the King had his say. At this point, Vita Nova began to back off. While they were a united front, Vita Nova understood it was ultimately Warsaw's decision who he aligned himself with. Perhaps this Solomon character could be useful in extinguishing their Shaydowfax problem, and that would give the stud a chance to prove if he could be trusted. Vita Nova reached out her whiskered muzzle and touched it gently to Warsaw's bruised chest. She breathed in his scent before retreating, her glare falling back onto Solomon as she stalked a few feet away to graze on some of the offerings in the nearby brush. She didn't trust any stranger who walked into the Inlet now, not with the condition Warsaw was in. They were vulnerable. And any stranger would ultimately see that too, no matter what intentions they had when they crossed their border.
Mare | Evaline x Valentine | Smoky Back Splash | 15 hh | © Vinyl |
|
|