Evrain was not kept waiting long; it seemed Fell was the diligent type, and for his haste the Hills king was thankful.

❝Fell,❞ he greeted when the ebony stallion drew nearer, letting his head fall into a deep bow. He didn't know if the gesture would help placate the Bay king and make him more receptive to his presence and subsequent proposal, but it was worth a try. Plus it had become something a habit for the young king as of late.

❝My name is Evrain and I come from the Hills. I'm not here to cause trouble,❞ he began to explain as Fell's narrowed eyes came to rest upon his sister's figure. ❝In fact I come to offer a trade.❞ To be honest it wasn't much of a trade, and Evrain was worried Fell would see this for himself and reject him. But if he had a chance at getting his sister back, he had to try, and this girl was the only leverage he had. She barely meant a thing to him. So far she had only served as a painful reminder of what he'd lost and would never get back, mixed with the shadow of a stallion who had stained the Hills. It was better to be rid of her and be done with it.

Evrain motioned with his nose to Mazikeen, who still stood shivering and silent at his side, staring up at Fell with wide amber eyes. ❝This is Marceline's last child. She died recently, and I have no one in the Hills to take care of her.❞ He paused, letting the news of the Hills queen's death sink in before speaking again. ❝I risked bringing her to you in the hopes you might take her and give me back my sister in return.❞ Evrain didn't stop to consider that maybe Azalais wouldn't want to come home. That maybe she had slowly begun making a life for herself here and was, in some ways, happy. The possibility didn't cross his mind - to Evrain, the Hills were the only place she belonged, and he would do whatever he had to to get her back there and reunited with their father.

Shifting his weight, Evrain continued, ❝I'm not interested in an alliance, but I couldn't not try to get my family back. She's all I have left now.❞ A lie, but Fell didn't need to know that. Evrain fixed him with a pleading look, hoping to pluck at whatever heartstrings the Bay king might possess. ❝Let her come home, and I can promise no one from the Hills will bother you again.❞ He couldn't speak for his father, nor if his promise would hold in the future, but promises - and a weak little girl - were all he had to offer right now.


mixed • blue roan overo • fifteen-three
king of the hills • rafe x marceline • pippa