&& under the sun (regina)

[Silver]

Angelus

He was king of all that he could see. The sands blew this way and that in the spring air, but the desert was warm as always. Perhaps it wasn’t blistering hot, but that was for the best. As an equine possessing a pitch black coat, he was often subject to overheating and sweating. It was a fact that he liked to ignore, but in all honesty Angelus much preferred the cool darkness of the night. He had natural camouflage after all. In any case, the stallion was still reveling in his newfound power. The safety and security that it offered his family was something that he hadn’t expected to value so much, but there it was. His daughter was a princess, heir to a throne that extended over the ancient sands and the Dask Canyon, even to the Eastern sea. That he could give her so much when he did pass was a constant assurance. Even so, he was not about to solely rely on the immense area of the desert to protect them. Angelus had left his family sleeping in the Bridonna Oasis, the home of the royal family. It was big enough to accommodate a herd, so at this point it was fairly empty. Nevertheless, it would soon fill with more equines loyal to him and his family.

The sand beneath his feet shifted and sank under his weight. The stallion squinted into the sun, watching the horizon for predators - which were few, thank goodness - or travelers wandering without permission. He was dreadfully uninformed on the state of the rest of the Homeland, having been ensconced in his kingdom’s affairs. It seemed to him that the old desert herd had dispersed quickly, and escaped into other territories. Apparently his reputation as a demon preceded him. With a grin and a snort, Angelus picked up his feet and entered into an easy lope. There was nothing to eat around this area of the desert, but the horses that lived here adapted quickly and managed to sustain themselves on the hardy desert plants. The amount of water that they needed shrank significantly, and hunger was not something felt very often. However, the desert could be hard and mean to those not from there, and Angelus, while on the lookout for intruders, was also looking for those who were lost and would need his assistance. He wanted living herd members, not corpses and bones.

ooc: hopefully this is okay!
word count: 404
tag: regina
muse: what i wouldn't do by serena ryder

[Mallory]

Regina

The beginning of spring wasn't the greatest, nor was it terrible. It was just...bland. Nothing exciting had occurred during this particular season; or at least, nothing that captured her attention. Oh, she had certainly heard of the newly risen kings. Who hadn't heard of them? Stallions cropping up all over the place to take over the abandoned thrones or deposing old, incapable kings of the territories scattered throughout the land. She had heard little about these new kings, though. There were only a few whispers here and there about them. She didn't have enough details to get too excited.

Yet.

With kings in every territory now, Regina had the luxury of picking and choosing the best candidate that would give her what she wanted. She could choose the smartest stallion or the strongest brute, or a king who was in the middle of these two qualities. Soon, so close she could almost taste it, she'd have the opportunity to plant the seeds needed to achieve what she wanted. She was so close to beginning her plans for greatness and power, that it was hard not to be mildly excited for the future prospects. She knew what she wanted and how to get there, but just who would be helping her was an entire mystery. Surely a sign would come to her in due time, though. She just had to be patient. So far, her exploration of the new kings had only brought her disappointment. Too brutish, too weak, or they, too, seemingly disappeared without a trace after claiming their throne.

Patience and disappointment was what had led her to come to the desert. It was a large expanse of open land, sand as far as the eye could see. It was certainly warm, which was an appreciated reprieve from the chilly months that had recently passed. Regina was certain she'd find something here today, whether or not it was what she desired. With a ghost of a smirk, the mare's ink black eyes darted about the terrain, looking for any form of life. She was by no means an ugly mare to look at; she was quite the opposite, in fact. She knew she'd be quite the catch, and if she was lucky enough, she'd snag a king who recognized her intelligence and let her put it to good use. The mere idea of a king who could assist her in her plans was a delicious idea to hold on to, but she knew better than to get her hopes up.

Surely a king who would not only grant her the power she wanted, but also participated in the ways to obtain it, was worth hanging on to for longer than she had initially planned.

status complete
tags: Angelus
words: 450+
notes: Partially recycle, sorry. xD Had to use her crazy somewhere!
speech thoughts

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[Silver]

Angelus

For the first time since he’d become King of the Sands, Angelus spotted a figure on the horizon. A breath of excitement filled his lungs, followed quickly by hostility and tempered by reason. He was the demon of the desert, the darkness even during the day. He had the power to exert over anyone fool enough to challenge him, and he took as he pleased. There was no limit to his rights, but he knew enough to tread carefully around the female of his species. Some of them thought that they had the right to choose who they would mate with, or if they would mate at all. He shook his head with disdain. Those mares had forgotten their place in the grand scheme of the world. A mare needed a stallion to protect her, especially in a place such as the Homeland where honor was something expressed through words and not through actions.

