ooc: Vague details because of the ridiculous overlap with timelines. Backdated to be post SL war, but pre-birth.

Her carefully crafted war plans had slowly crumpled before her. First, the deterioration of her allies followed by the failed attempt at overthrowing Scilla Lagoon - Betrayal #1. Feeling suffocated and paranoid, she escapes from the brook heavily pregnant and most importantly avoiding Lathan (Betrayal #2) on her way out. They hadn't spoke since that dreadful night when she shoved him away, but she knew he was keeping an eye on her, considering she likely carried his children. Or would nature be so cruel to only gift her with Cassius's spawn? At this point neither male was on her "good boy list."

New wounds littered her body, but it had been obvious once she returned home that two prominent figures were missing from their dens. Melusina and Freja. She had managed to grasp the details and compile a report after speaking to the members that had made it back to the safety of the Brook. Some of them had won, but it seemed a lot of her warriors were injured and being down two medics, a lot of the healing work had fallen onto Faolan. Icefang was grateful she still had her, especially with the warning signs that her body was preparing to go into labor in the next few days. This birth was likely to be her most difficult given her age and the swelling of her belly. Either a large litter or large cubs.

She trips over a branch, stumbling with a loud "FUCK!" echoing before she grits her teeth at the throbbing pain in her paw. The grove feels hostile tonight, no longer the comforting piece of paradise she had savored the last year. Half of her world is filled with darkness now, prominent scarring embedded over her left eye - the injury perfectly placed beneath her torn left ear. Call it her ugly side. Losing part of her tail and ear had been child's play, but losing half her vision had her struggling. During the day she managed better, but at night the darkness haunted her and often she had her head on a swivel swearing that the shadows were stalking and jumping out at her. Attacking her.

She feels alone in ways she cannot describe, but most of all she is frustrated. Failed by the outcome of her plan and most importantly, by him. He had been the catalyst and Icefang was quick to throw the blame. It had to be his shitty timing or shitty fighting. It had to be. To make matters worse - his scent is all over the grove. Choking her. She remembers Freja's whispered words that he had found her as soon as she left the borders for her herbs. Even now, she assumed he was aware that Freja no longer lived where she belonged. She had seen him at her side while she spit words with the Lagoon. He knew, yet his smell tainted the grove all the same. Why couldn't he go stalk outside the Lagoon? Why did he have to haunt her? Perhaps the most infuriating thing about @Cassius ♔'s loss outside of the consequences that had befallen her was the fact that he seemed to be actively avoiding her after they departed from the war. Yet she couldn't step outside her borders without feeling like he was everywhere. They had consummated their alliance and yet he was missing in action, leaving her to pick up the pieces alone. Betrayal #3.

She trips again, another root from a tree that she has passed countless times before, but this time she lashes at it striking her talons into the trunk and sending splintered bark flying. "FUCK YOU!" Another shrill shriek. Losing only fuels her desire for revenge, but for now she would have to take it out on her environment. What a pity that was.

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Things hadn't gone exactly to plan. Cassius wasn't entirely sure just where it had all gone wrong but it had and they would all just have to live with it. He was sure @Icefang ♔ had plenty she wanted to say to him. Yet he had decided to remain home. To remain within the Bluffs.

His wounds needed to heal and he certainly wasn't up to being nagged while his blood still messied the ground beneath him. Yeah no. Fuck that and fuck her.

Lucky for this particular brute he hadn't had to spend his time alone. Nor would he have to dwell long on the fact that Icefang's lot had failed him just as much as he had failed her. A dangerous distraction had found him once again. Further keeping him away from the Brook.

It was only this night actually that he had returned. His wounds now crusting scabs. His curiosity finally getting the better of him. What was it that Icefang would have to say this time? But more importantly, had her people righted their wrong, their loss, and retrieved his pet for him? Or was the Matriarch set on forsaking their bonds? Was she foolish enough to risk his wrath upon those she considered to be her family?
It would have to wait until morning though. Surely she was asleep and he'd much rather catch her without the grogginess of unrest fueling her hatred.

The spot he finds for himself is rather open. Head just beginning to hit his paws when a shout brings it back up again. Fuck, they had said. And oh if he wouldn't know that shrill grating of a voice anywhere.
The soft crashing around of things tells Cassiis that the woman in indeed headed right in his direction. Maybe he had been wrong. Maybe she had everyone on high alert given their failure. Or maybe one of her deficient little lackies had spotted him. Ran back to tattle.

