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After so much turmoil there was finally a sense of calm that had cascaded over her. Her wounds had begun to heal, leaving an intricate array of light scars radiating down her back and haunches. A delicate scar had formed on her right cheekbone, an obvious reminder of what she had gone through. But Sunder was finally feeling at peace with it all. She felt like she could finally breathe again. Over the past few days there were sudden subtle changes flickering through her body. The nausea had a tendency of hitting her first thing in the morning and she could barely contain even the tiniest amount of food. Her own scent had become more delicate and floral in nature and Sunder was certain that she was expecting again. It scared her just as much as it excited her. How would @Kvare react? Was now even the right time to bring new lives into the world? She supposed there wasn't a really right or wrong time.

She contemplated telling him or waiting until she was further in the pregnancy. But Sunder knew that she didn't want to keep this from him. She wanted to rejoice in the news. She wanted to see his expression when he learned that he was going to be a father. He had done an amazing job helping her with her children. He never stepped on any toes or tried to replace their actual father; he was simply there for them all the same. It warmed her heart, and warmed her heart even more to be creating new life with him. She made her way towards their shared den, letting out a delicate chuff before entering. "My love.." She'd croon gently before approaching, bumping her head against his chest before speaking, "There is something we need to discuss." She would begin, pausing only once to be sure she had his attention.

Life continued on. Things eventually settled.

As well as it could, he supposed. There was no sign of threat upon the horizon, and Kvare had not seen or heard from Keligan since the man had retired to the north. @Sunder had ventured from the pride less and less, much to her husband's delight, and had appeared to recover well from her injuries. Each day brought a reassured sense of peace, giving them the room they'd needed to finally breathe. There were still far many things haunting the Cove; Lagertha's infrequency had risen concern for her responsibilities, and the rest of their empty ranks beggared to be filled. Sunder's children had essentially become fatherless, and though Kvare had tried his best to care for them, he could never quite replace Keligan, nor could he push aside that brtual instict that demanded the success of his own line. But it were a far cry from the strife they'd endured before. Everything now felt like a mercy.

He'd been resting after a day of training; Kvare had spent the early morning hours patrolling the length of their territory, scaling the cliffsides that surrounded the Cove in order to carve safer paths, to gain strength in the wake of their struggles. His claws had marked against the rocks, leaving a clear path, sharpening his once-dulled claws. And by the time the sun had risen high in the sky, his muscles began to ache, and he drew himself toward their den with the intent of taking a quick cat nap.

But just before he could find the refuge of slumber as his eyes slipped close, the Queen's voice echoed through the entrance of the den. Kvare lifted his head from his forepaws just as she approached, a broad smile unfurling on his dark lips. And yet, despite her comfort, there was a seriousness in her drawl that immediately drew a pit deep in his stomach. Yes, nin bereth?

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+5 Exercise to gain strength (excluding spars) (1/2)
+5 Patrol your borders (1/2)
+5 Maintain your weapons (sharpen claws or care for teeth) (1/2)

Art by TomoTheBear, table by cala

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'Yes, nin bereth' She hears his voice before she peeks her head into their shared den. @Kvare looked tired and she wastes no time in approaching him, reaching upward to gently massage his shoulder. She was nervous but was working hard not to show it. And of course, there was the nausea that rippled through her, she fought to contain it as she focused on the furs that lined their den. She had to keep reminding herself that this entire situation would be different. She did not need to worry about Kvare casting her aside, he had made it entirely clear that he wanted her. Every fiber of her being belonged to him. And now there was new life inside her, new little Tollaires to bring fire back into the family name. "There's no easy way to say this.." She starts, finally forcing the words out. "I'm pregnant. And they are yours... just in case you had any doubts." She tells him, avoiding his gaze out of nervousness alone. The bomb had been dropped but she was still worried of what he would think. They'd never discussed having children and so far their marriage had been quite the whirlwind of emotions. This would only add to the chaos, but she was ready for all of it. Finally she pulls back enough to make eye contact with him, holding her breath for whatever reaction may come from him.

He does not know what her answer could be. At first he fears the worst.

He fears that her wounds have not healed, that he may have hurt her further in some way. He fears that Keligan is returning, never having been opposed to it but desperate to linger in that peaceful stasis just a moment more. He fears that she has found another, a prospect he would never shirk at but yet another chip in this momentary bliss. Thus, as they linger in that moment that seems to drawl on for hours, Kvare holds his breath. Even the comforting feeling of her paws against his neck does little to wane the lump in his throat. When she finally speaks, he does not let it go.

There's no easy way to say this...

He remains; rigid, unbreathing.

I'm pregnant.

It is the news he least expects, though perhaps the one that makes the most sense. At first, he is chiding himself for not knowing, for not recognizing the difference in her scent, for not thinking of the consequences of their fervent passion. But just as quickly as he feels dumbfounded he feels a rush of something else; excitement, nervousness, dread. He'd wanted this for so long, but so fast had it fallen into his lap he'd not quite recovered from the whiplash of being King, of marrying @Sunder, of defending their home. Cubs had always been part of it but the reality never quite took hold until the words left her lips, and it far too long before Kvare relinquishes the breath now burning his lungs.

