It's amazing what a warm bed and a good meal could do for the body and the soul. Orson had been graciously accepted into his brother's pride by his kindly wife, the Queen King Ghyslaine, even welcoming him into their family den. And despite being crammed together with multiple adults and a full litter of squirming little ones, Orson had slept comfortably and had awoken with the feeling that his heart was full. He didn't even mind the strange tension that seemed to exist between the adults who shared Nero's family den... strange relationship dynamics weren't exactly foreign to the boy who had two dads.

He awoke that morning, liberated himself from the pile of adorable cubs, and stepped out into the crisp morning air. The previous days snow storm had subsided and left behind a much clearer, though still cold, atmosphere. Orson was sure to grab his bundle before he left the den for he didn't trust the children not to tamper with it and besides, there was still that business of his promise to the princess...

Orson glanced around, his eyes settling on what seemed to be a sort of trail though it was masked with snow. He followed it, paying attention to the lay of the land and whatever landmarks he could make out - a certain shaped hill here, a scraggly tree there, the occasional boulder... By choosing a direction that seemed to slope downwards, he found that his assumptions were correct when he found a creek. Its borders were frozen but in the center some running water still flowed and it was more than enough to quench his thirst. He made note of this water source, mapping its general course. Then he set about to find @Anniston.

He traced his way back towards the southern border where a familiar rock marked the place he'd first met her. There were still slight footprints left from the day before... his, Nero's, Ghyslaines, and ah- there they were; the smallest set of prints that must have been Anniston's. They led off in a different direction than the rest, and Orson followed them. They led to a place where it seemed that several other lions had recently gathered, but now there was no one around. Orson studied the area, a bit puzzled, as he tried to pick out a trail among the many prints and impressions left in the snow here in this place. But he was no expert tracker by any means, and so he was having some trouble. At last he sighed, giving one last look around before he puffed out his chest and gave a call. "Princess Anniston! It's me! Orson!"

---

Trade Experience:
+5 Map out rivers or water sources in an area
+5 Mark a trail through a territory
+5 Study and track footprints

She was awoken with a start. Anniston, who had fallen asleep not far from her family's nest that night, jolted her head up at the sound of her own name. She knit her brows together and squinted against the glaring light of day, the sun reflecting with an added harshness against the sprinklings of snow atop her plains while she tried to recollect her surroundings.

"Hello?" The cub called out with confusion, slowly gathering herself to her oversized paws. Delayed processing finally allowed her to register his name spoken – Orson. Blinking, Anniston began trotting in the direction of his voice while giving a drowsy yawn.

"Oh, hello," she greeted when she caught sight of him a few yards away. Though he was familiar to her, perhaps more than any cub outside of her own brood, something felt odd about being greeted by the boy in the morning. He had always been a guest rather than a permanent fixture in her kingdom. "You met the replacement royals?" She guessed, revealing her secret without really even giving it the proper consideration.

---

|| february y9 | nine months | LP cub | at lorien plains | @Orson ||
+10 - Have another character perform a task or favor for you
+5 - Convince someone to give you something that you want
+5 - Relax with someone else

code by corvus

Orson had to do a double-take when @Anniston appeared from nearby. It was going to take him a lot of getting used to, navigating all of this cursed grass! He'd been doing his best to track her, but in the end she'd practically been hiding in plain sight, and here he was bellowing like an imbecile. Orson grinned sheepishly. "Oh sorry. Did I wake you up?" He looked around then, somewhat confused. "But where's your den?" Nero and his family had a sort of burrow, tuck into the earth itself. Orson saw nothing even remotely close to that here. Where had she come from?

It took him a hot second to register the meaning of her next words. He blinked, confused for a moment. But then he remembered his mother's lesson from the day he had visiting Loren Plains, many moons before. She had reminded him of border etiquette and recited the names of the then-rulers. Orson couldn't quite remember what they had been but it wasn't Ghyslaine and it certainly wasn't Nero. How had he failed to realize that? So that meant Anniston had been stripped of her title? Orson frowned, sympathizing with her. "Some strangers came and took over Scilla." He said. She could fill in the blanks as to what it meant for Orson and his own sudden lack of royalty. He shook his head. "Who cares, anyways? You're still a princess to me, Anniston." Orson stepped a forepaw in front of the other and lowering his head, offering her a respectful bow.