Fuck you!

The Darkling watches as Icefang emerges from the treeline. Somewhat. She was still obscured a bit. Her white pelt a beacon in this shrouding of darkness.

Her claws slash a deep wound into.. something. The tree maybe? The ground? He couldn't be sure but what he was certain about, because given everything up until this moment it was the logical scenario for him, she was lashing out at shit before she started lashing out at him. An intimidation display fore surely she was speaking to him. He was right there after all. She had come to find him. And was, from where he was laying, looking in his direction.

Now now. He croons out, lounging back as he does so. Tantrums are unbecoming. Especially for a lioness your age.

Art by Rabbit, Code by Minxy

There is a slight satisfaction seeing how easily the bark shreds beneath her talons, but it can do only so much to extinguish the queen's temper. Icefang shifts ready to stalk deeper into the grove when the familiar voice rings into her ears. Taunting her. Ugh, what timing he has. A huff escapes her as she takes a few steps forward in the general direction she believes him to be in. Ivory skull pivots, scanning the tree line to her right side but she does not move too far from the tree she has just attacked, paranoid that she will trip again for him to witness. "Do not taunt me Cassius," she growls, unable to see his form lounging in the shadows. She stands in a spot that provides a mini clearing around her, safe from roots to stub her toes on. "Why are you hiding from me?" She calls out, attempting to lure him out from the dark. Her tone holds a level of irritation, but she attempts to pull her anger in for the moment knowing that she is at a disadvantage with her new disability. Either she would not notice him until his body smacks into hers or spewing her rage would cause him to depart. Her skull turns to the left allowing her right eye to see a bit more and she finally notices the soft outline of him, mostly the stark white mane gleaming in the moonlight. However, she remains in her spot keeping her head at that angled position to keep him in her line of limited sight. She wanted him to come to her.

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Lips part to give her a proper teasing yet her follow up had him remaining silent. Head tilts left. Then right. Analyzing. Wondering why she was acting so.. strange. Hiding from her? He was right here. Out in the open.

He continues on watching as her own head tilts. Looking more like a fucking bird than lion. Pale brows fall heavily as finally he rustles from his spot. Pulling himself up and lazily making his way toward her. Eyes narrowed, squinted, trying to pick apart her out of character motions.

Upon clearer inspection a snarl he cannot stop rips from his throat. Pouring out between his teeth. But it is not meant for her. A dark paw rises to cup her chin in an attempt to put her damaged eye on full display before him. Who did this? The Darkling hisses. The Lagoon? Someone else? Aggression rolled off his bulk in waves, fueled by his possessive nature.

It was not born of love or true care. He would not act this way if he had known she had fucked someone else. Such things as sex were trivial. It would be akin to punishing her for having to piss. But this? This violence? This carnage thrust upon her body? Now that was his.

Name them. The words tumbling out like distant thunder.

Cassius would end them. Whoever it was that dared to tear flesh that belonged to him.

@Icefang ♔

Art by Rabbit, Code by Minxy

She sees him approaching and slowly turns her skull back to its proper position, but the sudden snarl and grabbing of her chin causes Icefang to flinch, good eye squeezing shut. However, his question is not what she expects. When she thinks he will gloat and laugh at her newest injury, he is surprising her with his anger. Will the day ever come when she can predict him? Though the queen mistakes this feeling as a sign of affection after their most recent combination of events - not a disgust for someone else marring her body. Both her ears pin tightly to her skull feeling the heat of his sharp blue eyes inspect her. Her own fury rolls off her feeding on his, but where she would normally be angry at him for his loss, she is currently furious at herself.

She feels humiliated, almost helpless in his grasp. Part of her wants to reject him, not willing to admit that she has lost and better yet needs him to go beat Harou’s ass for her. In different circumstances, such as her asking him as part of one of her plots, she would have relished in this dark attention. Icefang is silent pondering if it is wise to tell him the culprit. Would this information backstab her later from the Patriarch? She does not know, but for once she does not see a way to lie herself out of this one. Considering Harou’s status, it was likely @Cassius ♔ might hear about this in some way. There had been too many witnesses. Helah, Luther, Obsidiana, Lathan, Etain, and Parthena. All of them had seen her tumbling in the sand allowing him to get on top of her and damage the eye to its doom.

“Harou. King of Andal Oasis.”

Skull gently slips from his grip, so that she can see him clearly. Singular intact eye focuses on his. Rage, embarrassment, and pain burning within the pale iris. She hoped he would fulfill this promise.

