The boy-king was not kept waiting long at the pale stallion's borders. Zevulun was quick to answer his call, materializing on the horizon like a specter. Evrain shifted his posture into something as non-threatening as possible, not wanting to invoke the Prairie king's anger any more than he likely already had. Harsh words met his ears, the greeting void of any pleasantries that might have been given under normal circumstance.

❝I understand, and I'll make this brief: my name is Evrain, I'm Rafe's son. I come with news that Marceline is dead. A storm in the Badlands has claimed her life and I've taken her place. Isik is gone as well.❞ A pause, then, to allow the news to sink it. How would Zevulun react? Shock, disbelief, anger? Marceline was liked by very few and her tiff with Rafe, Riesling, and Zevulun had done nothing to help her on that front. It'd be unsurprising if Zevulun reacted with relief to Evrain's news. The overo hurried on to what he was sure Zevulun really wanted to hear: news about his daughter.

❝I'm planning on bringing Claret back as soon as I can. She's good at hiding, though, and I don't think she's heard the news about Marceline's death yet, fresh as it is. But I can assure you she's still in the Hills, untouched.❞ It was hard for Evrain to feel like he'd fulfilled any sort of promise to his father when it came to Claret's safety. He'd vowed to keep her from Işık's attention and he'd managed to do so, but only because other things had distracted the once-was king. Everything had gone sideways before Evrain could make good on his promise to dethrone Marceline. Nature had done the dirty work for him and he was left feeling inadequate, like he still had something to prove. If he couldn't prove how capable and worthy he was of being king on the battlefield like he'd planned, he'd do it another way. Securing some allies seemed like a good place to start.

Under normal circumstance Evrain would allow the conversation to flow naturally, unhurriedly, before presenting the topic of an alliance. But these were not normal circumstances and he was all too aware that Zevulun's patience was thin. Evrain could feel an imposing sense of anxiety blooming inside his chest. It curled around his ribs and pulled them tight against his racing heart and heaving lungs, forcing the words from his mouth in a quick rush.

❝I came here in the hopes you might consider becoming my ally. Since you're already aligned with my father. I-I know it's a lot to ask,❞ he cursed himself internally for the fumble of his words, ❝and promises are nothing without action, but I can promise you I'm nothing like my mother. I'd never do what she did.❞ I'd never break apart our family for power. he meant, but the words went unspoken.

❝Would you at least consider it while I fetch Claret?❞ Abruptly, he fell silent, trying not to let the tightly-wound sense of anxiety in his stomach snap and send him running. If the blanketed stallion decided to chase him out or lash out in anger at the audacity of his request, Evrain would understand - but it would be far from the outcome he hoped for.


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