wont let it slide

Enyo stood rigid as her brother's lecture washed over her, his voice booming with authority, the weight of his dominance bearing down on her like the relentless desert sun. The raw power he attempted to project was unmistakable, yet Enyo saw through it with cold clarity. He was trying to assert himself over her but to her, it only highlighted his own fragility. Erebros' confidence was a veneer. She knew he couldn't maintain if the roles were reversed. If he had faced the humiliation she had, the sting of claws, and the shame of being beneath. He couldn't have endured it with the composure she had managed to muster.

She thought of how men like him, her brother included, believed themselves above solely for their position. Yet she knew that they could never handle the burdens she bore, never navigate the tightrope she had to walk every day to prove her worth. Most men wouldn’t last a day in a woman’s shoes, let alone someone like her, who had to constantly challenge the expectations of her gender and prove she was just as capable, if not more. To wisely submit despite every instinct screaming that she was stronger... That she was better.

As Erebros spoke of Medusa, her ears flicked, and a wave of confusion swept over her. Marriage? How was that supposed to be a solution? Why reward Medusa, why give her even more power within their ranks? Medusa had already overstepped, and now Erebros was offering her a place within their family. It felt like a slap in the face as if her pain and betrayal were being used as bargaining chips to secure Medusa's position. Enyo didn’t understand why he would consider it a good idea. She knew his thought process but they did not need the Bone Queen that bad. If anything, Medusa needed to be put in her place. Not given more leverage.

"Was there any rhyme or reason behind her behavior?" she would ask once he finally shut up. Repeating the same lines she heard her whole life about the patriarch. The power. She would give him the same stare she gave every patriarch before her.

Yet Enyo knew better than to challenge him further. She stayed silent, her blue eyes unblinking as she met his fierce glare. She didn't nod, didn't bare her throat, but she also didn't defy him. The look she gave him was blank, a carefully curated mask that gave nothing away. She let his words sink in, and though she was content that he had promised to maintain order, she couldn't help but feel displeased with his decision. Marriage as a solution seemed weak, a compromise that benefited Medusa more than it did anyone else.

Enyo held her brother's gaze, her expression unyielding, but inside her thoughts simmered. She was determined not to show how dissatisfied she truly was. Let him think this was over. Let him believe his word was final.


"SPEECH"