conjuredskies | (Reply)

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"Lizard-folk," he replies with a nod. "Black Marsh is their homeland. I met one here earlier, actually. He's a knight." And rather more than that, which thought brings a smile to his lips. "Charming fellow."

He pushes his cleaned plate aside and leans over the atlas. The scale doesn't overawe him, but he is impressed. It's easy to get used to being a citizen of the biggest and most powerful state around; recent history might have left his generation more chastened than their Imperial forebears, but that kind of privilege doesn't fade quickly. So whether Verity's considering it or not, it really does help to bump up his opinion of her people as To Be Taken Seriously.

Both maps are studied with fascination: the places they show are equally exotic to him, after all. But the city looks very civilized - so far as he can tell from a map. "It was well planned-out, I see. And so you're near - that's parkland, right? Is it all garden, or can people hunt there?"