whatever you do; nyimara Posted on December 22, 2022 at 00:32:45 AM by rafe
make certain your hands are clean ; Fiery rage at Marceline breaking faith has cooled into icy annoyance, soothed only by the thought that his threat of ripping her from the Hills throne and crowning one of their myriad of children is a step closer to being true. Easier even than he had worried over. Initially Rafe’s goal was to swipe Azalais back from Fell, use her rescue at his hands and her loss at Marceline’s as fodder to sow discord - but he doesn’t even need to do that, given their eldest son and his ideal timing.
Evrain had followed along, eager and so opportunistic that Rafe couldn’t have hoped for anything better. With Evrain working from inside to cast doubt on the Red Queen and take her place, and Rafe ensuring Nyimara opts not to get involved, it shouldn’t be long before her fall. His part of the deal, asking Nyimara to stand outside of the Hills and allow the change of power to happen is what brings him to the Dunes today. It’s been a few months since he’s seen the witch-queen, but he anticipates the usual sort of greeting. Notjing over-friendly, but the shared respect and knowledge that both of them are ever-plotting, always vyying for the upper ahnd and that no conversation is as straightforward as it seems to be.
He stops just inside the borders of the Dunes, shifting uncomfortably in the sand. Even in the dead of winter the sun above Salem is harsh and there is less shade on this end of her queendom, far from the oasis he knows Nyimara’s herd tends to gather around - but this is done intentionally. Rafe has little desire for this discussion to be had in earshot of the entire herd. He doesn’t call out for her, knowing well that she will approach in her own time. Then they can discuss, and he can plan.
Perhaps Evrain will not be able to pay whatever price Nyimara demands to look the other way, to ignore the power struggle in the Hills that will doubtless follow. Perhaps she will want nothing but the knowledge of another leader indebted to her. She is clever - and if it were him being asked this, he would take no clear side, simply sit back and assess and when an outcome was all but certain then step in with his demand.
In the past, Rafe would have been confident of the outcome of this conversation, but the recent changes with Marceline, the reality of just how deep-set Isik’s hooks were have him uncertain of the political climate on Salem. Now more than ever he must turn his focus in, forget about Fell and his irritating antics on far-flung, frozen Tinuvel. Until things are stable on Salem, Rafe has little ability to focus on inter-island war.
rafe | 15.2 hh bay overo brindle mutt | king in the badlands