Smelling the femininity of the wanderer on the breeze, the shadow turned and began his approach, with an easy lope that emanated power and control. His raw energy and darkness seethed beneath the surface, rippling under his skin with the muscles that pushed his legs forward. The lengths were eaten up in a matter of minutes, and the King slowed to a relaxed trot. This female would pose no problem - she was female after all. While he did not disrespect them, he knew that he was more than a match for any of the opposite sex. It wasn’t rude, it was simply a fact. Reality. And he was safe in his knowledge that no female could take his crown from him.

“Lady, he said as he approached. His warm tenor cut through the soft wind, breaking up the air currents as it traveled to the mare’s ears. She was a mixture of gray-brown and white, with large patch markings and sprays of white diversifying the color of her coat. He had to admit that she was pretty, even though she was nothing like his Nakita, or his strong daughter Juno. There was more life in her coat, rather than the all-absorbing black of his own coat. “You wander here alone.” The observation held a note of calculation, as a lone female was free to claim and free to take. He could take her with him to his home, and no matter if she was claimed by another, she would be his, solely by way of her being without a guardian. That was the way of the world, the natural order. “Have you business with my kingdom? Or are you as of yet not acquainted with the desert lands?” It mattered not to him; he could use more herd members, and certainly more mares with which he could carry on his lineage. And mares were easy to keep, without the right to leave at will. Stallions were trickier, but mares were the lifeblood of the herd. The black stallion eyed the mare with interest; she was a sound prospect. At least physically.

ooc: ---
word count: 513
tag: regina
muse: what i wouldn't do by serena ryder

[Mallory]

Regina

Clearly, Regina did not have to wait long to be noticed. The wind did nothing to hide the approaching stallion, but it seemed he did not even care about how visible he was against the sandy terrain as he came thundering towards her. Just from a distance, the dark golden tanned mare could see that he was taller than her, casting a striking, imposing figure against the pliable terrain. He had a height and strength advantage, as well as a deep understanding to how the desert worked, judging by how swiftly he approached without watching where his hooves fell. It was easy to see he was a native, for how else could one be so in tune with the lay of the land? While she knew she did not nearly look as clumsy as any other outsider would be, her alien status still shone bright like a beacon. Though she did not mind it. She would be a stranger anywhere, until she could sink herself underneath its skin.

She made no movement as if she meant to flee from him, either. Rather, she stood still, inky eyes following him closely as he grew closer, holding her spot upon the desert with a strong sense of certainty. Her delicate skull was raised slightly, not in a challenging matter, but rather in a show of confidence. While he could easily best her, she was not afraid, and neither was she bothered to hide such a fact. She was not some meek, subservient mare to push around, but she knew in the grand scheme of things obedience was expected to some level. It was easier to show she was not one to be pushed around or easily scared off as a warning of what was to come. She was not an easy mare to conquer.

The mare’s crown tilted slightly, regarding his choice of conversation behind a cool mask of indifference. “Yes, I travel alone. On purpose,” she spoke, her husky voice filling the silence between his words. It was a dark, smoky tone that was just as mysterious as it was alluring. “I suppose you can say both,” she continued after a brief pause. “The desert is new to me, I must admit. But whether or not your kingdom and I will be doing business is an entirely different matter. A serious one, I can say for certain. I only seek the best to back my particular...endeavor.” Regina paused once more, though this one was to allow her words to sink in – to see if she could hook him. Oh yes, her quest was quite an ambitious one – not only did she seek power, but she sought to hoard as many fresh, impressionable minds as she could. Mould them to listen to her, to never stray and to be obedient children. It would be such an undertaking, but one that could significantly benefit a kingdom Regina found worthy enough. “But where are my manners? My name is Regina.”

status complete
tags: Angelus
words: 490+
notes: n/a
speech thoughts

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[Silver]

Angelus

He had to admit, he was quite surprised by this mare. Unlike Nakita, she was forward and carried herself with a pride and a grace that could be compared to the comportment of royalty. He certainly knew what that was like as he himself was, well, royalty. The breath of fresh air as far as females went was a nice change. Nakita had been on edge recently, and Juno was far too young and dependent to let him relax. As such, the black stallion found himself entertained by the mare and curious as to why she should find herself in the desert of all places. It was obvious to him that she wasn’t native; her steps were not smooth on the sand, but she made a good effort to disguise it. She also didn’t smell like the dry, arid land, but rather more musky and alive. It was a scent that didn’t often reach his nostrils, but he was appreciative of the change. He arched his brow at the mention of her actual intent to travel alone. A lone mare was without power, and so many stayed within the Free Lands until they found a stallion to associate themselves with. He was even more intrigued, and somewhat amused, by her talk of an “endeavor”. This mare certainly had plans, and whether or not he took the bait would not matter to her it seemed. However, he needed strong mares in his herd, especially when his offspring grew more numerous.

