He is not angry, nor scared; no, he laughs, and at first Tinúviel is taken aback. But the longer she lingers within it, the more she realizes it is not malice nor fear laden in his chuckle, but rather a warmth, an understanding. Her brows furrow inquisitively, but @Alexander ♔ does not let her leaving wondering for long. And it is within those words that she, too, lets out the breath she'd been holding. Always had she been destined to bare the children of stronger men; Viridian had wanted that same fate for her, and had he lived long enough for to see Tinúviel was nearly barren, he might have killed her. Alaric, though proud and many of his lineage, had offered a far greater kindness to her, had seen her through the traumas past until finally, finally, they saw their first children brought into the world.

Similarly, Alexander would never hold her to such high of a standard, would never expect her to fulfill a duty her body was not made for.

He presses against her, the dampness of his fur unfamiliar, yet still just as full. She shudders not from the cold, but from the weight of this all; a growing ache unfurled deep in her belly, an overwhelming happiness accompanied with a strange sense of desire. Is there something about this cave? she almost wondered aloud, but instead kept her lips pursed, her gaze focused on him.

And yet, a heavy bittersweetness settled in with his next words, and Tinúviel felt her gaze dropping to the water, watching where the dark depths swallowed her dusky frame. We never have to even try, if it would put your soul at ease. It is only then that she raises her gaze, and finds herself holding onto the words that were desperate to pass her lips: Yes, never make me live through that trauma again. But then come the thoughts of Rohan, of Magdalena, Melusina, Arion. Imperfectly perfect as they were, Tinúviel had never loved something quite so much, had never felt closer to Alaric than when she'd had them. Would she be foolish to want the same with Alexander? Would she damn herself to more grief by trying? The few times they had been together had never resulted in anything, had been among the throng of miscarriages she'd had endured with Alaric, had been lumped together with the many she'd experienced. And yet.

And yet—

I want to try, she says, against her better judgment, against the clenching her heart that knew what all was coming. Having children has been the best gift I could ask for. I—I want to have cubs with you, Alexander. I want to try.

She looks down and Alexander is suddenly uncertain again. Ears press back against his head, disappearing within the thickness of his mane. Leaning forward, he lets out a soft, rumbling purr in comfort. He could only imagine what might be going through her head. Any number of things, he knew her well enough that she might be feeling guilt of some sort - and he wished so badly to quell whatever worries she might have.

What if, for whatever reason, she thought it might not be enough? That he would always want children. In truth, Alexander did not have a shortage of others to have children with. The Savante were polyamorous namely to preserve the name and carry it on, but that did not mean they loved their mates any less - and it did not mean that they only took mates to reproduce. Alexander loved each of those he called his - deeply. Unconditionally.

Suddenly she speaks, and for a moment he is hesitant to believe her. He did not want her doing this simply because she thought it was something he wanted. She, however, surprises him by continuing. A smile curves those dark lips, an undeniable excitement igniting in his veins. The prospect of having children with @Tinúviel was something that made his heart sing, his blood boil with desire. Heart unfurled within him, the urge to grab her and kiss her rising.

"Then we will try, but if it...ever becomes too much, promise to tell me? We will stop. Promise?" He says, this time his voice uncharacteristically firm. This was something he would not budge on. If at any point it became a risk to her or her mental health, he would refuse her if he had to. Without skipping a beat, he is smiling again and pulling her against him further, growling warmly against her throat, nipping there softly.

"I want to show you...a special place." Gaze casts up toward the cave hidden behind the waterfall, those crystals calling softly to him in a gentle hum. A chill sweeps over him and he shudders, but it is not at all because of the cool water. No, the Mother calls to him - speaks a soft whisper of blessing. It was time and they were ready. Finally...

Slipping out of the pools, he would make sure to help her out should she need it, but would not force it otherwise. Patiently he would wait before moving around the waters toward the entrance of the cave - though inside he was giddy with anticipation. His heart thrummed heavily in his chest, the ache in his body growing with each passing second. They had not shared an intimate time since...perhaps the hot springs? He wanted to remind her just how hot his loving could be, and all the pleasures that came with it.

He is soft, comforting. There is little Tinúviel fears in his presence, his reassurances quashing any sense of hesitance he had. She watched the light of the distant flickering flame dance in his eyes, watched as his thoughts manifested in his expression, though she could not quite tell just what he was ruminating about. Tinúviel knew well about his polyamory, knew that there were others he cared for just as much as her—but so did Alaric, and so had Viridian. She had even grown used to the hierarchy of Viridian's lovers, and the fact she would always fall straight to the bottom. The fact she was equal among Alexander and Alaric was a blessing she was undeserving of.

Then we will try, but if it...ever becomes too much, promise to tell me? We will stop. Promise? he asks, and she nods her head. I promise. Though, there had been times when she and Alaric had enough, and though her husband would have readily stopped just as easily as Alexander, Tinúviel had pushed herself further than she perhaps should have. The emotional scars of those attempts were blatant, the grief of lost litters woven into her very soul.

But she wanted to try. If she did not try before, then she would have never had her surviving litter, and all the joys and love that came from it. All the purpose she'd felt.

She feels his paw wrap around her, tugging her closer to him, and it is something she melds into delightfully. She would have been content to remain there forever, but the low drawl of his voice breaks the gentle whirring of the waterfall, and the crackling of fire in the nearby distance. Tinúviel's half-lidded eyes open, and her chin turns upward to peer at him from where she'd rested against his chest. She follows his gaze toward the crystalline cave nestled behind the waterfall, the very same spot that had caught her attention before. She feels him tensing, shuddering; but there is no fear nor malice in it. Instead, it seems instinctual, driven by some innate desire she does not quite understand.

