The witch queen is no stranger to flattery, it is something that she relishes in. Like the golden rays of sunshine that heat the sands beneath their hooves, she swims in the glorious words and praises even if she knows the ones who issue them rarely mean them. No doubt Rafe had warned his son of the best ways to soothe her temper and open her ego to any words that the young prince made king wished to convey. An amused smirk slides easily across her ashen lips as she offers him a sideways glance, ”Spoken like a true stallion never forced to carry such new life for twelve grueling months.” she purrs, chuckling lightly at her own words and the truth behind them. If it had been up to her, she would have seen the gods force stallions to bear the burden of creation, perhaps then they might not be so quick to dismiss it or even think twice about how often the need to procreate came upon them.
He thanks her for agreeing to lead him to water and is met with a flick of her ears instead of an immediate response. The witch woman was known to be short on words unless the need arose for them. This, was mere common sense and thus his gratitude almost seemed... unecessary. His response to her remark about crossing into the desert is met with his own form of mild humor. The beast within her snarls but the silver haired witch keeps it silent as a smile much more forced than natural slides into place. 'I bet he would not think like that long if the old wolf caught him.' the voice within her growls. Silently she agrees. Oh to be a fly on the wall if that ever came to reality. Might not be very much of him left for Rafe to pick up off the ground. She remains silent, opening her ears to the information he offers her as she had often done with Rafe and with Marceline. Though her first instinct had always been to act first and think later, she had learned recently just how useful the information offered to her could be, especially when it was offered of their own free will. It was a far harder task to become the weaver of webs than the blunt tool to someone else's victory. He speaks of Marceline's death with a far more matter of fact tone than she might have expected which led her to wonder exactly where in his young life it had been when the red queen led him astray. Was it not a parent's responsibility to maintain the pedestal of glory that children enevitably lay foundation for? Hell as much as she sometimes despised the old wolf for letting her go so easily to Bjorn to be used and discarded when she had lost her shimmer, she still revered him for his notariety and power and truthfully even love. To hear Evrain speak so nonchalantly about his own dam was disturbing to say the least, but just more information to chew upon with Quinn later.However his next words regarding Isik hit a bit closer to home. That WAS Rhaenys' father after all (even if the girl had not known him). Mahogany ears snap backwards beneath the thick mantle of her silver white mane as Nyimara narrows her near black eyes in warning. "I knew Isik well and I doubt there was anything he did that included fleeing with his tail between his legs." It was perhaps foolish on her part to raise to the departed stallion's defense so quickly but she was not about to allow such disrespect be shown a former lover in her presence. At least no disrespect that she herself did not issue.She snorts softly and gives her finely dished head a shake, the wind-knotted ends of her silver white mane snapping audibly against her sweat sleek throat. Small ears perk forward once more as he speaks again, this time getting down to the root of the reason why he had come. Alliances. His words are cleverly consealed but the implication that he hoped to recieve the same boon she had awarded the red queen. 'We will see.' the wolf gurgles, its golden eyes glittering with apprehension. She too found it hard to trust an offspring willing to slay its own mother for gain. However Nyimara does not immediately respond. Instead she blinks at him silently from beneath the mask of indifference that has once again replaced the acid of her previous comment.