Regina was her name, and in his opinion it suited her. Not one to be overly rude (he was allowed to be rude, but to a certain extent), he bowed his head lightly in her direction. “I am called Angelus. King of the Sands.” He did not question if she knew of him; his reign was too recent and the reach of his kingdom too short for many horses to know of his existence. His herd would grow, however, and then equines over the Homeland would know of him. There was her business that needed to be addressed still, and he turned the conversation to that topic. “If this ‘endeavor’ has aught to do with my lands or my family, or even me, then I should like to hear of it.” She must know that hiding something like this, or anything for that matter from a king was dangerous and sometimes deadly.

ooc: ---
word count: 405
tag: regina
muse: what i wouldn't do by serena ryder

[Mallory]

Regina

There was very little that he could do to outright frighten Regina; and certainly he was doing a good job of not wanting to make her cringe in the slightest. She bore his scrutiny with grace, pretending as if she was unaware of his roaming gaze, which could easily detect she was not from the desert without any doubt. Which was true, for Regina’s bloodline could be traced to the North, but she had spent the last several months combing the landscape seeking a suitable partner for her plans. As well as a suitable home to help these plans flourish. She was not going to be a neglectful mother, even if she did acquire her “children” in questionable ways...They would all be loved and well cared for, if Regina had her way. But she had to acquire several things first – a home, for one, and power. For she knew she would be able to do very little without the power to back such a task.

“A pleasure, King Angelus,” she replied, dipping her own skull respectfully. An unyielding mare she might be, but she was still courteous and polite. There was a dark, smoky chuckle as he requested to know more of her plans. It was nearly a sinister sound, but it lacked the bite behind it. “Fear not, dear King. I do not wish to bring harm upon your family. In fact, should you decide to aid me, you will find that your family will grow,” she continued, inky black eyes settling upon him with an unwavering stare. “To keep a long winded story short, my intentions are to find young, lost souls and help mould their minds. Should you, or perhaps another king, decide to let me bring the children here to raise them, you would find that you will have access to quite a healthy, strong population who would follow your word willingly, for that is what they would be taught; to follow without question. And of course, they would not all be lost children I find. My own blood would be included,” she continued, pausing briefly to let it all sink it. It was the heavily watered down version of her plans, without the mentioning of certain elements. But the idea of raising young, impressionable minds to do what you told them without question would no doubt sound tempting. “However, I am quite aware that such an endeavor will require not only a proper home for these children, to raise them to the best of my ability, but power I certainly will lack as a lone mare. Power I would lack as a mare living on the fringes of a herd.”

status complete
tags: Angelus
words: 445
notes: Wasn't sure how she was gonna be made queen, so I left that open xD
speech thoughts

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[Silver]

Angelus

Her plans were strange to say the least. Angelus watched her with an interest that didn’t belie his confusion at her goals, but he couldn’t hide his curiosity. Her series of suggestions and plans were hardly the norm, and as a male the king could not imagine why on earth she wanted children so badly. She could have them herself - she had said as much in her speech. He was relaxed now at least; the threat to his home and family was non-existent. Nakita would be safe at home with Juno. He itched to return to her, to see how she was faring and if she was alright. Things had been strained, and he disliked the time he had to spend away from her. And yet, the time he spent had come to fruition with the discovery of Regina. He rather liked her confidence and her drive. It was something that he could use in a queen, in his First Wife. He needed a strong mare beside him, and he knew that Nakita was hardly able to stand up to her pregnancy, never mind the stresses of dealing with an entire herd. And even if her plans were rather...different, Angelus knew that striking an agreement with this mare and claiming her would be beneficial to his herd and to his future. Nakita would agree; after all, this would simply be a political move, rather than one from the heart. Nakita was his first love, his most loved.