When he rose up again, he shook his dark bangs out of his eyes and offered her a grin. "You know... I haven't forgotten my promise..." He said teasingly, placing a paw upon the lumpy hide pack that lay at his feet. "Are you ready for your treasure, princess?"

"Yeah, I guess," she shrugged at being asked if he had woken her, not too phased by the interruption. Missing out on sleep was not so bad when she did not reserve it for one particular time of day – she could always catch up with one of her cat naps. She scrunched her nose in another yawn, smacking her lips as she tried to gather her consciousness more completely. "But where's your den?"

"Hmm? I'm not a meerkat, sea-brains," Anniston countered with a smirk as she met his azure gaze once more. "Predators sleep out in the open. It's our right," she enlightened him with a nod. She had no need for digging or hiding out in caves when hers was the strongest species in all the land. Her claws were much better suited for tearing and eating.

Still, the heavier subject of her own fall from royalty hung in the air, killing her jesting mood before it could really take off. "Some strangers came and took over Scilla." Anniston tilted her head slightly as she considered this. She creased her forehead as she considered how much had changed since their innocent encounter upon the boulder – how neither of them had rulership over anything anymore, not even a boulder. "Who cares, anyways? You're still a princess to me, Anniston."

"I care," she insisted, though more out of the earnestness shining in her gaze than a real argument. "My sister ran away and that's all my parents care about now, and we have to listen to whatever Ghyslaine says. My dad was the first king here – ever!" Anniston explained, her voice alight with the passion she felt. There was no one else to speak of the matter with, really: her siblings were living it with her, and the girl was not exactly close with the adults of the pride. Only now did Orson know the truth of her situation. Her heart raced at the vulnerability of it, but she could not bring herself to regret it. No, the beans were finally spilled.

She could only really entertain a change in subject when the boy mentioned treasure. She widened her ruby gaze, an anticipatory smile tugging at her expression.

"Treasure? Yes," Anniston accepted, inching closer and glancing around for clues of where it might be.

---

@Orson
+10 - Have another character perform a task or favor for you
+5 - Convince someone to give you something that you want

code by corvus

Anniston's reply to Orson's puzzlement over her den was quite simple and logical, but it was mind blowing to the boy. He stared at her, his maw slightly agape. He didn't even protest to being called sea-brains. Predators sleep out in the open. It's our right. Realize it or not, Anniston had just spoken words that would stick with Orson throughout the rest of his life. Enlightened indeed. "I never thought of it like that..." He said lamely.

As Anniston went on to explain her situation, Orson felt himself sympathizing with her deeply. "My sister disappeared too. Then my mom and my dads looking for her... that's why we lost our home." It seemed like they had more in common that either one of them had ever realized. She mentioned her dad being the first king of the Plains, which was impressive indeed. But it seemed like, perhaps, one couldn't always rely on their own parents to preserve their children as princes and princesses. But if they couldn't count on their parents... then who? "When I'm King, I'll never let that happen." Orson said resolutely, lashing his tail.

At last, it was the big moment. The treasure he had promised her and had kept eluding to. Orson grinned as she inched closer, placing a paw upon the bundle as his feet. For a moment he considered teasing her a bit, drawing out the suspense. But he decided against this, caring far more about the giving of the gift itself. With a claw he pulled aside the wrapping and rifled about amongst a couple of items before he found was he was looking for. He leaned forward and picked up a round, flat shell in his teeth and set it on the ground before her. It was plain looking, tan in color with ugly bumps and ridges. At first glance it was unimpressive, but then Orson took his paw and turned it over...

The abalone shell caught the light and gave a shimmer. The inside of the shell was covered in a smooth iridescence that glimmered in metallic shades of blue, green, and pinks. It had been a chance find and was in near-perfect condition, a very fine specimen. He nudged it towards her. "A treasure from the ocean," he explained, "for you."

"I never thought of it like that..." He admitted, and Anniston beamed with pride. It was not often she got to teach others – no, the life of a cub was one of constantly being told what to do and how to do it. She pulled her mouth into a cheery smile and merely nodded her approval as he did nothing to argue with her. There was a certain freedom in taking hold of the open air, and she intended to take up that space for the rest of her days.

