She'd long begun to feel better. She'd grieved over the loss of the Lagoon, endured the hardship of recovering from such a drastic illness; but she were home, tucked away now in the Mire and surrounded by her children, by all she'd once come to know before. She had bided her time, laying in wait for the time to arrive when she was finally strong enough to leave the borders, to venture into the wilds of Amaryllis once more. Tinúviel left early that morning but did not arrival at the badlands until nightfall; what had been a snowstorm had swiftly warmed into a thunderstorm, its swell closing in upon the distant horizon and quickly plunging the already-dark night into a deeper obsidian.

She'd needed to find shelter before she could complete her journey to the Hollow. She'd slid under a small alcove, an over-arching boulder with just enough space beneath for the small lioness to slip between it and the dry ground. She'd clearly not been alone; she was soon flanked by wide-eyed desert lizards and sand snakes that quickly burrowed their way into the dry gravel below. Her paws tucked neatly under her chest, hazel eyes peering out; she could see nothing but endless darkness, until strikes of lightning illuminated the entirety of the desert in the flash of a second.

---

@Alexander ♔

He had been back and forth to the caves since his injuries. His niece and sister diligent in his care, though he'd seen less of Camellia lately. It didn't occur to him that she might be missing. His sister had always been a wild spirit, coming and going as she pleased. With Alexander's health on the mend, she had no reason to sit and baby him.

Still, the home caves brought peace to his soul in this time of turmoil. The growing unrest in the sky had him picking up his pace, though the scent of another catches his attention. Brows furrow softly, worry creasing his features as he recognized it as @Tinúviel. Head turns, blue eyes searching for her in the growing darkness.

Finally, with a crackle of lighting overhead, he sees her huddled beneath a bit of shelter. Thankfully the caves were nearby, the massive mammoth skull hiding the entrance only a stride or two away. Hurrying over, he hums, "Sívamet, the sky grows angry. The caves are nearby, come?" He murmurs, moving in close, but not before she's able to recognize his voice and know that it's him. Startling her in the dark is the last thing he wanted to do.

She vaguely remembers his dwelling is nearby; not the Hollow, but the vast and massive cave he'd shown her those ages ago. Yet through the distant night and the whirring of rain, she'd little chance of finding it on memory alone; even though it had been raining that very same night, she remembered fondly. Heat sprawled across her cheeks, the distant rumbling of thunder and electrifying air causing her whiskers to twitch uncomfortably, her body to shift and shudder beneath the tight squeeze of the rock.

She cannot hear him above the roar of the rain, cannot see him through the heavy mist that wafted off the surface of the cooling sands. It is not until a single burst of illumination from distant lightning does she see his encroaching silhouette; and his is a silhouette one could not mistake for another.

Sívamet, the sky grows angry, he breaths, and she can suddenly hear him clearly above the sound of the rain, The caves are nearby, come?

Silently, she nodded her head. Of all the things her illness had ravaged, her throat were still aching and sore; perhaps the rainwater were a blessing, a cooling and refreshing mercy. But for now, she were keener to get dry, and hasty were her pawsteps as she trailed after @Alexander ♔ in the sand, struggling to keep up with his longer strides.

She is silent as she moves forward, and Alexander lets out a soft rumble of sound that vibrates throughout his broad chest. Using his larger form, the beast attempts to press into her side, using his thick mane and general size to block her from the majority of the wind and rain. Thankfully the walk toward the Home cave was not far, and they reached it within a few moments despite the sand clinging to their paws. It was convenient the cave had a waterfall that cascaded down into it.

He guides her down the descending walkway, further and further until that soft, familiar warm glow hits him. The fire flickers in the corner, a beacon in the many dark times that had overcome him recently. Along the bottom of the cave were a few holes dug, seemingly used recently. Things had been so hectic they hadn't bothered to readjust the graves for re-use. There was the faint, stale scent of blood, but he ignored it to focus on her.

Blue eyes gleam softly, his heart fluttering in his chest. "Tinúviel, are you cold? We can settle by the fire, or bathe first. The sand cannot be comfortable in your fur." Alexander was keenly aware that there was a thicker layer of fur along her limbs. In truth, he was eager to do whatever she wished. It was not often he got her alone, and the Savante wanted to take full advantage.

Tinúviel lingers contently against him. She'd always felt weak, small in her size, but it were one of the rare few times she were thankful for her stature. His massive form easily blocked most of the rain, and offered a veil of warmth and dryness where she'd otherwise been perpetually soaked. It took them little time to reach the familiar mouth of the cave, and though it had been over a year since she'd last seen it, all the memories of that day and of it suddenly came flooding back.