“To grow a herd,” he mused aloud. That was tempting, it truly was. “You swear that this would be a plot to further the power of myself and the herd, not solely yourself. An agreement such as this would require a vow of loyalty, one that cannot be broken. This is hardly a trivial request. Would you risk everything for this? Would you make a vow in blood?”

ooc: this is bad, sorry.
word count: 321
tag: regina
muse: what i wouldn't do by serena ryder

[Mallory]

Regina

Regina knew that her plans would sound conflicting, or even downright confusion, to most. Her own plans didn’t make sense to her at first – but after mourning for the loss of Henry, who still brought a painful twinge to her cold heart, they started to make more sense. In a more normal state of mind, the mare might have considered that such a plan was borderline madness and a pathetic attempt to fill the bleeding hole left behind in her heart after her son’s death...But Regina was no ordinary mare, least of all completely sane. Not that she would admit that. A slight touch of madness was what brought genius to her plans. She noticed how he relaxed, knowing she meant no harm to his family. She stored it in the back of her mind to ponder upon later, but noted his family must either be very small or new, or both, to be so anxious about their safety. She was not naïve to think he lived alone, or without new blood to secure his throne.

The mare bobbed her head slightly in acknowledgement of his words, tossing inky colored locks aside as she did so. A brow arched slightly as she silently appraised him, and his inquiries, while a silence blanketed them. “I believe that is what I promised, no? These children would not merely answer to me; they would also answer to you as their lord. They will only see me as their mother, but as king, your say will always have the deciding affect in all matters in regards to them. I do not come here to squat upon your kingdom in some gypsy camp, my lord. Any children brought here will be of the strongest stock and blood, good for whatever you see fit of them,” she answered blithely, unaffected by how passionately he was protecting his kingdom. It was to be expected and Regina felt no real threat. She knew if she were in his place, she would be doing the same thing. “If allowed to live here and raise these children as my own, I will do everything in my power to ensure the land stays safe, even if it Is my life. I do not give my loyalties to just everyone, King Angelus. I have travelled too far and too long, looking for the right King to swear fealty to.”

status complete
tags: Angelus
words: 390+
notes: n/a
speech thoughts

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[Silver]

Angelus

There were worse mares to associate himself with. She was feisty and headstrong, just from her determination to see this through. Angelus mused over the proposition, and finally nodded his head. This would be good for the new herd, to grow strong under a strong duo. There would be plenty of time for love and foals when politics were not in the way, but Angelus knew too much of kingdoms rising and falling to not take this chance when there was such an appetizing situation set in front of him. He shifted his weight and bobbed his head in agreement. “It seems as if we are in agreement then. You wish for the safety and future of your children and the power with which to do it, and I need a mare strong enough to help lead this growing herd.” He did not say outright that she was a prospect for the queen, but the implication was certainly there. “So what will seal this agreement?”

ooc: ---
word count: 169
tag: regina
muse: what i wouldn't do by serena ryder

[Mallory]

Regina

Everything was falling beautifully in place, which made Regina inwardly sing. He was not some mindless brute who was simply going to roll over to her every whim, which was definitely appealing. She liked a good challenge as the next horse, but there was also something else about the tall, dark stallion that spoke to her. It would be something to investigate later, however. There were more pressing matters than getting to know the desert king – who was now her own, she supposed – on a more intimate level. Just like she would have more time later to better acquaint herself with her new home and new herd. She was already looking forward to seeing the other faces that followed underneath Angelus. “That is correct,” she agreed, nodding once more in agreement. The mare’s head tilted slightly, considering her options. She had very little to offer, besides one viable thing that most stallions often chased after. “I don’t have much to offer, besides the greatest thing I own – my own blood and womb. Is that an agreeable offer?” she inquired, letting a ghost of a smirk play across her dark lips as the heavy implication of offering yet another child of his to the world hung between them.

status complete
tags: Angelus
words: 200+
notes: n/a
speech thoughts

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[Silver]

Angelus

Angelus smiled shrewdly. He knew that if she gave him that most precious thing, that thing which was the only thing she could not replace...well. She would be his. This most precious thing as a bargaining seal, that was the sign of a most honorable and trustworthy agreement. The stallion lifted his head up high, and flicked his tail with amusement. “That will do.”

ooc: et fin.
word count: 67
tag: regina
muse: what i wouldn't do by serena ryder

[Mallory]

Regina

Oh, Regina knew exactly what she was offering and how it would only hinder her plans, but she had little worries for such things. A temporary reprieve from seeking out lost children would be good for her, she reasoned. Besides, she was not beyond using her body to obtain vital things – things she need dearly, and this was a situation that called for such. It was a hefty card to play, but she had played it well. With a full smirk, one more out of amusement and showed she was pleased, she spoke, “Good. Then we have a deal, King Angelus. I look forward to discussing this further with you, but we have other matters to attend to first, I believe...”

status complete
tags: Angelus
words: 120+
notes: Finished thread! c:
speech thoughts

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