She pursed her lips with concern as Orson explained his own parallel predicament, his story quelling some of the tightness in her chest. Perhaps such struggles were normal, after all – perhaps she was not destined to be an outcast for this. At least, she would be no worse than Orson. "When I'm King, I'll never let that happen."

"King where?" Anniston wondered with a quirked brow, her mind flipping between visions of the plains and the lagoon from her fleeting memories there.

The promise of treasure tore her attention from all other matters. She widened her eyes as he rifled through the package lying in the grass before his feet, untying it to reveal... something ugly. Anniston furrowed her brows as she stared down at the thing, recoiling as if in preparation to protest before he turned it over with his paw.

"Oh!" She gasped, her face lighting up once more. The iridescent sheen caught the light just perfectly, picking up whatever colors she could envision. What's more, it was sparkly, and something she possessed that no one else could. "Yes! Thank you for my treasure!" Anniston exclaimed as she rushed to scoop it up with eager paws.

---

@Orson
+10 - Have another character perform a task or favor for you
+5 - Convince someone to give you something that you want

code by corvus

When she asked him where he would be King, Orson paused. He'd never really stopped to fully consider this notion. He'd always assumed that he'd be King of Scilla Lagoon if he could prove himself above his brothers (including Nero, who had once been heir). But now that all seemed to be off the table. He did love his tropical home, but living here in Lorien Plains with Anniston and Nero now caused him to reconsider things. The open plains provided excellent hunting opportunities (even if he was still an inexperienced and clumsy hunter). He was still getting used to these new surroundings but it made him realize that he wasn't pigeon-holed when it came to his future. "Well, I dunno," he said, trailing off for a moment.

"What do you think?" He then asked, and then instantly felt heat rising in his cheeks. Hopefully she wouldn't see the implication he had just unintentionally made (that she would be ruling as well) and just give her opinion of his future domain.

With his cheeks still warm and his heart beating just a bit faster in his fluster, Orson was glad for her attention to be drawn to his treasure. He beamed at her reaction when the dull ruddy shell was turned over to reveal the magic on the other side. It's called an abalone." He explained. "Back home, we sometimes eat them when we can find them alive. They're just ok... kinda chewy and wiggly... really hard to pry open. I like eating them. But the shell is really the best part..." In his nervousness he was starting to ramble on and he caught himself then. He glanced up, trying to meet @Anniston's eyes. "Do you like it, Princess?"

"Well, I dunno. What do you think?" Settling herself into a loafing lay near her treasure, Anniston considered this. Such implications were welcome, as the girl considered herself qualified and belonging in all situations, especially ones involving her pet boy. She creased her brow in thought, any hypothetical visions cut short by images of the golden, sprawling plains.

"Lorien is the best," she responded simply with a shrug. "But, it's my daddy's." Violarum owned the sprawling fields, whether he was King or not. The cub refused to envision a future in which her father was not placed happily on the throne – or, perhaps, she did not know enough yet to be able to picture any alternative.

Content to focus on her spoils, Anniston attempted to wriggle closer to the thing – an abalone – with a beaming smile. Yes, the simplest way to ensure the young Frei was in a good mood was to grace her with gifts.

"Ew!" She giggled at his tales of eating them, wrinkling her nose. What was with this boy and slimy fish, anyway? "Okay, you eat them and I get all the shells!" Anniston conspired. "Do you like it, Princess?"

"Yes!" She approved with a decisive nod. "You get more treasures like this on the beach? I need more," she urged, wondering what journeys were required for Orson to find all of these. Whatever it took, she doubted her littermates would have any of these.

---

@Orson
+5 - Relax with someone else

code by corvus

The youngster was of the opinion that Scilla Lagoon was the best pride. But he wasn't a member of Scilla anymore. He was a Lorien lion. And he was eager to please his princess and so he nodded his agreement. "Yeah," he said thoughtfully, "well, you're princess so that means you'll be King next. We'll be kings together" To Orson, there were only kings and his statement made perfect sense. It was how Alizabeth had raised him and he knew no different.

Orson was more than willing to agree to Anniston's terms. Eating seafood and bringing her treasures? That sounded great! "OK." He said, nodding importantly. "I will. I'll bring you so many treasures. I promise!"