As Luther made his way through the Ivelum Gardens, his mind was occupied with thoughts of his upcoming meeting with @Bordeaux. The sly Heir had arranged to meet her in this picturesque location, but for him, the gardens were nothing more than a backdrop for the real purpose of the meeting. It has been a couple of days since his little sleuth's initial send-off, and he was filled with a sense of anticipation, hoping (for her sake) that her mission of joining Illyria was successful. The alabaster boy expected her to arrive but had also prepared himself for the possibility of her not showing up, even with his initial threats toward her mother. Certainly, that would be enough to make the small medic do his bidding.

Well, if it wasn't...

He relished the thought of her fear, of her submission to him. It would be unfortunate for her poor mother to suffer because of her foolish daughter's actions, no?

As he walked through the gardens, he couldn't help but feel a sense of power and control. He knew that Bordeaux would come to him. There was no other option. Luther relished the thought of it. He was filled with a sense of superiority, of ultimate power over the tiny girl's life. She, like all the rest, was a tool for his carefully crafted plans.

The young lioness had spent the majority of her days trying to come up with some way to remove herself from this situation of @Luther ♔'s, not willing to forever be a pawn in whatever game the heir was playing. She already had a solution that would give her peace of mind, but reaching said solution was not as easy a task, would take time, and came with risk.

She considered not even putting in an appearance, calling the lion's bluff. If it was her own safety, perhaps she would have, but was she willing to gamble with her mother's? Did she have any faith at all in Alaric protecting her? No, she had decided he must be as rotten as his snaggletooth son. She would have to go and see him, and continue to do so until she found a way to remove her mother from the Mire. Perhaps it would come down to her begging these strangers of the Summit to challenge for her.

She had been reluctant to leave her small batch of bird's eye pepper behind, but even if she was given reason to use it to protect herself, he might only convert that agonizing pain into a rage that he would visit upon her mother. She would come without it, or anything else.

On arrival, she would keep her eyes averted from him directed mostly downward, perhaps to his delight, though it also meant she would not have to look at his smug face. She would stand there stiff and unspeaking, waiting. He seemed to relish power, and should he ever have true power as a king, she feared for those under his rule. She was not even of his pride and he still sought to control her. For now.. only for now.._{BG — ART — CODE}

And smug he was, seated proudly in the middle of the beautiful patches of flowers, soft breeze playing with his alabaster long hair, as the sound of the grass swaying gently was the only thing he could hear.

He waited, patiently, certain that she would come. Her black-and-pastel silhouette soon emerged and his smirk only grew, truly satisfied with her arrival. Her footsteps fell silently, drowned out by the winds and the buzzing of various insects. His gaze fell upon her, trailing her as she climbed her way across the hills, noticing that she pointedly avoided making eye contact even as she approached.

Not so mouthy now, are we?

He found a sadistic pleasure in her change of demeanor, how easily he'd crushed her know-all attitude to bend her to his whims. The feeling only empowered him. "@Bordeaux! Pleased to see you," he said cheerily as if this was just a coincidental meeting. As if he hadn't coerced her with threats of her mother's life. Just a meeting between close friends. His posture was lax and animated. "Do you find the Summit to your liking?" he began, enjoying very much beating around the bush.

The lion was toying with her again, this was evident in how casually he greeted her, in the smugness so evident to her in his tone. Those with power, especially those who were young, took pleasure in reminding others of their position. Her mother had explained this to her once when she had questioned why Patchouli had wanted her to stay away from the royalty of the Mire. Bordeaux understood this now and wished she had made more of an effort to avoid him. Perhaps she should have gone to Alaric's den and asked him for release instead of hoping to simply disappear without a word to anyone.

With @Luther ♔, she decided the best thing to do was to offer him nothing but blunt answers to questions given. She had to keep her emotions to herself and stifle her anger and her contempt for him. It was difficult to wear a mask of indifference, though made a little easier when she didn't have to look at him. Pleased to see her? She supposed that made one of them. She would delight in taking away from him such pleasant visits once she found some way to remove her mother from his reach. No amount of calling for her would bring her to heel then.

Tail twitched slightly as he spoke of the Summit. She would busy her focus and energy into absently kneading the grass at her feet then as she considered how to answer this question. Much better than that filthy bog you so proudly call your home. It is acceptable. She answered simply._{BG — ART — CODE}

Bordeaux was proving to be one of his most precious toys, for she brought along not only entertainment but a precious connection with Illyria. Luther would certainly make use of her - whether she liked it or not. She will be his ears and eyes, and as a reward, he will spare her mother a terrible fate. It was an exciting little game and he was enjoying himself greatly already.