You're...pregnant? he asks, bewildered, eyes wide and wild. But as his gaze lowers down to the still-slender form of her stomach, he images it soon round and heavy with cubs. His cubs. And within that thought he finds a delight he'd never quite known. For however long Kvare was boyish and stuck in his younger ways, the near-painful gravity that of what lay before him was finally taking hold. He stood firmly in Smaug's pawsteps now. You're pregnant. He says again, as if it may somehow make it more real.

Suddenly, the momentary bliss of realized ambitions flits away as soon as it arrived, and a far more private, fretting expression unfurls upon his face. He finds himself attempting to grab Sunder by her own shoulders, only firm enough to hold her in place, never to hurt her. His gaze scans every part of her, desperate for any defect, for any wound. She had only just begun to fully heal from the challenge. Are you feeling okay? he demands, his tone entirely anxious, Shall I fetch a medic?

He did not know what all pregnancy entailed. Sunder had done it once before, and perhaps that were a mercy, for Kvare could not spare the thought of ever losing her; and he were no fool to think childbearing any lesser than taking arms against their greatest enemy.

Art by TomoTheBear, table by cala

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'You're...pregnant?' His voice comes in the form of a question, brows knit together slightly and there lies all the boyish charm she had fallen for. He was confused but processing, and she knew he might need time as the news certainly wasn't light. 'You're pregnant. Are you feeling okay? Shall I fetch a medic?' Sunder is amused by his reaction, chuckling lightly before leaning into him. He was so innocent and naive, it was hardly a side of him she'd ever really witnessed before. "I am fine. There is no need for any medics. Pinky swear." She muses to him before sitting before him, her flopped ears preening forward gently as she fixes him with a tiny smile. "I've been pretty nauseated but that's to be expected. Otherwise, I feel great. But.. what about you? You aren't upset with me?" At first it felt like this was a trap, that he would be so eager made her a little nervous. Her mind was racing, considering her failed marriage with Keligan she didn't want anything to jeopardize her relationship with @Kvare. Worry knit her own brows together slightly as she waited for his response, her heart thundering in anticipation.

@Sunder had softened him, in a strange and novel way. Perhaps it were after seeing her pain, the suffering she'd endured to get to this point. Where other women may have been mocked by a man so cruel and cunning, he'd found nothing but strength and willpower within her, and in that bred a respect unmatched by most other men. Had he not loved her so, he might have rejoiced simply in the news of their cubs, might have found himself rushing across the territory announcing the next generation of Tollaires, that he had sought and succeeded in rebuilding what his grandfather had started. But here, in the privacy of their den, in the company of her comfort, he wanted nothing but them.

His shoulders relax when she confirms her wellbeing, the tightness in his jaws slacking just a bit. However, his fiery gaze is just as intense as it burns into her, thoughts unbecoming of a King thrumming through his mind all at once. Upset? No, he reassured her, shaking his head. Though it were unexpected, and perhaps far sooner than Kvare would have idealized, he would never be upset at the idea of his children. Their children. No matter when they decided to make their appearance. And yet, the uneasiness that came with such a daunting unknown settled in his stomach like a heavy pit, nervousness living in his still-furrowed brows.

I'm...excited. Nervous. All of the above, if it were an appropriate answer. He couldn't quite pin down one feeling or another; whenever he idealized their brood romping around the Cove and earning their footing, he also imagined that same challenger bearing down upon their home once more, wreaking havoc on their cubs while they were still weak, still small. He imagined he wouldn't live to be as good a father as he'd been told in tales of his own, worried that they would despise him as he had come to despise his own mother. I didn't ever think I'd make it this far. Being a King, being a husband—being a father.

Art by TomoTheBear, table by cala

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'Upset? No, I'm...excited. Nervous.' @Kvare speaks and Sunder finally lets out the breath she had been holding in. They were perfectly valid feelings, ones that even she had felt. She was still nervous, still uncertain, but hopeful that their children would be strong and the perfect additions that they needed. 'I didn't ever think I'd make it this far. Being a King, being a husband—being a father.' His admission makes her gaze soften, butterflies circulating through her stomach all the while. "And look at you.. You're a natural." She muses to him before reaching upward to plant a soft kiss on his cheek, a reassuring touch, nonetheless. "I wasn't sure if I could make anyone happy again after everything that's happened. I felt like anyone I could care about would only end up hurt if they stayed around me long enough." She admits to him, staring pointedly at her own paws to avoid his gaze. "I want you to know that if I ever become too much, if all of this becomes too much.. You don't need to stay. I won't force that on you, ever." She felt like it needed to be said, after all there had been so many words drilled into her head before that made it easy for her to have plenty of self-doubt. And the last thing she wanted was for Kvare to feel as if he was shackled to her with a mound of responsibility piling up. "I couldn't be happier with this life we've begun to build with each other. But if it's too much, speak now or forever hold your peace." She says, finally bringing her icy gaze upward to lock with his once more.

