[OOC: Jj and Gwyn are standing a few feet from the 'dance floor' that Willoughby has set up, out of earshot of most lions.]

"@Gwyn? Where's Pistis?" Her tone was cautious, ears tilting towards the clay giant. Jewel would have expected the silver lady to have been more than happy to come join them here. She hadn't delivered the message herself only because she had been swamped with helping the pride prepare and to ensure they would all be safe.

Perhaps Pistis was upset that she hadn't delivered the invitation in person? Her tails flickered near her haunches as she approached the Lagoon male, pausing a few feet in front of him and waiting for his answer. What had put such an expression on his normally bland face?

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"Speech"

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There is turmoil beneath the surface boiling over in subtle ways, seeping through cracks in the mask. It is unusual to see that shown, see something of what lurks beneath the surface. Weight shifts upon his limbs, her question causing the change. "I don't know he admits, voice barely audible, gaze flicking to the crowd and back. There is a flash of uncertainty, fear within the depths. We had an argument. Needed a little break, but I haven't seen her, scented her as of late. I've been looking he continues looking at the blue eyes of the ebon queen. There is something in the burning gaze, something that at first is hard to read. Then if someone looked closely they could parse it. He was lost. Lost without his silver wife and barely holding it together. He had looked but... He didn't really know where or how to begin, to find her because Vasilis had disappeared and she was not here. He didn't know where else to look. "I had hoped the commotion would... Bring her here" he admits, looking away again, a frown on his face, seemingly staring at the revelers but in truth he saw... Nothing. Nothing more than a ghost of silver who should be amongst them but was not. @Jewel may rage and lunge at him and he would simply take it. It was what he deserved.

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Her ears would shift, the Sovereign frowning at the news that @Gwyn and Pistis had had a type of argument. Her initial reaction, the knee-jerk was to blame him for fucking things up yet again.. but Jewel knew that it wouldn't find the silver queen any faster. Her tails twitched near her feet like vipers, showing her distress at the idea. "When did she go missing?" And why hadn't she come to the Cove?

Jewel knew that the woman was not one to leave her cubs behind, for any reason. If it was a break she had needed, she would have expected her to come to Caladan - Jewel would have sheltered her and even gone so far as to lie to Gwyn to tell him the woman wasn't there... For as long as she needed. To know that she was straight up missing was a concerning event and one that Jewel wasn't pleased about.

It left her heart hammering in her breast as she would let her gaze settle on the subdued visage of the Lagoon lion. "Who leads the Lagoon? What of the cubs?" Important questions - and certainly one that she hoped he would have the answer for. As Jewel hadn't heard the claiming roar from the clay lion, she assumed he had stepped up to take the helm, but would need to be sure.

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"Speech"

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She is upset, that much he can tell, but while quiet is the norm for him, its a different sort of quiet. A different sort that was heavier, sadder, soul sucking, emanating in subtle, discordant waves. "She had been coming back daily, caring for the children, had been around though distant for the past couple weeks. But, its been three days, and nothing." he rumbles, soft and slow at first, before the tone raises slightly, speeds more, restless energy driving him to step forward, pivot sharply, and begin to pace. However its a short, jilted sort of motion, only carrying him a couple strides, then pivoting again. Then, just as suddenly as it began it stopped. The male sits, hard, claws shooting in and out of their sheaths instead. He does not want, or need the attention the motion he exhibited would bring. So he reigns himself in, inhales, that cloud snuffed out with the breath. Sucked in so that it could leak out later, but it lingers every so slightly; Jewel had earned at least that much from him.

He sighs, looking out at the party, spying his eldest daughter; Siofra likely would show up at some point. Lilith has been babysitter in chief for a while. Siofra helps as well. My daughters are a huge help, and I'm glad they are around. he rumbles, watching his daughter in the crowd. Seeing her approach the former healer of the Lagoon, a flicker of a smirk flashing in his gaze, for just a moment, at her body language. If she took a liking to the healer, well, he was not going to complain too much, then again he still needed to set her up with Wodnik, anyway... he looks back at Jewel. I've the helm of the Lagoon now, but, its not the same. he states. There is none of the pride, the boastful power, the easy confidence in the words. Again, another truth the dark queen has earned. Perhaps it was unhealthy, but both he and Pistis leaned upon each other, depended on one another, were lesser alone. Or at least, it was for him. Sure, eventually being beneath his wife would rub him the wrong way, but, even so, he had expected her to be at his side as they switched roles. This absence was eating him alive and was not the way he had intended to earn the role of High Sovereign once again.

Fuck, he was showing too much, so close to breaking was he. But he held it together for the daughters, the cubs, all those beneath him. Yet Jewel, despite the inherent differences was easy to talk to. One of the few that understood him, and it was both dangerous and a relief. It was rare to earn his trust enough to show anything but the silent beast, but those who did oft got pulled into the darkness with him. Particularly when it wasn't chosen, but happened to him, a distinction that occurred rarely. @Jewel was unfortunately slated to be his confidant when Pistis was not around. That and, his daughters, while carrying some of the burden, would never see the full depths of things. Jewel on the other hand, would, if she kept her temper, and continued... to talk in a manner of a friend and not an enemy.