As he pulls himself from the waters, Tinúviel follows him wordlessly, shivering at the brief and sudden burst of cold before quickly adjusting. He ventured up toward the cave, and the healer was his little shadow, venturing toward the mouth of the hollow just as he paused right before it. She'd not yet known the implications of this place, or his intentions behind it; but she could sense the shift in his demeanor, the sudden heavy, near ethereal warmth in her chest that steadied, deepened her breathing, unfurled a blissful tingling in her belly that reached toward her thighs. She sucked in a breath, before slipping beside him, peering inside the cave as if waiting for his permission to venture in.

Alexander's large, looming form fell away at this slight, delicate woman. He felt tiny, by comparison. Anything she could ask for, anything she could do - he would do it without question in this moment. As the Mother's presence sweeps over them, the Savante inhales deeply, his heart singing with excitement. He would not, however, take her inside without explaining the importance of it all.

Despite so many, even those within his own family, implying that these beliefs were forced on anyone - the whole point behind worshiping Her was consent, because otherwise...The Mother would not want it.

Your love had to be unconditional, unreserved. Gently the beast would nudge her in farther, until slowly but surely both of them were engulfed in the shadows. Darkness took over, the light from outside of the cave seemed to disappear, replaced by the eerie, yet warm glow of the crystals within. Alexander did not know how these minerals worked, but he was always grateful for their beauty.

Large form slides up along hers, this heated touch sending a jolt throughout his body, his breath hitching in his throat. "This...this cave is where we are closest to Her, our Mother. She lives and breathes within here. It is here we seek her blessing, her strength, to carry on our blood and our legacies." Alexander was always one to use a flourish of words, but he could only hope that @Tinúviel would discern his meaning without issue.

"Even if you do not believe, the Mother believes in you. With all my heart I know that She wishes to bless us, here...within these walls." Moving forward, Alexander's massive form would seek to press into Tinúviel's, a paw moving to pull her against him, more and more until he falls back - hoping to gently drag her atop him. So that she might have control, should she want it.

Alexander would spend the rest of his life giving her the burning passion she wanted, but in this moment - it was all entirely up to her.

They lingered at the entrance, her gaze casting into the dark depths of the caves, but she could not quite see yet the glitter of the low-lit crystals, overwhelmed by the light flitting from outside the cave, akin to large fires swallowing the light of the stars even in the darkest, cloudless night. She sucked in a breath, before turning toward @Alexander ♔, waiting for his instruction before they plunged forward into the unknown (at least, the unknown for Tinúviel).

She feels his gentle nudge, and ventures deep enough into the small hollow to be consumed by its shadow. It grew darker, too dark, and when she tried to look back to see the light flittering in from the mouth of the cave, she could suddenly see nothing more than the faintest, dimmest beacon back toward the outside. As her eyes began to adjust, however, a lowlight of golds and reds crept up her legs, and cast a soft glow onto her face.

He comes up beside her, and she feels the reassuring warmth of his pelt against her flank, could feel its rise and fall as he took those comforting, steady breaths. She isn't sure why, but when he finally speaks, she feels a little less disconnected, a little less ethereal. There was a heavy silence here, a presence she could not describe, a feeling she could not explain. When he speaks of the Mother, there is a sense of understanding; Tinúviel believed in no Gods, but she did not attempt to quash the possibility of them. What else could explain this tingling in her paws, this thundering in her heart? It were as if there were a shift, a heavy lull that fell upon her, a drive to do what instinctually felt right.

He steps forward as he speaks, guides her slowly, gently atop of him. Surprise flashes across her face; it had been a long while since she'd been treated so delicately. Alaric's visits had always been so sparse and so quick, kept apart by their duties as leaders, and their lovemaking had always been hasty, fervent. Here, she felt as if she'd had all the time in the world. When she'd imagined herself being given control, she imagined she may not know what to do with it; but as she slipped on top of Alexander, she felt as if everything came naturally, as if she were driven by some divine instinct.

She'd understood the weight of his words, the implications lingering behind them. So this were their solution, their answer; they had a Mother to guide their aching hands, to bless them in ways they were not upon their birth. Had Tinúviel been here before, had she come earlier, would she have loved and lost so many litters? Would she have ever endured such pain and hardship at all? And yet, there is no bitterness that lingers there; only the distant hope that perhaps, that she were here now, that the Mother might bless her with a kindness she'd never been given.

She leaned down, a wordless acceptance of his words and his God, and began to trail kisses down the curve of his neck, enveloping herself in the endlessness of his pale mane. Her hips lowered unto his own, and a single, breathy sigh marked the beginning of this sacred moment.

---

Fade to black.

Their bodies come together so naturally - perfectly. She's warm against him, so delicate and small, but somehow demanding in her desire. It is a side of her he has yet to see, and one the beast revels in.

A rumble of a growl vibrates his chest into her own, as she delves into his mane, Alexander can only lift his limbs, wrapping them around her. A warm, steady breath reaches up toward her before the Savante brings their mouths into a heated kiss.

Passion surges through him, his body aching to take. He is not left wanting for long. She gives, eager in her ecstacy. A paw moves to cup the back of her head, the other lowering to her hips to help their endeavor along. Finally they come together and he lets out a throaty growl. Heart thrums in his chest, pounding as all the love he felt for this woman came to fruition - their dreams would come true. He knew it.

The Mother surrounds them, Her embrace palpable within the caves surrounding them. The crystals glow vibrantly, even more so as their desire peaks. Alexander can hear whispers, and as the beast is swept into a wave of need, a whispered prayer echos in his mind.

Fade to black.