She is still wordless as they descend deeper into the cavern, reveling in the lack of continuous downpouring but finding her damp fur still uncomfortable, long and half-furled tendrils clinging to her too-skinny frame. There were few differences since last time; the waterfall still surged, fed by the autumnal rains and the forming winter snowpack, and the flicker of firelight still illuminated the cavern walls. She noted the lingering scent of blood, and the strange holes dug into the earth, but paid them little mind. The ways of @Alexander ♔'s culture still seemed to elude her understanding, but she would never question it. There were far more dangerous beasts out there.

Her gaze pries away from the graves when Alexander speaks, returning her focus into the depths of his icy eyes. A small, eager smile flitted across her face; with the weight of the crown no longer on her shoulders, and the threat of Viridian and Luther now a distant echo, she'd finally had time to want, to breathe. Let's bathe first, she suggested, quite curious if he were the sort to enjoy slipping into the depths of a cold bath, or if he preferred the traditionalist ways of grooming oneself, slow and methodical. She was certain living in the Lagoon for as long as she did had made her far more ambivalent to the former.

She lifted a paw, and from the moment it hung limply in the air, spirals of sand and other debris began to flitter down to the cavern floor. The sand was especially pesky, indeed. It's...certainly not great, she giggled, lifting her brows. The sands of the Lagoon were a lot finer, softer.

The last time they'd been here, it had been quite...dramatic. He idly recalled saying to her he wanted to be more than lovers. Alexander was a man that did not settle for less, and he certainly always strove to give as best he could. While he had multiple mates and there were quite a few lovers he'd taken since arriving to Amaryllis, he was always keen on giving them all an equal part of himself. Alexander had seen how favoritism could blind someone, and crush them. His love felt endless sometimes, and he was ever eager to offer it.

Some did not understand him, such as Isla. While being discarded for his differences was something he could understand - it had still hurt. The sting of Isla's refusal to be with him and work things out still haunted his dreams at night. Over and over his mind going through the things he could have done differently. In the end, Alexander felt it had likely been for the best that she had left. There was a feeling in his gut that told him Isla's need to be the center of another's world was something that would have always come between them.

Better now than when children became involved.

Blue eyes turn to focus on @Tinúviel as she spoke, the soft giggle lilting from her lips causes his own to curl into a smile and a laugh to rumble in his chest. The sound was infectious. A bath sounded divine, and perhaps she would be surprised, but he was a man that enjoyed both ways of bathing oneself. Especially if the traditionalist way involved someone else.

Nose moves to press along her neck tenderly, unable to hide the impulse to touch her. Blue eyes flick to the waterfall just ahead of them, "Let us rid ourselves of the dirt, then. Perhaps after I can inspect every inch of you with my tongue to ensure it is all gone." He muses - well aware of the implications. Ushering forward, shoulder gently pressing against her own slight form, he guides them to the water. A paw sweeps forward, as if saying - ladies first.

The air was different than it was last time. Where once they'd been tense, nervous, grief-stricken; now, there was a sense of resounding peace, a blissful quiet. Tinúviel found herself achingly content, a feeling she'd not felt in years; she knew her children were safely tucked away with their father in the Mire, well-protected and well-guarded even in her absence. She'd gotten strong, enough now to have made the journey here, to still yearn for @Alexander ♔ even as her sides still ached, her chest full and heavy.

She felt, for the first time in months, that she could finally breathe.

And how lucky a girl was she to be able to spend it with such a handsome man. Girlish brow rose at his suggestive commentary, a blushing heat unfurling across her cheeks. It had been a long time since she'd been flirted with quite so heavily, quite so blatantly; as much love and affection she'd experienced, it had all been deep, desperate, as if each time she saw them it may very well be the last. But here, there was an almost whimsical air, a deep breath between the dry heaves that allowed them to feel free for the very first time.

And oh, how she wanted to make every moment last for eternity.

A soft purr breathes through her lips as he presses into the side of her neck, half-tempted to close her eyes and lean into it; but he is just as quick to guide her toward the water's edge, only a brief moment of hesitation (fear, perhaps, that it might be very cold), before she slowly slipped into the water. While it were not quite frigid, the winter air from outside chilled the temperature, and the depths of the cave and its still air did little to raise it.

However, with his warmth and loving attention, Tinúviel were sure to survive.

Within the confines of this cave, he can feel it - their love. It grows, blossoming within the embrace of the Mother. She offers peace, comfort. Alexander knows that @Tinúviel feels it too. The flush on her features, the warmth she exudes; it draws him in like a siren's call.

A heated breath expels from the beast, his blue eyes gleaming with an evident desire. No sooner had she stepped in the water did his body and soul call to hers, ushering him to follow in after her. It was a call he succumbed to eagerly. The sharp chill of the water does nothing to quell his heat. Tongue sweep out across his lips, thick lashes lowering as the distance between them is closed.

