After the meeting, Hazel lingers. She waves Bas off, hanging back to speak to the Warlord one on one. He'd said something about opening Azure's post. Hazel found herself conflicted-- she doesn't want to hurt Bas's feelings, with this. She'd only now just made it to the General's seat, the one she'd been after for so long... and now there was something more? In her mind, Azure was going to be the right hand to the Warlord forever. And now he was gone... but things were complicated. Things were complicated. The fact of the matter was, Bas's father was missing. She had to handle this delicately, and not let her ambition get in the way of her relationship. A delicate balance.

That balance weighs heavy on her mind as she hangs back after the meeting, waiting for an audience with the Warlord. Hazel doesn't know exactly what she'll say, but when has that ever stopped her? The girl lingers, she waits. Trying to figure things out in the meantime. Whatever it was, it had to be good enough.

"Speech"

The Warlord was getting old, and his pack was growing in numbers every day he knew leading alone was becoming difficult. He had trained Azure for this position, and increased his son's responsibilities and watched him grow. Now, Azure was gone. Vanished without a trace, and he did not know if he would ever see his son again. Azures disappearance, Zees death. He could feel his life coming undone. But he had to move forward. One step at a time. 


He was curious to see who would apply for the position. He expected to see Basilisk, and was surprised when he saw Hazel instead. Perhaps not entirely surprised. His brave General was ambitious. He offered her a small smile. "Plead your case, Hazel. And know that while the decision will be made quickly, it will not be made today."

She stands before the Warlord, feeling at once like a child again. The same little girl that had hidden from the Warlord, tucked herself behind Bas. Tucked herself away behind him, hovering close to his side. He’d saved her. Was she betraying him now, in this? Fuck. Standing here now, looking at Sirius like this… he looked old. Formidable still, but old.

“You raised me, well, you and Halo. You know what I’m made of. You gave me a new lease on life, let me give back now.” Her tone is stone sober, maintaining steady eye contact with the Warlord. “Let me pick up the slack until Azure comes home.” The words are a concession. Writing Azure off as gone forever wasn’t something Hazel was willing to do, for Bas’s sake if nothing else. “If Bas is going to take over the Armada someday, then this is experience I need, too. I’m ready Sirius.” Sober as a judge, the girl does as she’s been asked— she pleads her case.

He quirked a brow, curious with the routes she was taking. She was straightforward, honest, and placed her ambition on her sleeve for the world to see. But it was clearly that family mattered to her. That she had ambition to rule beside Basilisk one day… interesting. Interesting indeed. With a pang, he realised age would probably take him and he would not live to see it. But she would be a mighty Queen. If that was the path she chose. 


"Very well, you've pleaded your case. You have my permission to proceed. Once I know how many others are interested in the position, I will decide the best way to proceed." He kept his words formal, but there was pride in his eyes for her to see. He hadn't known what the scrappy pup would become, but he had given her resources and she had chosen herself to use them. He may have been the catalyst, but she had saved herself.

The Warlord regarded her with a quirked brow, but the same expression she'd come to know. It was a serious conversation, one that carried weight. She could only hope that he saw her as the woman she'd become, though through this... she felt like a child, in the same way. The child that had washed up here, starving and scared and alone. Different now, though that little girl was still inside her somewhere. Grown up, but not done growing.

She doesn't mistake the pride in his eyes as he watches. Hazel stands straight, listening to the formalities as he speaks, processing them as they come. "Thank you, Sirius." Her head dips low, a gesture of respect. Still, there was a glimmer here too. A glimmer, just a little one. Hope. She has hope for the situation before them. Hope that she really had done it, she'd pled her case, she'd given him good reason... that had to mean something, right? Hazel certainly hoped so. "Is there anything additional you'd like done in the meantime?" Right, if there was more responsibility she could take on, then she'd take it. She'd offered to pick up the slack, and Hazel would, regardless of title.

"Speech"