This content might touch on topics that are sensitive or triggering for some readers. Trigger Warning for mentions of near death following birth.

His scent reaches her first, and then his voice. Blurry, unfocused eyes look up, and up, and in the darkness of the cramped little log she sees him. Daphne says nothing at first, resigned to his inspection. More than anything, he seems pleased with her efforts. Happy, perhaps. There is certainly pride. Whatever knot had bundled inside Daphne’s chest eases, if only slightly. Her body is awash with hormones and emotion, but had @Luther ♔ decided the cubs didn’t please him, she knows she doesn’t have the strength to fight back.

Would she? Did she care?

Yes. Gods help her, but she cannot help but love them.

"They’re perfect," she murmurs tiredly. "Your heir." The woman adds after a moment, nudging the largest of the boys. Pained with gold, pale and groomed to perfection, he sleeps fitfully amongst his siblings, mewling in protest when his mother brushes her nose against his back.

For just a moment, perhaps only in her mind, there is a second of pure bliss. A moment of understanding between the new parents, a moment of - not love, but as close as perhaps they were to ever get. A silent promise to protect their young, to watch them flourish. A moment of understanding that they have created something perfect and unblemished.

And then that moment shatters.

A face appears behind Luther, and Daphne immediately curls around her babes, tucking them out of sight of those horrid, unwelcome eyes. “You have had another woman expecting your heirs…”
Daphne’s fur bristles, standing on end along her hackles and spine. Threat. This stupid girl is a threat to her cubs. "Get back," she snarls, the noise in her throat nothing short of a banshee’s snarl. "I am his wife - not some common whore." Like you, whoever you are. "Get out. Now. Do not even look at my children or I’ll pluck your eyes from their sockets."

Another face, another voice, but Daphne snarls at this one too. "I want nothing." Even as her body aches and strains and shivers in exhaustion, the new mother can see nothing but threats surrounding her cubs. Other voices, distant - one the king, she thinks through the fog. Backup, surely, if Luther’s whore refuses to obey her.

And still she is unaware of the true threat looming above her, clawing for her firstborn’s soul.

Daphne blinks - or at least, it feels as if she blinks. Time passes in an instant, but when her eyes open again (several moments later, unbeknownst to her), another stranger is touching her children - handling them as if she owns them, as if she has the right. Daphne strikes out as her brain catches up to everything, attempting to slam her claws into Arachnae’s face before she begins backing away.

"I’ll gut you!" She shrieks, standing up and immediately swaying, lurching forward as her body threatens to give out. Something seems to rip inside her stomach. Still, she persists. "Get out! All of you! Leave - " Daphne has to force herself to focus, but her eyes refuse. Her vision blurs as blood leaks from between her legs. "Leave us…" The girl’s eyes roll back into her head, and her body gives out.

Exit via unconsciousness.

(OOC: Opened this up for save a life for @Isilmë )

@Alaric @Arachnae @Lunaire

Send some angels to find me

I keep losing my way

code by corvus

This content might touch on topics that are sensitive or triggering for some readers. Trigger Warning for mentions of misogyny, ableism & other.

Perfect indeed. His first litter was shining. All healthy, all well-groomed and hungry. Their mewing voices were meek and insignificant, but he knew that they would grow to be a force to be reckoned with. Your heir, @Daphne brushes against the back of the firstborn and Luther's greedy eyes fall upon the pale-gold boy, pride burning like a newborn flame within the winter of his gaze. "Name him, and the pale girl," he gives her the honors, for once being fair by splitting the litter's naming in half. "The other two - Emory & Runa." he gestures towards the albino boy and grey girl.

The familiar voice of @Lunaire pokes from behind him, and Luther turns to face his other wife. Her question brought a brow to rise against his forehead. "I owe no explanation to you, Lunaire. Do not overstep your authority as my wife." his jaws clicked together as a warning, but he otherwise seemed calm. Lunaire was interested in the children, however, and Luther was glad to see that. Sister wives should aid each other.

But Daphne was of another opinion. She spat and commanded of the mauve woman to get out, and Luther watched the duo with growing displeasure. "Silence, women. This is no place for your hissy fits. You are both my wives." he growled, irritated that his moment of bliss was shattered by their petty catfights. "I expect you two to support each other, not pluck your eyes out. Am I clear?" he commanded and then thought that would be the end of it.

@Isilmë was the next to arrive, bringing herbs. Luther's attention shifts to her. He'd almost forgotten of the blind healer he, Bruno, and Alaric had fought for. She was beautiful but flawed. Like a cracked vase that was fit for only one purpose. Perhaps her medical knowledge would make him stop regretting shedding blood for damaged goods. "If the herbs will help, then leave them here." The health of his cubs took first priority, and then that of Daphne. She must remain fit to bear more of his children afterward.

Daphne was like a wild thing now. Luther didn't understand her aggressiveness, for he had no idea of the intricate connection between mother & child. Of the instincts that were woven into her. He only thought her reactions a nuisance. "Calm yourself." he hissed, casting a gaze at the babes. If anything were to happen to them because of all of this ruckus... "The healer will do her work." The snaggle-toothed man said firmly.