She was less than enthusiastic, her face bearing a look of indifference. His brows knitted as if disappointed that she did not play along with his charade when he actually took pleasure in seeing her so down and unhappy. "It is acceptable." "Oh, come on now, @Bordeaux! Brighten up, buttercup!" he sought to inch closer, to try and bump his shoulder in a friendly gesture before lowering his head to her level, his cold eyes trying to draw in her own since they were avoiding him so. "The Summit may be cold, but I'm sure you've made some friends there, hmm?" He prodded further. "Did the Illyrians not welcome you with open arms? Did they not give you a tour or two? You must've found a nice and cozy den too." He flashed a grin. Luther knew that the Summit was led by a Queen, but he had no idea of her name. Even if he'd heard it, it was escaping his memory at the moment. "What about their High Sovereign? The black-furred woman? Hmm... her name eludes me, but I'm sure you remember it." the Heir sought to fill the gaps in his knowledge.

She would remain unmoved at first, but out of the corner of her eye she would see the motion he made towards her, instinctively recoiling from the touch as if he were a carrier of plague. She would avoid the contact, fur slightly prickled as she stepped a pace or two backward. He would also attempt to make eye contact, and for a fleeting moment, he might catch her gaze, before she looked elsewhere. She could guard her emotions against him in body posture, but she wouldn't be able to keep the contempt from her eyes, which was why she made a point not to look at him.

"I was not warmly welcomed, the lioness that allowed me in did so reluctantly. I have had no tour, nor have I been given a den of my own." She informed him truthfully. Clearly, he had not considered that she might be a recluse, thus would make for a terrible little spy on his behalf. "I have not met the pride leader personally. I doubt she even knows exists as of now. I know only that she is called Morrigan." It seemed likely this would be the only information of value he might get from her in this meeting. It was insignificant in the grand scheme, but it might tide him over for another week.. another week in which she could find some way to break @Luther ♔'s hold on her._{BG — ART — CODE}

As she pulled away, Luther felt a twinge of anger, masked by his practiced smile. He was used to getting his way, to using his physicality to assert his dominance over those around him. But Bordeaux was different. He didn't want to simply use brute force to get what he wanted from her. It would not be very entertaining, and she would be far unwilling then. He needed to be subtle, to manipulate her into doing his bidding. And even now, as he stood beside @Bordeaux, that desire for control was burning hotter than ever. But he needed to be careful, to play his cards just right, if he wanted to keep her on his side.

Her mismatched gaze still eluded his, but he pressed on nonetheless, enjoying how it cowered away from him. When she mentioned her arrival to Illyria, he made a point to rise one brown in feigned surprise. "My! Such rude hosts." he hummed thoughtfully. "No tour and no den?" he almost gasped, as if he was concerned so much about the girl's well-being. "Guess you'll have to explore all on your own, hmm? Find all the interesting nooks-and-crannies. Some back-doors, weak spots. Y'know, the usual." Surely the Summit, like any territory, had weak places that an opposing faction could slip through.

As for the pride leader... "Morrigan. Yes, yes. I'm sure you'll meet her in no time. Make sure to be useful to her. You know your weeds and leaves, right? I'm sure she'll need your knowledge, she's a rowdy one, that one." he smiled pleasantly as if talking to his daughter, but it was a clear instruction; get close to the Summit leader by offering your healing services. "Did you meet anyone else? Any names you can tell me?" The boy cocked his head to one side, his eyes still pressing into hers.

He would not persist, allowing her to withdraw without contact being made. If he was displeased, he hid this well, something made easier considering she did not look at him directly. Part of her wished to stare him down, note the minuscule shifts in his expression or posture. She would retain her mother's teachings, be polite and respectful and you gave them no ammunition to use against you. He would surely only take pleasure in her looking at him with glaring eyes through a gilded cage of ice. Someday he would lose his hold on her, she would take her freedom and never allow him to control her again.

Ears would shift slightly with displeasure and he spoke to her in his playful fashion. She wished he would stop babbling and simply tell her what he wanted so she could be on her way. She would not offer him too much, nor would she lie, as she didn't have the talent for it. Half-truths and vague details would serve her in this instance. She could play naive or half-witted and who was he to say she wasn't either of those things? The place is well protected by the elements and the mountains. No path there would be easy to take outside of the normal route. She assured him, thinking it would be a costly mistake on his part if he believed there was some way to ambush them from all sides.

@Luther ♔ would go on to ask if she recalled anyone else there. She did not recall any names, for the pride members were fleeting and none had approached her since her arrival. There was only one she knew, the kind boy who had gone out of his way to give her a place to stay, even altering his own den to be more suitable to her needs. She would frown, clamping her jaw and shaking her head dismissively. The lions there have not offered an introduction or spoken to me since my arrival. They have a healer already so I have not been needed. She informed. It didn't feel like a home, not any more than the Mire before it had. She would be glad when she could leave there, even if she had made a friend in the brief time she had lived there._{BG — ART — CODE}