He didn't know how to feel.
So much had happened in such a short time that he was still reeling. He hadn't even had time to process the aftermath of the elections or what the ramifications of his indiscretions would bring before Nyimara - of all creatures - was challenging for
him. It made no sense, and worse, he hadn't even been home to fight for himself either. He had been on his way home from his... meeting (yeah, definitely just a meeting, not a chance encounter turned battle turned something... else) with Titania and hadn't even properly dried off before he was confronted with the end of Orphiel and Nyimara's battle. Later, he would ruminate more on what it meant that Orphiel - a young recruit with whom Reh had not even spoken with yet - had fought for him instead of Frey... the stallion who had been elected to protect the bachelor's and their interests.
None of it made any sense at all.
He had no real problems with Nyimara. Sure, he found her annoying, and yes, he did know about both the Lagoon and Cove's sordid history with the silver witch, but that didn't mean he had any real problems with her personally. He didn't trust her, of course, but he didn't think there was a soul on the islands that would these days. The solitary time they'd interacted had been when Nyimara had attempted to raid Shenzi... and he had waited to insert himself until the fierce little Barb mare had made her opinion clear. By then, him putting his foot down had been more of a formality than a necessity.
Just thinking of Shenzi made his body flush with shame and guilt and desire. Their meeting - like the one he'd just had with Titania - had been fraught with emotion to the point of clouding his normally ironclad composure. He still had a hard time coming to terms with what might come of their little... dance.
Worse than thinking of Titania and Shenzi, was thinking of Celestine. If he'd been burdened with guilt over his other couplings, just knowing that the one mare he
was personally responsible for was now carrying his child without him being there to protect her was overwhelming, especially when Frey's disinterest in fighting for Rehoboam seemed intentional. Who would protect Celestine while he was gone? The
only thing keeping his hooves tracking toward Salem was the knowledge that his stay here need only be temporary. Once he figured out what the hell the silver witch wanted, he should be able to either negotiate or fight his way back to the Lagoon... and then he could figure out what the hell he needed to do to fix the problems he'd caused.
Maybe by then Celestine would be miserable enough with the baby that he'd actually be able to convince her to go to the Cove before the child was born.
He didn't hold out much hope for that outcome, but he refused to raise a child (
his child) in the Lagoon.
As it had the last time he visited Salem, the heat of the arid landscape slapped him in the face the moment he hauled himself ashore and he grimaced, already dreading the taste of sand on his tongue. His dark-rimmed ears cocked back, and he lifted his gaze to the silver witch appraisingly, his expression unamused but carefully not hostile. He paused a moment to shake the seawater from his coat and made a mental note to find somewhere to roll once Nyimara left his side to rid it of salt before it dried.
"Any particular reason you've dragged me to the island's litterbox?" Rehoboam asked casually, his gaze cutting away from hers for a moment to skim over the dune tops. Finding nothing of interest, he brought his gaze back to her again with a flick of his damp tail.
"I don't recall submitting a request for a vacation."