His ability to maintain a level tone is infuriating. A grim smile tugs at the corners of her lips as she inclines her head towards him slightly. The way he words his statement seems so simple and easily accomplished. A taunt. ”Yes…. Here I am.” she purrs, refusing to rise to his bait once more. He might think becoming a queen or rising in power was a task easily accomplished but he did not know the years of blood, sweat and heartbreak she forced herself to endure to accomplish just that. How many times did she give her body away to gain a powerful alliance? How many children had she borne just to maintain some semblance of control? Too much. Too hard. Too long. But that did not matter now.

He speaks again, bringing up visions of the past when she had lain next to the spider king and moved with wary caution at his pleasure. Partner Reho called him but what had transpired between them was far from a partnership. Though she would never admit it to anyone, even she had feared the spider king and the deadness in his eyes. There had never been any type of affection between them, a mere acknowledgement of kindred spirits; but even that was a stretch.

On and on he goes, asking what she would have done were she in Solomon’s shoes. A sneer forms on her velvet lips as she offers him the same dear glare that Aranck had given her. ”I would have kept my big feet out of other herds business.” she growls, her long silver white tail switching slowly against her hips as she shifts the weight of her body from one side to the other. Damn that sooty stallion and his suave demeanor. Already she feels the first flutterings of life beginning to prickle into existence. ’He took you to punish him…’ the words cause her fluted ears to disappear beneath the mantle of curling white. For a moment she debates the decision to lunge at him. From her position, she might just get a few good bites in before he managed to reciprocate. However the hot, dry, desert sun was at its zenith and already the blistering heat darkened her skin with a light layer of sweat. It would be foolish to try to exert such amounts of energy right now. Heatstroke was a real possibility even this close to the cool muddy brown waters of the oasis. It simply wasn’t worth it… right now. ’He couldn’t very well keep you.’ This drove up a whole new way of thinking. What if he had? What if Ysabel had not become his queen and she had managed to twist her claws into the Tinuvel King’s heart. She would have been powerful then and tied to one of the strongest herd’s on the islands. She could have wielded him to her bidding and laughed in the wake of bloodshed that amassed around them. She could have watched with glee-filled eyes as Siobhan and Ysabel and Bjorn and Cullen all together drowned beneath her rage. They could have been great. The fates of the world were against her though and Ysabel apparently make it certain that Solomon would remain against her. Now… now she was more likely to push him into the jaws of death than she would ever be to pull him from them.

He speaks again, implying that her reputation had been rising steadily even then. The beast within purred its amusement and the frown that had only moments ago lingered on her lips disappears. Yes, she had a reputation created by weak minded mares with no purpose in their lives save to become breeding bitches for equally weak willed stallions. How was it her fault that she merely wanted something more? ’...your child could have lived with my family…’ the words cause her to scoff as venomous laughter rumbled from deep within her breast. This time, she cannot force herself to remain silent. ”As IF I would ever leave my child to the greedy hooves of such meek lambs.” she snarls taking another step closer so that her ashen labrums linger mere inches from his own. Dark eyes glitter fiercely in the bright sunlight, ”I have done no worse than your father has done to me. No worse than you would have me do to my own child.” she hisses. ”I was merely trying to help Siobhan’s poor children out. How terrible their fate would be to grow up with such a pathetic creature as their mother. I merely offered them a way out.” she chuckles darkly.

She gives her proud head a shake and turns away now, dropping her ashen muzzle to sniff absently at a clump of stiff yellow-green panicum grass. Without turning to look at him, she gathers the intrigue in his voice as he inquires about her conditions for his release. Clearly he was all too ready to be rid of her and back with the band of boys he called herdmates. A conniving smile ghosts across her lips. She hides it by tearing free a mouthful of grass and munching silently, waiting to let the anticipation build between them. Finally she arches her neck to fix him with a dark, steely eye. ”You can go free with my blessing….” she begins, pausing a moment to let the words linger in the arid heat, ”But only if you give me your child.” she finishes with a lilted purr. Oh how she waited for this. His reaction would determine just what kind of stallion he was. Would he willingly offer up his child for the sake of his freedom? Did he even have any foals of his own? She smirks mischeviously, ”Surely you’ve managed to mount at least one mare this season haven’t you? Or did daddy never explain how that process works?” she baits, pawing in amusement at the sand covered rock beneath her. A single ear tilts back. ”I can always show you if you need me to.” she adds her smile spreading with sadistic sweetness. Dark eyes glitter, ”I’ll even let you play the bitch.” she finishes with a deep throaty laugh.