Kvare walks with a stagger, but the grim expression he carries is one of silent rage, malice, regret.

The borders of Caladan should be familiar. The sea should tremble in his wake, the dunes parting way to let him pass. But instead it shirks; it is different, molded in the shape of another. The weeks had overcome any evidence of his ownership and then subsequently Yuna's, and all that remained was something new. Twisted, gnarled, strange.

He stares at his paws where they met the border, and he dared not cross him. However much Caladan may have once been his, it was his no longer.

And though the sting of this loss cuts deep, he cares most about finding all those who would have been left wayward and homeless in its wake.

He lingers on the borders for only a few moments longer. His chest heaves with every struggling breath. He had fought his way to freedom and clawed back to Amaryllis, but he could not prevent the passage of time, and had left no sign that he had been taken from this place unwillingly. Whatever excuses and ruminations he could make up would hardly be enough.

He had not been strong enough to fight off the invaders, and in the wake of that chaos a new Queen had supplanted herself onto the throne.

He simpers with a silent rage, no more than a mere tch acknowledging the bitterness of his lost crown before he is over it entirely. There were always more prides for the taking, more armies to command and subjects to appease under his ironclad interdiction. What he wanted now, more than anything, was to know.

His call echoes across the territory; not unkind, but wholly unafraid. Eager, almost.

@Miaran @Aphrodite ♔

Art by Rabbit, table by cala

I put my armor on, show you how strong I am

Despite it all, she'd remained. Why, she wasn't quite sure yet. She hadn't stayed in the territory, but had lingered by the borders, had remained close to observe. A link to the home she refused to give up. Perhaps she'd felt that she had to be here for a reason.

When the call came, she'd been prowling along the neutral side of the border, pacing, debating, considering. Recent conversations prior to the challenge still played in her mind, nagging little voices reminding her of what she was, who she was. But for now, she'd play the part she had to play while setting her own plans in motion. The moment her gaze landed on the so familiar form, her pace quickened ever so slightly. Concern, worry etched onto softening features, but also relief.

"@Kvare," the warrior queen breathed softly and gently pressed her head against his shoulder in a friendly gesture of affection before stepping back again. Verdant gaze wandered over his body, brows furrowing slightly. Looking him over to make sure he wasn't harmed. "I...was worried about you."

code by flea, art by irish

Though it is yet to be official, Aphrodite has found herself staying in the Cove much more than the Oasis and taking on the duties of what should be hers already. She keeps guard like the hound she is, traveling the borders often and securing its markers with her own, mingling it with Miaran's. Though she was to be Miaran's equal, Aphrodite found herself not over masking the Viper's scent too much. They needed to know who ruled here besides Aphrodite herself. So when a call rang out that she was not familiar with, the Black Widow changed directions and began her trip to the borders to greet whoever had decided to grace their borders.

Now Aphrodite had never met this man. Let alone knew that his family once resided here before Miaran took the mantle from them. Did she really care? No not really but that also meant that they would need to look out for any spies, or those that are here to try and take it back. But as she came closer to the borders of the Cove and found that there were two lions already there. A female whose coat still smelled of the Cove and Aphrodite would have to look for her later and ask for her name, while the other was a male and smelled nothing of the Cove. Violet jewels land and lock on @Kvare, having heard his name from the worried woman.

Well, hello. How may I help you today? She would muse at him, standing next to @Lagertha. Though she would tilt her head in a respectful manner to the woman, her gaze never left Kvare's in order to keep him in her sights. She wanted to know why he was here. Who he was and if she was going to have to worry about him later on in their reign.

code by corvus

The Usurper prowled the borders, her wounds slowly but surely on the mend. The Lead Medic's care had worked wonders, accelerating the healing process. Aphrodite, with her grace and determination, had taken it upon herself to mark the territory, a subtle yet firm declaration of presence alongside Miaran's own. The Viper and the Black Widow, two powerful Queens standing side by side. Even if Aphrodite was not officially as such yet.

A call at the border caught her attention, her ears pricking up in curiosity. With a sense of intrigue, she made her way towards the source of the disturbance, only to find herself face to face with a mysterious lioness. The lioness bore the faint scent of Caladan, a presence from the pride lingering on her fur. It was clear that she was no stranger to the pride, yet had been absent for some time. And as she approached, the whispers of his name echoed in the air, a bittersweet reminder of what once was.

The lion's scent revealed a story of markers washed away by time, of territory lost and regained. And by her side, her shadow, her Black Widow, a steadfast companion in this ever-changing world. Moving closer, Miaran brushed lightly against Aphrodite before settling down, a greeting on her lips. Bonjour, she spoke in French-fluid tones, no other words needed as the question lingered in the air. How could they help him, this lion with a tale to tell and a history written in the sands of their pride.


@Kvare @Lagertha @Aphrodite ♔

table code by daanyen

Hers is not the first face he expects to see, but it is not unwelcome.

He'd set no expectations. The changing of crowns was often a common occurrence, and he could no more blame her for wishing to remain in the Cove as he could her wanting to depart with the rest of his family. As @Lagertha presses her head into his shoulder, his paw raises, and he sought to place it comfortably on her back, to feel and know that she was so entirely real.