He could keep her warm, their bodies would raise the heat of the water with ease as it was not a large pool, or terrible deep one. Behind the water fall a dark, looming cave could be seen - faint lights of varying colors evident, sparkling behind the cascading waters. Perhaps he could show her that cave, but for now...Alexander only had one thing on his mind.

Making her his.

Truly his.

Without thinking his heart pours forth, "I want you as my mate, Tinúviel. No matter what it takes, that is what I want. I do have others, but I want you to meet them. Know them. Love them as well. I want us to be a family, together..." The words seem to come out so quickly he's unsure on how to stop them. His heart tightened, raising to his throat and choking him. Each rejection he had received within these lands had made his soul more and more fearful to love, to give himself over to such vulnerable feelings.

It was a risk he was willing to take for her.

He slowly slides in to join her, and though the pool were small, it were comfortable, contained. She could feel her sides brush against his without feeling suffocated, could feel the gentle trill of water through her fur, unthreading the clinging sand in her long, cascading fur. She revels in their brief silence, enjoying the feeling of the water which had now begun to warm, the feeling of weightlessness, her paws barely resting against the bottom of the pool despite its shallower nature. Her gaze followed his, casting across the vast cavern, prying its secret nooks and crannies into plainview. Even the glittering, sparkling cave behind the waterfall had not escaped her notice; but she did not know the deeper meaning of it.

Instead, his voice captures her attention, half-lidded hazel eyes quickly turning their attention to him. I want you as my mate, Tinúviel, he begins, and her eyes suddenly widen, her heart stutters in her chest. No matter what it takes, that is what I want. She had not realized just how desperately she'd wanted to hear those words, just how long she'd bided her time, laid in wait, feared over the inevitable. She'd still yet to truly tell Alaric that it were @Alexander ♔, but she'd almost half-expected he knew already. Perhaps it were still too fast, still too early; perhaps he may not even want her, after she's told him the truth.

The truth. Yeah.

She inhaled, steadily, achingly. Her gaze did not leave his; it softened, her ears falling to either side of her head. I would want nothing more, she breathes, furrowing her brows, But there is something you must know.

Tinúviel lingers only a moment longer, fear and anxiety settling deep in her stomach. I may not be able to provide you with a family, she begins, finally letting her gaze fall away, It took Alaric and I so, so long to conceive our litter. After so much heartbreak, and so much pain, she still found herself fearing losing the children she'd now been blessed with. And even they are sickly, small...

Those moments he waited felt akin to torture. It was in moments like these that Alexander was reminded why he was always so reluctant to offer himself to another, at least not like this. Nazonal, Isla - each time he had been abandoned, rejected. Even in his past with others, Cersei - she had let the idea of something drive her insane, which is why he had been so worried about telling Isla. Being so young, so adamant about being the one and only - it had raised so many flags. Perhaps it was for the best it had never worked out. Hopefully sooner, rather than later, Isla would find the happiness she deserved.

Still, as reluctant as he was - something felt different with the small, delicate woman before him. There was a trust between them that came easy. It did not make demands, it did not accuse or hold malice. They existed and it worked. Being around Tinúviel had always felt natural, perfect. Even with all their previous issues, and the uncertainty of whether she would choose him should the time come; he had never felt a fear that she did not want him. The circumstances simply had not been in their favor.

Until now.

Now was the time and he could only hope she would say yes.

When words slipped from her lips, Alexander felt and heard himself inhale a breath suddenly. Holding it. Mind whirled, listening intently - those blue eyes focused so heavily on her features his head pounded. There is something you must know. Dread immediately spread throughout him, making him feel heavy like lead. Yet still, the beast remains quiet. The light trickle and cascade of the waterfall beside them was a lulling sound, the only thing providing comfort in this moment - aside from the gentle contact between them.

Finally, she reveals the reasoning. And despite his best efforts, Alexander cannot help the massive expulsion of air as he finally breaths. An almost hysterical laughter, soft and warm, lilts from his dark lips in a deep rumble. Sívamet, my heart, my love is not conditional, it is endless. Whether you bear me a child ever, your worth will never diminish. He murmurs now, inching closer to pull her smaller form in against his chest, his embrace warm within the cooling waters.

My family...we are cursed. We...children are precious, as are the women that bear them. They are rare amongst my kin. When we are blessed with them, they are often few in number. And... He pauses, his chest tightening, breath shuddering at the thought - the memory. We have lost many. There is grief in his voice, unable to hide such a raw feeling. He can only hope this will not scare her. For if they did decide to try, there may be loss ahead, more sorrow.

We never have to even try, if it would put your soul at ease. And in that moment, he knew he meant it. All too well did he know the pain such a loss could bring and Alexander would not place that burden on her - ever - if he could help it. A paw raises, tenderly moving to run up and down along her spine, allowing the very tips of his talons to trail along her flesh. Whether this was done to console her or himself, it was uncertain.