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The predatory nature that so often ruled this beast's every move reacted quickly to the flinch that the flutters through the woman. A near instinctual jab makes him want to take advantage. Makes him want to see more of that vulnerability.
Fortunate for them both, his anger for some unknown male overrides that bubbling need to react.

Her head tilts away and he allows it, claws flexing yet his grip doesn't tighten. Instead his claw moves to trace a gentle line down along her injury. Committing both it and the name of its culprit to memory. Perhaps this King would like a matching set. But that wouldn't be enough. Cassius would bring @Icefang ♔ his eye as well.

When his paw drops back to the ground, his eyes follow. Initially just to look her over for anything else yet he is pulled in on a different detail. Particularly the way the Queen's sides bulge from subtle swelling. Perhaps he would have just assumed it to be a full stomach. his nostrils take in a deep breath anyway. It comes off as exasperated. Or maybe even an attempt to calm himself. And maybe it was but it also served to bring in her scent. It, wrapping around him and whispering the truth.

While his gaze remains lowered upon her body, an unfamiliar ache settles within his chest. Hindsight raging within his mind. What if what if what if. What if he had been there. What if he had known. What if there was better a connection.

What if the rift was finally closed.

Icefang. Her name a deep murmuring. Scilla. Knowing she would want to know. Knew that she was bound to bring it up. It wasn't my first choice. Wasn't even his last choice. The Lagoon was just not a true desire of his. He'd rather it be wiped off the map entirely. I'd be lying if i said i put my all into that fight. Now, as the realization of their shared situation dawns upon him, it brings to light further reasoning.
Scilla Lagoon was far away. From the Bluffs. From the Brook. From his family.

His family.

Perhaps our failures have more to do with our fracture than it does our skills. He takes a seat, leaning back and finally bringing his gaze up. I crave power. But it is not something I will find in Wolfbron. The Dieudonne favor their own. As they should. And as the X'uekai should. Age is unkind to us all. A monster none of us can outrun nor out fight. Not only was her aging body against her, but this extra hindrance as well. It would surely take time for her to relearn and regain accurate aim. He however was still young. Still capable. If anything ever befell her then he wanted to be there.

I took the title of Patriarch yet still I remain on the outside. The anger he had been trying to hold in check still simmers, but the brightness was beginning to steadily dim. Nearly gone completely from his voice. As Matriarch and Patriarch, it would only be fitting for us to rule the family together.

Whether the fact he had lost spurred him, or that she had lost and there had been nothing he could do to stop it, or that it was highly likely he was soon to be a father; the case was unclear to him. It could very well be a mixture of all. Either way it brought forth a yearning he never thought possible. A feeling of wanting to be wanted. Needed. A feeling of belonging. A need to return home when all this time he believed himself without.

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Rather, it was fortunate for him that his anger took precedence over dark instinct because Icefang would of flayed him for taking advantage. She stands still as the sensation of a sharp claw traces a delicate line around the inoperative organ. There is a thin barrier of trust lingering there as she allows him to commit the injury to his memory undisturbed. If he had been cruel enough to damage it further in this moment, there was a poor chance that Icefang would of realized his intentions before the familiar raw sensation of pain ran over her. At the very least, she is grateful he does not probe her for details on the incident. A name was what he needed to satisfy his urge for vengeance and Icefang was more than happy to abandon the conversation at that.

Torn ear flicks hearing the exaggerated passing of air through him. She picks up on the evident stare at her stomach, curious on what he might be feeling. She hadn't gone out of her way to seek him out nor send a messenger to the Bluffs to inform him. If the outcome of the war had went their way, there was a good chance he would be sitting on the Lagoon throne oblivious to the new generation of their family. Her pregnancy was nearly at its end and already she had begun slowly nesting, tonight had just been an exception with her uncontainable anger. Luck for him that they had stumbled across each other. As if it had been fate's doing.

He murmurs her name and speaks the dreaded word. Scilla. A low growl emits from her, ears flattening slightly. She allows him to talk, but the thought of their agreement and what had happened brings a taste of her fury from earlier. I'd be lying if i said i put my all into that fight. "I hope so," she huffs, the ever critical maternal figure metaphorically looming over him. Pupil remains transfixed on his features, the black abyss nearly swallowing the blue in the dim light. Perhaps our failures have more to do with our fracture than it does our skills. A fang flashes briefly from beneath her lip. "I-" she chokes, immediately defensive when he proclaims that their failure had been equal. Her army might not of conquered as she had hoped, but Icefang had splattered the blood of their enemies all over the battle field. She might of been hindered in the aftermath, but she hoped the damage she had inflicted forced the Lagoon to reconsider coming back for the Brook. While he had embarrassed her.