Kvare, she exhales. I...was worried about you

And I you, he whispers in turn.

Their reunion is short-lived, however. His call would no doubt attract the attention of the ones who took over his once-kingdom, and nor wore the crown he had once bore with pride. He pulls away from Lagertha reluctantly, his firekissed gaze settling on the approaching form of @Aphrodite ♔, the ease with which she approaches his companion eliciting a small, careful quirk of his brow.

Curious, but not too curious. Collected, controlled.

A breath, then another.

Well, hello. How may I help you today? she muses, breaking the silence.

Are you the new Queen? he asks coolly, deliberately. And though his tone is not unkind it is purposeful, direct, unabashed.

He needs not wait for an answer.

@Miaran arrives with little commotion, and he could have mistaken her for a mere inhabitant if not for her air of regality and poise. She takes a place on the other free side of Aphrodite, and Kvare feels the unshakable weight of three women staring down at him from the side of borders that had once been his.

He is half-tempted to turn and walk away, to wash himself of Caladan, to start anew all over again as he once had before. He had built Caladan from its crumbling remains and he could do it again elsewhere just as easily.

But he is here with a purpose, and no amount of wounded pride could ever deter him from salvaging what was well and truly his to protect. Not his pride—but his family.

My name is Kvare Tollaire. I was Caladan's King until I was ambushed just outside the borderlands, he begins, his steeled gaze methodically flitting between each lioness. I seek neither revenge nor reparation. I only want to know what became of my family.

This woman did not seem the type to take and hold hostage. Certainly, Lagertha would not be standing there so willingly if she'd held the sword to Sunder's neck. But their absence was a heavy loss, and one Kvare could not suffer again.

Art by Rabbit, table by cala

I put my armor on, show you how strong I am

A brief moment of comfort was found in reassurance. He was real. She was real. Neither of them had hallucinated the other, had been haunted by a mirage. Whispered words reached her ears and yet again she exhaled a sigh of relief. He was here, he was real. And he deserved to know what happened, where they all had gone. Well, the scents of sea salt and sand made it all too obvious where she had been. Close, watching, waiting.

Their reunion was cut oh so short when another approached. Reluctantly, she too withdrew and straightened her posture. Though the pale woman had yet to make herself known to the new rulers, she had no intention of letting them see a weak woman. No, that she'd never be. She was a warrior queen and always would be. Muscles shifted under scarred pelt as she shifted on her paws, just enough to regard @Aphrodite ♔ with a polite nod. The valkyrie had yet to meet her properly, though she made no effort to cool the verdant fire in her gaze. Cold, yet blazing with the same fire that burned in those who lived for battle. For merely a moment her gaze lingered on the lioness before her attention was drawn by another.

@Miaran didn't let them wait too long and it was her arrival that brought a change. Had there been a shred of gentleness left in her gaze, it was now consumed by the fire raging in her soul, brought outward through blazing gaze. Sharp claws dug into the sand, pale ears lacing against her skull, soft nose crinkling ever so slightly. She'd had her thoughts, but hadn't voiced them. And she would not start now.

Ever so gracefully, she shifted and stepped away from the two lionesses and to @Kvare's side, her shoulder brushing against his. Though she'd remain silent for now, she had no intention of leaving, staying by his side in silent support.

code by flea, art by irish

@Lagertha's demeanor does not go unnoticed. How she goes from concerned and perhaps loving towards @Kvare, to distant. Though she wasn't hostile, Aphrodite took notice of it with a flick of her ear towards the woman. Taking note that perhaps she should seek her out later and see what her thoughts were for this new rule. But oh, does she notice the sudden temper that flares in those eyes. In those jewels burned a fire that could not be quenched and Aphrodite would gladly stroke that fire to a blazing hot. Allow it to burn until it melted all of those around it. Oh the things that Aphrodite would do to give that fire more fuel to burn.

Perhaps she stares too long, noticing Lagertha moving to stand beside Kvare on the outside of the Cove's borders. Or the touch from @Miaran's fur before she puts her violet gaze on Kvare himself. I am one of them, yes. Though not official but who really needed to know that outside of Miaran and herself. Did they need to know that Miaran was the higher of the two women before them? Well Lagertha already knew that but Kvare didn't. There was much they didn't need to know about the rule here other that Miaran and Aphrodite are in fact e q u a l s.

It is a pleasure to meet you Kvare Tollaire, I have heard stories about the Tollaire's, perhaps you can tell me more at another time. It is good to see that you have healed and returned. Was there anything else she could say to such a situation? Not really but then he asked a question about his family and violet jewels glanced over to Lagertha before returning back to Kvare himself. Some have left and some have stayed. We don't have a current head count but perhaps Miss...? It was a question, Could tell you.

code by corvus

The Viper's jeweled gaze flickers subtly, taking in every detail with a silent intensity. She has observed and learned so much during her time in these lands, adapting and grasping every opportunity that came her way.

As the lion speaks, she can feel her assumptions confirmed - it was indeed him who had replaced the scent of another. His name, his purpose, all laid bare before her. And amidst the conversation, it is not the tawny lioness who addresses him first that catches her attention, but her very own Black Widow.