And look at you.. You're a natural.

What a contrast it had been from what he'd felt, where he'd been just a year ago. The paltry tricks he'd played alongside his brother when he'd first arrived upon these shores, chasing the tails of pretty lionesses and fooling the King into thinking they were one in the same. It were a game he'd already admitted as silly to Tilly, but had never quite divulge to @Sunder; how easily his youth had escaped him, how quickly he'd found himself in the ides of growing adulthood with nothing to his name but a dream and a striving for glory. How quickly it had all fallen into his paws—their paws—and how easily it could slip away from them if they'd made one wrong move.

But for now, in this moment, it were just them. He, Sunder, and the new life growing within her. His. Theirs.

He would cherish every moment of it he could have.

And yet, when she speaks her worries, a slight frown slips upon his lips. Boyish brows knit, and he sought to wrap a paw upon the small of her back, and pull her closer toward his embrace.

I wasn't sure if I could make anyone happy again after everything that's happened, she began, and Kvare's ears fell back against his head, I felt like anyone I could care about would only end up hurt if they stayed around me long enough.

He couldn't imagine such a thing. Despite all they'd suffered, all they'd endured, he'd never think of anything but staying with her regardless of it all. She'd become more than a possession, more than a paramour; whatever strange and desiring thoughts he'd once had of Sunder, what once had been passing glances and gentle brushing of hands, had long become something far more than that. She'd proven herself not just a worthy and capable Queen, but a thoughtful, driving force, a woman unrelenting. He'd have been a fool to let that slip from between his fingers.

I want you to know that if I ever become too much, if all of this becomes too much— Sunder— —You don't need to stay. I won't force that on you, ever.

Loving you is as easy as breathing, he begins, tipping his head down toward her, locking the iciness of her gaze into the fiery of his. Though our natures are the same, there is...something special about you, something I cannot foresee myself finding in anyone else, in anything else. No woman, no crown, no God could ever take me away from you. He closes his eyes, reaching forward to lay his chin upon her forehead, desperate to feel the soft plush of her fur, the bliss of her familiar scent.

Nothing you could say, nothing you could do, could make me love you any less, he murmured, Nin rís, naneth-o nin hîn, nin uireb.

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¹ My Queen, mother of my children, my evermore.

Art by TomoTheBear, table by cala

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'Sunder— Loving you is as easy as breathing, Though our natures are the same, there is...something special about you, something I cannot foresee myself finding in anyone else, in anything else. No woman, no crown, no God could ever take me away from you.' Her eyes glisten with unshed tears. The way that he could make her feel perfectly imperfect, it sent her heart racing. Her emotional wounds would heal in time alongside @Kvare; and now they would have a new line of Tollaires to shepherd in. Their relationship would only grow, that much was confirmed in the way that he spoke to her. 'Nothing you could say, nothing you could do, could make me love you any less, My Queen, mother of my children, my evermore.' She closes her eyes, leaning against him to feel the warmth of his breath against her. "I love you." She says softly, simply. She stares up at him through thick lashes and speaks once more, "I've made a den nearby for my children. I plan to tell them of the cubs soon, and I expect them to want to see more of you. I know they are not yours but, it would mean the world to me if you could.. I don't know.. Humor them?" Protect them. She wanted to say but she knew how tedious it could be for a man to take in children that were not his own. "Viraj is very bull-headed as you already know. Bebhinn is a very spiritual little girl, she is often lost in her own world. Neeha is my sweet girl, charming. And Keelia is my little warrior, she can be unrelenting." She offers brief introductions to him then, a warm smile spreading across her face all the while.

He'd never been quite one for words, but with @Sunder they came easy. What ill-fated wooing he might have performed on passing flings were not the same things he thought of when he'd thought of her, and his words were not strewn with imaginative half-truths or thoughtless wooing. Thus, when he sees the tell-tale glisten in her eyes, he at first worries he might have offended her. But when she softly proclaims her love for him, he eases. He would have been content to linger there in silence, to relish in her presence, the idea that this world where it's just both of them would swiftly become more. Yet, as she continues, Kvare does not find himself unsettled, despite the sudden shift in topic. A topic he'd perhaps avoided out of instinct alone.

Kvare had not become a father figure to her previous children. While he'd not been cruel, he'd distanced himself, in a way. The circumstances surrounding their coming together had been difficult, and had their roles been reversed, he was certain any cubs sired by him may have felt resentful. And yet—when Sunder asks him of it, he is not inclined to deny her. She does not demand his fealty, his devotion to them; what she asks for is simple enough. To care, he supposed, perhaps just a little bit more than he already had for them and all the other members of Caladan.

He'd nearly forgotten just how many cubs there were until she listed them off, and with each name Kvare felt more and more overwhelmed. Yet, he kept his gaze steady and steeled, and bit back the anxiety that threatened to unfurl in his stomach. Very well, he says, but his tone is not unkind. Do you think...they... Are okay with me?

Art by TomoTheBear, table by cala