He takes a seat, leaning back as if he is presenting her with a casual, yet logical conclusion. Her forehead wrinkles slightly from the dipping of her brows towards the center as she listens to him continue. I crave power. But it is not something I will find in Wolfbron. The Dieudonne favor their own. "That is why I took Vermeda." For once, dare she say she agreed with the monster lounging in front of her? His next mention of age causes her tail to lash behind her, the anger slowly boiling beneath her pale surface as she does her best to contain it. Was he implying she was unfit for her throne due to her aging body? She had lost last time when she became emotional, it was also the reason she would blame her loss against Harou. She needed to control herself - at least until she understood where he was going with this speech.

I took the title of Patriarch yet still I remain on the outside. She wants to snap at him that he caused this predicament. From their introduction he had lacked respect and constantly he had pushed her boundaries. She had only responded in ways to rehabilitate him, punishing him as she saw fit. That had included keeping him at a distance from the rest while she figured him out, but part of her assumed he had enjoyed living amongst the Dieudonne. It had only taken him a year to mention that he was still an outcast from his family. To confront her about it. As Matriarch and Patriarch, it would only be fitting for us to rule the family together. Eye regards him cautiously as she hums out the words, nearly clenching her jaw. There was only so long that the fires burned low before the tension overtook and the toxicity of their relationship spilled over.

"What are you asking of me @Cassius ♔? Speak clearly. I do not have time for riddles." Or manipulation.

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There is so much she wants to say about it. Or so he can only guess. Yet she had not yelled at him. Nor belittled him. Perhaps that had something to do with her own ego being a touch sore. Cassius would take the blessings when they were offered to him. And he would not dwell too much on this small win.

Speak clearly. I do not have time for riddles.

Very well. The expression he offers is one purely made of neutrality. No mockery. No teasing. You are aging, Icefang. Nothing but truth. You cannot live forever. And whether you want to believe it or not, Renozuri chose me as his successor. The man respected you. And so have I. Again whether or not you want to believe that, I do have respect for you. Cassius was a prideful fool on a good day but he wasn't blind. No pun intended. To say he chose wrong in me means he would have chosen wrong in you too. The fact is, he chose us both. And when you are gone it will only be me who remains. At least when it came to those the old man wanted to continue on his life's work.

I want to join the Brook. As it's Heir. And when the day comes, I will lead our family on. But there was indeed more. Things to sweeten the deal. Couldn't have her think it was a usurpation after all. Arcania can remain as Sovereign. She can even remain on as my Sovereign. She is close to you. I assume she knows you better than any of us. Her knowledge would be valuable to me. I will adopt the children you had with Renozuri as my own. This will ensure their place over the pride. And when one of our children, A momentary glance down at her belly once more. Boy or girl. We will pick together. And when they come of age they will be my Heir. Their combined legacies set to inherit it all. This rift. This gap. Closed.

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His neutral expression and the fact he decides to jump straight to the point rather than banter around it and test her patience allows the bubbling tension to ease. She calms down to a point - enough to keep her civility as the queen also takes a seat adopting his lax positioning. Icefang glances down at a paw, lifting the appendage to inspect her paw pad and wiggle her toes as she flexes the muscles so that her claws poke out with the movement. He speaks of her age and Renozuri’s dream and expectations. She stays quiet, keeping all her attention on her hand. Only the flicker of an ear every few words is the only indication that she is still listening. Part of her wants to jeer at him, spat at his feet how she doesn’t need him to mansplain her husband nor how life cycles worked. Though she could let this slide. The poor guy was an outcast after all and young. He had not been witness to all the work she had put into the line as her mate became a senior. He also might of received a brownie point for stating that both males had shown respect to her. Even if it had taken @Cassius ♔ longer than she liked to give it to her.