Aphrodite speaks of knowledge about his family's name, but not their whereabouts in the Cove. The question of the tan lioness's name hangs in the air, anticipation building for her response. And yet Miaran keeps her own name close, a mystery waiting to be unveiled.

Miaran's voice did not quiver, firmly speaking as she recounted the injustices she had faced, Many abandoned the Pride when one fell that fateful day, tarnishing my name as Usurper. They claimed they were unsafe without understanding the truth. But I am not the first to challenge in these lands, and I certainly won't be the last. I was being judged and persecuted without being given a chance to explain myself. I have never forced anyone to stay against their will. If your family left that night, I swear I do not know their whereabouts.

Her words, infused with a hint of her French heritage, lingered in the air, charged with passion. Her tail twitched as she locked eyes with the three other felines, looking with the strangers to see beyond the rumors and lies that had tainted her reputation.


@Kvare @Lagertha @Aphrodite ♔

table code by daanyen

@Lagertha steps from their line, and suddenly the sides are even.

Unintentional as it were.

Kvare's steeled gaze briefly flits to his companion, but as much as it delighted him to see such an open show of support, he kept his amusement from it hidden under a guise of indifference and control. He was here not to provoke the new Queens but to answer his questions. Questions that would require him be on far better behavior than simply trudging blatantly into pride territory and demanding back what was his.

He thought, for a brief moment, that he was excelling at the art of being cordial.

Neither of them offer their name.

Very well, keep your secrets.

I'm afraid stories do us so little justice, he laughs, almost warmly.

She shifts, wishing him well, thankful that he had returned despite the fact they had marched into the very pride he was meant to protect and snuffed out all that he had left behind. So bold was she to stare into the jaw of a wolf and compliment the sharpness of its teeth. And yet, Kvare said nothing; he only let his cunning smirk deepen, the dark tendrils of his mane falling to the sides of his eyes.

We don't have a current head count but perhaps Miss...? @Aphrodite ♔ continues, and Kvare follows the line of her gaze to Lagertha, Could tell you.

Ah, nin maethor, he breathes, leaning into his friend, his voice lowering ever-so-slightly, What can you tell me?

When @Miaran steps up to address him, Kvare's attention is wrenched away from Lagertha and focuses instead on the new Queen. He sits in contemplative silence as she recounts the transgressions she's suffered in the wake of her ascension. But by the end of her monologue, he is left with more questions than answers—and a deep disappointment.

His gaze hardens.

I would caution against taking so much stock in the opinions of others. Pride can be the undoing of any Queen, he drawls, his brows furrowing, I do not care if they blaspheme your name or worship the very ground you walk. I did not come here to debate the semantics of your victory. My people will either accept you, or they won't.

Finally, however, he gets something of an answer to his long-anticipated question: If your family left that night, I swear I do not know their whereabouts.

He sighs.

Disappointing, but not entirely unexpected, he muses thoughtfully, before rising. If that is all the information you can provide me, then I'm afraid I must depart.

He would leave without fuss or ceremony, and perhaps be content if he never had to see the shores of Caladan or its new Queen again. There were other prides to claim, other countries to conquer, but Kvare would not be half the man he was without his companions. Finding them would be his priority, and he would let no woman, no Queen, no God stand in the way of it.

His gaze lingers on Lagertha, a silent question left unspoken on his lips: Are you coming with me?

Art by Rabbit, table by cala

I put my armor on, show you how strong I am

The silence from the pale coated lioness lingered, heavy in the air. A calm contrast to the vibrant verdant gaze, to the flames that flickered beneath the surface. Many different ways it could go. Extinguished flames to bind her in docile servitude, something that wouldn't last. Controlled blaze, tamed and fed by loyalty earned through battle, something earned and not easily given. Raging inferno, a valkyrie truly unleashed and fallen to the most powerful emotions, a warrior stopping at nothing to finish what she started, to claim what she sought. Though what it would be, time would tell.

Briefly, her gaze wandered. Watching them, studying them. Observing and listening. Though she remained where she'd stood. From afar, it could even be easy to believe a king and queen from somewhere else had come to visit the Cove, even if it was something so very different.

Yet the inquiry for her name still hung in the air. Now, she could say it all. Could make known just how deep her bonds to those who ruled before were. But as it were, it didn't matter and perhaps it would benefit not only her to keep her true bonds hidden behind a veil of secrecy. "Lagertha," the pale woman purred eventually as an answer to both @Aphrodite ♔ and @Miaran. But then her head turned, slender frame shifting to lean against the shoulder of her companion.

Pale, scarred coat contrasted the deep darker tones of @Kvare as she shifted to speak only for his ears. "They are safe. The family left for the protection of another." Fuzzy ears twitched slightly. "Someone offered sanctuary and while I'm not sure who actually went there, I can take you there and we can see together."

Though her look to him made it quite clear that she would go with him, her gaze soon turned to the two queens, ears lacing against her skull. And while there was no hostility despite the position of her ears, the look she gave them said enough. I have my place here and I will be back.

code by flea, art by irish