Oh, you say you have to fall apart to really be someone
What, indeed. It would have been easy to say that she simply panicked and forgot herself. But that would be a lie. It had been a very deliberate decision to step in front of Dahlia, and even in hindsight Maea suspected she would make it again if put in the same situation. Minus the child, and minus leaving in the aftermath.
"I wasn't pulling anything. I would have done the same thing no matter who appeared unannounced, possibly save the gods themselves." Maes met his gaze frankly, offering only the truth no matter how unpleasant. "She was in fact not invited, and unwelcome, and pretending otherwise would have been strange as we've made no secret of being suspicious of her." Wanted posters on noticeboards, warnings about the Family in general, the disappearance of Stormbreak's true leader - nothing lent itself to expectations of a warm welcome.
"As I was the host and the one who had called the meeting, it was my place to speak up. Frankly I was also the least valuable person in the room too, so any repercussions towards me wouldn't have been a problem." What was a mere diplomat, after all? As they had seen, she was easily overlooked and easily dismissed. Being the only one who looked foolish while the leaders appeared sensible and easy to work with was even a good thing in her eyes; not that it had been intended to work out that way.
"I wasn't pulling anything. I would have done the same thing no matter who appeared unannounced, possibly save the gods themselves." Maes met his gaze frankly, offering only the truth no matter how unpleasant. "She was in fact not invited, and unwelcome, and pretending otherwise would have been strange as we've made no secret of being suspicious of her." Wanted posters on noticeboards, warnings about the Family in general, the disappearance of Stormbreak's true leader - nothing lent itself to expectations of a warm welcome.
"As I was the host and the one who had called the meeting, it was my place to speak up. Frankly I was also the least valuable person in the room too, so any repercussions towards me wouldn't have been a problem." What was a mere diplomat, after all? As they had seen, she was easily overlooked and easily dismissed. Being the only one who looked foolish while the leaders appeared sensible and easy to work with was even a good thing in her eyes; not that it had been intended to work out that way.