His request causes a brow to raise and Icefang stops wasting her time on her paw and drifts her eye back to him. Slowly she places it back onto the Earth and just stares at him to the point that the silence is overbearing and uncomfortable. She blinks slowly, a slight twitch tugging at the corner of her mouth before the smile breaks free, unable to be contained for any longer. “Is this you proposing to me?” Even in the most serious of situations she managed to find a way to crack it with her criticism or even rarer - her humor. If he planned to live with her and rule by her side, it was something he needed to get use to. The mood swings that enveloped her core and how she could switch from hot to cold in a matter of seconds. “You really should have brought me flowers. Impala lilies are my favorite.” She had thrown it in last time, taking her to dinner. While he hadn’t delivered in the traditional sense, he had attempted to feed her a meal before they joined their bodies together and so Icefang was willing to see how far he would go. Though at best she expected a crumpled bouquet, but the thought counted right? He didn’t seem the type to be out there courting women left and right in anything but a savage manner. There were a lot of things Icefang could give him even if she had yet to realize his deep desires. Power was easy, but that urge to feel wanted? Needed? She had dedicated most of her life to serving Renozuri and fulfilling those whims. Not a day passed where he questioned her undying loyalty. She might of been a woman and her mate might of let her be on a leash that was longer than what was allowed, but she had wrapped him around her claw in ways that his other conquests could not. All Cassius needed to do was commit to her cause (as well as please her) and she would gladly ensure he never felt the ache of being undesired. Unwanted.

She walks closer to him, controlled and poised. The most confident she has ever been since partially losing her vision. Curse her if she trips now. A purr rumbles through her chest, Icefang attempting to gently glide the top of her skull beneath his chin aiming to lean the side of her body into his broad chest. “It’s about time you come home.” She murmurs, her voice soft now almost fragile. “Arcania has served her role alongside me.” She was the only one that Icefang entrusted with her life, even over her own children. Before her, it had been Renozuri and Nikiri. “I am training Reno’s children to take her place. If she wishes to remain in her power, then she will take another pride and extend the X’uekai rule.” The sovereign had always done her job and without complaint, but unfortunately she wasn’t much younger than Icefang. Life would consume her faster than Icefang wanted and so she had to keep her focus on the next generation. That had left Nazara or Obsidiana. She could even see Thruum ruling at his sister’s side. She was sure Nazara preferred him over any male she mated with, or maybe with time and maturity her childish mindset would change.

“I made the right choice in making you the father. I guarantee the children will be savages.” They’ll make the world bow down at their feet and beg for mercy.

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He is left waiting for a moment. Lingering time that gives his racing mind the opportunity to scheme. If this did not go well in his favor then he needed an alternative plan. Cassius was restrained for now but the substitute would more than likely entail violence.

She looks up, finally, and does not respond in the way he had expected. Perhaps neither demon would ever truly know the other.
Cassius smiles lightly at the mention of this being proposal. Didn't think you were looking to settle down. But I'll remember that for next time. Did he have any idea were to find impala lilies? Or what they even looked like? A resounding no. And while his mouth spoke, his mind briefly flitted back to the Bluffs. To one member in particular.

Faustine would be absolutely pissed if she even thought for one second that Cassius was planning to marry. Let alone the fact that he was soon to father children that were not hers. And maybe he should have felt guilty. Or at the very least a semblance of guilt. Instead he mulled over ways to spin this. Not only to Icefang should the day ever come but also to Louve and her daughter.

Curse his overbearing need for power and control. Did the scheming of politics ever end? Couldn't he just slash first and settle words later? He had an awful feeling that if he were to ever find allies in this world then these plots and games were just going to have to be his lot in life.

Cassius returns to reality as @Icefang ♔ presses underneath him. His larger head reflexively tilting down to curl over her own. Home echoing through him like a faint symphony. A home. His home.
I made the right choice in making you the father. I guarantee the children will be savages.
So far in his life nothing had ever truly felt so right. Had never felt so normal. He pulls back just enough to examine her. His gaze admiring. Yet it was not one of tenderness, though unless she was mind reader; tenderness was probably all she'd see. He could not love her. A fact he knew but would never say aloud. Instead his was a gaze akin to one who adored what he believed to be his. She was a possession that could be favored over other possessions. Nothing more.
I have no doubt. He purrs. And they should be savages; their children. Creatures born to devour the world.

The Darkling leans in, pauses, then smiles. Eyes flicking from her lips to her eyes. Should we seal the deal? The murmur laced in dark desire. She was already pregnant and perhaps she would refuse a sexual advance yet it would not stop him from trying. She was the mother of his children. His first children. And he wanted her. Here. Now. I'll even be gentle. He promises, mindful to slip in that special little whine he was beginning to realize she liked to hear.

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