Common

mazikeen

olzeren does not hesitate to acknowledge her connection to the greats of Tinuvel - those who had carved their names into history as great kings or quiet terrors.

Mazikeen had known Solomon in name only, the great King of Tinuvel who was spoken of with reverence by those who had had the pleasure of knowing him. It was Fell she was far more familiar with - she had spent many a year under his reign, watching the silent king with a keen eye. He had always intrigued her, and yet she had never deigned to get closer to him. Why that was, she was unsure. Perhaps, as a child, she had found him intimidating. Perhaps she did not wish to complete with the children who actually did share his blood for the morsels of his attention. Perhaps she simply did not care enough.

Whatever the reason, he had remained a distant but consistent presence in her youth. Mazikeen wonders if the same can be said for Solzeren, if she had had the pleasure - or perhaps displeasure - of being far more acquainted with Fell than Mazikeen ever had been. What is Fell to her, now? Now that the Bay has been passed on into stranger's hands, now that their family is scattered to the wind?

When Solzeren inquires if Mazikeen knows her family, the spotted queen inclines her head in confirmation. "I do," she replies evenly, "Fell was… something of a father to me, I suppose." She is careful with her phrasing, her tone measured. "But it was his mate, Kohelet, who was truly like family to me. She raised me after my birth mother nearly met an unfortunate end on Salem and was no longer able to care for me."

Mazikeen's amber gaze flicks across Solzeren's face, carefully gauging any shift in her expression that might betray what she is feeling - whether it be recognition, surprise, or upset. Anyone who knew Fell was not unlikely to know of Kohelet; the pair had been inseparable for so long, both synonymous with the Bay. How, Mazikeen wondered, did Solzeren fit into their history? If she was indeed a daughter of the Bay and those who had once been its sovereigns, how easy might it be to coax her to the Desert with promises of a heartfelt family reunion?

Too easy, she guesses.

After a pause, the Desert queen shifts her weight, her posture casual but her expression focused. "I saw Kohelet again recently, after many years apart. It was nice to see her doing well." It is another offering, another morsel of information. The full weight of Mazikeen's attention settles on Solzeren as she eagerly awaits her reaction.