@Alaric's, the children's grandfather enters and Luther straightens if only briefly. The child within him wants to puff his chest out, to present Alaric's first grandchildren as the prized possession they were. Surely, the old man was proud? Of course - Luther never disappointed him. Well, that's what the cruel princeling thought. "Danke, mein König." "Thank you, my King." he nodded curtly.

The least expected, however, is @Arachnae's presence. The scent of Illyria made Luther's hackles raise, and his muscles twitch protectively under his pale pelt. The strange woman approaches seemingly harmlessly, but Luther stands in her way. Blessings, she speaks, and of health. "Leave whatever herbs you have and go." he snarled. Daphne was far less lenient, however, as she lashed out toward Arachnae, yelling in anger. "Lay down, damn you!" his voice boomed, for once, and he sought to stand in front of Daphne, taking on the brunt of her claws as they tore through his cheek. Ignoring the pain, Luther attempted to grab Daphne and calm her down. However, instead, she sagged in his arms like a lifeless down. "You!" he commanded @Isilmë again, having no clue of her name albeit the fact he'd claimed her. There was urgency and anger within his tone, he visibly shook as he placed his unconscious wife beside his mewling babes. "Fix her!" He will not give Daphne to death. She was his and his alone.

And it'sx my whole heart, xxweighed and m e a s u r e d xxxxxxxxxxx i n s i d e And it's an old scar, trying to bleach it out

There was so much more happening here than the witch knew, than any of them could ever know as she dazedly completed the transfer of @Erna's soul. The agony on her face as each shred of her spirit was ripped from its shimmery form and disappeared into the body of a child until her screams of pain were no more. It drove her mad, standing there as only she could hear the guardians screeches, the spirit completely drawing her attention away from the world around her. So much was going on, the mother screams at Arachnae to stay away while her husband had chided her to allow the priestess to do her work.... But she had heard none of those things.

When her ears finally adjusted to the words being spoken, the albino lioness had forced herself to her feet and the stench of fresh blood hit her senses, horror visibly falling upon her face. O-Oh, oh no! She stammered, rushing forward as she collapsed. The man who grasped her body carefully began demanding orders, and unsure of what else to do, Arachnae obliged. She dropped every bag of healing herbs she had upon her hips before the younger woman whom he demanded help her, anxiety riddled gaze meeting the blank stare of @Isilmë, spending only a moment to realize she was blind. It did not matter, in this time. It is in your paws now, little one. You can do right, may your movements be blessed. She would say, taking a sweeping look over the others there before taking her leave quickly. They did not want her here.

//Exit

who's a heretic now?

code by loki - art by Aurora

This content might touch on topics that are sensitive or triggering for some readers. Trigger Warning for mentions of [Vaguely cannibalistic thoughts]

The starry woman's words would be ill received on both ends- her questions and slight tone of betrayal was quickly dismissed by @Luther ♔, his warning to stay within her bounds as his wife clear- and so she would say nothing more on the subject of @Daphne being his wife in addition. She knew she was one of two now, and simply hoped that they would be enough for him. She did not want to share her bed with others, much less many of them. Yes, my prince. She would resign before attempting to look closer at the cubs.

Her interest in the pale children would nearly result in bloodshed. She would slinking back a few inches, closer to the heir that claimed them all, a small frown emerging upon her maw; a small look of disappointment falling upon the star's face. She just wished she had known of her before.... This. I didn't say you were a whore.... She muttered quietly. I'm his wife too.

Her crimson gaze peered back up at Luther as he warned the mother not to turn this sour, rather that they both belonged to him. Lunaire knew this, it was why she didn't lunge to remove the albino lioness's throat as soon as she had spit her venomous words.

But then another would arrive.

The peachy colored witch smelled of earth and cold, the clear scent of Illyria radiating off of her. How dare she? Kill her. the voice whispered, the star frozen at her prince's side as the witch moved closer to the children, KILL HER it screamed; she was getting too close.

Claws dug into the earth below, the red eyes woman could only watch as the healer checked over the cubs- Luther would strike her down if she touched the lady so close to Daphne and the babes. When she stepped away, however, too much would happen at once. The star barely noticed the king, or the other healer.

The stench of fresh blood tinged the air as her sister wife forced herself to her feet, a new wave of red dripping from between her legs and staining oh so very bright against her white pelt. Lunaire inhaled, a shiver ringing it's way down her spine. Her stomach growled, and then all at once she turned away and wretched, watching with blurry vision as the healer vanished into the swamp. She felt disoriented, sick, hungry. She had to get away from here, away from her beloved and their family before her mind pulled her apart.

She gazed back up at her husband, her eyes slightly teary from emptying the contents of her stomach and the strange heartbreak she felt looking at the scene before her. I will wait for you at home. She whispered, her voice strained before she tore herself away and into the trees.

//Exit