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Jewel watched @Gwyn as he paced, and let the lion get himself under control without commenting on such a thing. The ebony queen would frown, the lines of her face deepening and darkening the shadows upon her hide. "Any indication of where she was staying when she was away?" The lioness was working plans in her head to help the Lagoon find their missing queen. Of course, if Pistis didn't want to be found, she wasn't so sure she would be able to find her.

Still, she hurt, and hoped that the woman was alright. Why hadn't she come to her? Why hadn't she come and told her of the issues with Gwyn? Jewel would have sided with her - despite her friendship with the Casimir male. She had been Pistis's friend first.. but.. It wasn't Gwyn that held a part of the dark queens heart either. "At least you kept the pride from falling - stars knows your children don't need to lose a home."

The older ones didn't need that taken from them either. She would hope that they could find the silver woman.. but Jewel knew that in that moment, obsessing over such things may not help the newly crowned king of the Lagoon. "Can I assume that our alliance is still in place, or is there a change to our terms you would like to discuss?" Jewel hoped that a gentle -adjustment- of his focus might be able to help him with the stress-jitters she could see he had.

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"Speech"

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The beast shakes his head in a negative. "Just elsewhere in the territory" he explains. She would not abandon the kids but he had been giving her space. Giving her the space to hide and be separate from him and he had only bothered looking for that other den when she was conspicuously absent. Had found the den as abandoned as his heart.

"No. I wouldn't" he agrees. Only grave injury had resulted in his pride falling the last time. Only acts of god would allow for such things to happen again. Except this time the act of the gods was unusually, terribly cruel. They had ripped his healing heard and thrown it bodily, broken and bleeding, to the ground. He was barely holding on enough to rule. He would continue to do so, because he had to. Not because he wanted to. Ruling right now was a job and not a passion as it had been. Speaking of ruling.

"Yes. I am not inclined to open my doors to everyone as she was, nor will I force my kin to abide by the lessons I have learned. They will follow my laws but..." He states, shrugging. It was not fair to them to expect them to understand and follow his beliefs when they had not gone through the process he had to learn them. They would follow his laws on claiming with an opportunity to release them later on. However, as long as they treated their wives well and did not snub a woman with rank just because of her sex? Well he did not particularly care what they did.

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Jewel would nod at the Lagoons clay leader, her expression somber. She worried for where Pistis was.. she worried about the silver lady.. and could only hope that she was still around - perhaps having needed more space than she had gotten from @Gwyn. Only Pistis and the gods of this realm knew that. Jewel shifted, letting her gaze turn towards those that had gathered, landing on the form of her young children and smiling despite herself.

"I'm glad that you lead the lagoon and not another. I have grown quite fond of calling those within Scilla allies of the Cove and would hate to have to figure out how to continue on that vein with another leader." Of course, should it happen, the ebony lady would simply make sure she did as she was always doing. Seeing to ensuring the safety of the Cove and those within it.

"Gwyn.." Her gaze would turn back towards the Casimir male, her muzzle turning down into a frown. "I'll see if any of the other pride leaders have seen or heard from her.. if I find any news.. I'll make sure you are the first to know." If nothing else - he would know she was alive and well.

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"Speech"

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There is a sense of withdrawal, of the man heaving shields up around him once more. Trying to find some semblance of his old self that would prevent others outside of @Jewel seeing him raw and bleeding. Ear flicks at her words, a silent sort of agreement as he struggles to piece himself together. At least he still had her alliance, and a friend of sorts. Someone outside his children whom he would not burden with the full depths of his loss, his sorrow, that knew. Her promise caused him to turn to the dark queen. Eyes afire barely smoldering, but, present for that moment. "Thank you. That means more than you know." he admits, quiet. A rare gesture of thanks, an honor bestowed to few, but there is very little gravity to the moment. Most other times he would play it up to make sure who he uttered it to knew its importance, rarity. Right now it was simply there, offered because there was little else he could say. Then, he looks away, raising those barriers and walls. Hoping he can hold onto them long enough to survive this evening. Or at least, long enough to show he was there, present, and gone. Something like that.

Truth be told he hoped for a miracle. He hoped that Pistis would show and he could hold her close and apologize, and that all would be right with the world. However the gods below had never been kind deities, nor, ones to answers prayers of that nature. No, his luck did not run that way.

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She smiled @Gwyn before letting her gaze cross the felines that had gathered in the Cove for the celebration. Jewel noted a small spotted form off to the side and frowned, her gaze focusing on the young cub. "Keep me updated, my friend.." Jewel hoped that the clay goliath would be given time to recover before the next tragedy struck him. "I have to go tend to someone... if you need to shed some blood and fur to destress.. all you have to do is ask."

Jewel understood the more carnal side of their natures better than most females. She was not one for frufru finery and dancing, though she wouldn't ridicule those that were. The lioness got to her feet and shifted, tilting her skull towards the lion before she moved off towards the young leaopardess.

//Exit//

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"Speech"

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He nods, responding softly. " I will." he states, the simple promise a firm pact between the two rulers who loved the same pale woman. Her next offer has him blinking and then nodding. "I may have to take you up on that." Gwyn muses thoughtfully. He hadn't known she understood him so clearly. A spar with the dark woman would be interesting to say the least, and be good to ease the tension. However, she had places to be in the party, and Gwyn needed to finish piecing himself together. So he nods at her in farewell and remains. Lugging up his armor with meticulous, steady effort.
-Exit

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