By the time the pair arrived to the Brook, the sun had began it's slow climb out from whatever den it retreated to at night.
All movement halts on the outer side of the border, stark white tail thrashing once as if he were thinking about it. Crossing over yet again uninvited. Both times had seen him under fire. A consequence Cassius did not at all mind. But now was different. Now he had precious cargo in tow. And she certainly wouldn't stand a chance against claws in her condition. So for once he does the proper thing. He calls for @Icefang ♔. And then he waits.

This is Vermeda Brook. Ruled by my grandmother, Icefang. The explanation for @Freja coming out with a huff as the colossal male flopped into the grass. The White Queen may have always wanted him to follow pride protocol when it came to visits, but that didn't mean he needed to be any more formal than this. It had been quite the trek after all. He deserved a quick recline in the shade.

I was recently granted the title of Patriarch by my great grandfather, Icefang's husband
He continues, using a claw to pick at something in his back teeth. She has been Matriarch for a long time. Suffice to say she didn't take too kindly to me killing the old man. This was the first time they were rejoining since that night. But perhaps all that could be water under the bridge.

Hopefully. For everyone's sake.

code by scorpixia♡︎ | art by drifter

Digestion had barely begun before they’d moved on.

Not that Freja wasn’t used to eating on the move - it was practically a way of life for her to eat and run. But it had been a long time since her belly had felt so full, the white fur around her muzzle pinkened with the remnants. There remained even more blood, painted across her face from the heathen’s paw and Freja didn’t quite want to admit that she had been too apprehensive about trying to rub any of it away. It flaked every now and then, small patches that fell away and left a sprinkled trail behind them, but the majority remained from temple to cheek. It hadn’t taken long for the early morning flies to descend and every few paces the muddied woman shook her head to rid her face of the buzzing irritations. She remained quiet as she followed however, still entirely uncertain of the situation at hand.

It was perhaps enough of a reassurance that he was taking her to a pride and not some hovel or pit to just bury her body. Freja did not really understand the depth of trouble she had found herself; she did not understand his motivations, desires, needs. Then again, he was a stranger and whoever claimed to know those things straight off the bat must be gifted indeed. For now, she could keep her eyes and her ears open, try to divine what she could from it and proceed with caution. It seemed the most logical step. In spite of the obvious darkness that seeped from Cassius’ pores, perhaps he didn’t mean any harm by claiming her, by offering his protection and nurture as he had.

As the landscape around her changed, Freja studied what she could see, noting anything she might be able to forage for later in the wide open forest they entered. This land was verdant and wild - it tugged at her to explore and see exactly what it had to offer. All in good time. Her dark ears lifted at the deep rumble from ahead as the dark male flopped onto the ground, on the border of the pride she was being taken to. Vermeda Brook - it looked as pleasant as the rest of the wooded area they had travelled through. And the added information - that it was ruled by family, a grandmother named Icefang. Freja came to a natural stop near the reclining male, ears lifted as she nodded quietly. Any thoughts she’d had of responding to that information was wiped out entirely as his next words clashed.

- me killing the old man

She blinked, eyes widening as she took in the man. A creature still quite youthful, a killer. "Why did you kill him, if he had already passed the title to you?" She asked, heart hammering and brain wondering if perhaps this was the wrong kind of question to ask. It gave the muddied woman at least some more information about Cassius and his capabilities - he was perfectly willing to kill. Should it have made her feel safer? Probably not. There was no guarantee that she would be exempt from those claws and teeth. "Will your grandmother be willing to help, given the circumstances?" She asked, mismatched eyes now lifted from the males reclined position to watch the horizon with a flicker of apprehension. Perhaps they would be less welcome here than Cassius predicted.
@Cassius ♔ @Icefang ♔

"SPEECH"

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icefang

He had warned her there was more to discuss besides his ascension into the patriarch title. A claim that she had yet to tell the X'uekai that lived beneath her rule. Whenever she had been questioned about her recently torn ear and claw marks, she lied and told them that she had been ambushed by Lagoon members outside of the brook's borders. A lie to help fuel the fire within her warriors' souls in preparation for the war she would wage on their enemies. Cassius's call only irks the already agitated ice queen. She snarls when she recognizes it and paces momentarily outside her den as she contemplates answering.

Purposefully waiting a few minutes out of spite, Icefang shifts to head towards the border in direction of the summons. Once her lovely grandson appears in view, her face instantly contorts to show her distaste. She had never been proficient at letting go of grudges. Her judgemental gaze drifts to the feminine bag of bones standing next to him as he sits for the first time outside of her territory. "What?" She growls, unable to keep her poise. Her injuries might of healed for the second time, the pale, pink scars fresh on her ivory pelt but her ire had not. Though he should thank her for not being attacked on site.

@Cassius ♔ @Freja

ART & TABLE BY AURORA

The skies grew ever brighter as the pair waited. Not that Cassius minded all too much. Perhaps his dear ol' granny had yet to wake for the day. Like children, elders needed ample rest.
In any case the delay offered up the opportunity for him to speak with @Freja freely. And without interruption; whether that be by word or by bloodshed.

His death was the only way to gain such a title. He surveys her face for a moment. Wondering what she thought about him now. As if the first interaction between them hadn't been out of pocket already. Did she find him to be more dangerous than before? He hoped so. He'd leave out that Renozuri had wished for death. That the old lion had never wanted to reach such a geriatric state of being. Let her think he took it. And maybe the idea of how far he was willing to take things would aide in keeping her in line.

Pale as a ghost, @Icefang ♔ finally arrives. Her agitation noted but wholly ignored as Cassius puts forth a wide and welcoming smile. Grandmother, how lovely to see you. He coos, rising only enough to trade his reclining position for a sitting one. A visual signal that perhaps conveyed his disinterest in another brawl. Not only that, but a willingness to let his guard down. To be the one at a disadvantage. You're looking much better. That well receiving smile flickering momentarily into something more subtly sly.

I've brought you another gift. A paw rises, gesturing toward his companion. Icefang, Freja. Freja, Icefang--High Queen of Vermeda.

code by scorpixia♡︎ | art by drifter

In a way, perhaps the answer that came was to be expected. He had already admitted to killing his own kin, was it really such a stretch to believe that he had therefore earned the title now bestowed upon him? Wasn't that just the way of their world? Freja had fled her homeland under circumstances of similar ilk; another male challenging her father for his title. While the usurper would not have inherited anything other than the territory, the lionesses within, it wasn't a huge leap to think that this was the way of things elsewhere. She swallowed, not quite a gulp but certainly noticeable if he looked close enough. What was she supposed to say to that? Congratulations?

She was saved from the struggle of trying to find fitting words to that by the arrival of a pale, scarred lioness. Cassius had declined to answer her query about whether Icefang would be amenable to the suggestion, but the abrasive word that erupted from the Brook Queen was perhaps answer in itself. Cassius straightened from his reclined position, sitting up instead and Freja almost felt the need to slink closer, to put her body closer to that of her supposed protector. Not necessarily because the scarred, older lioness worried her but maybe an instinctual response to the approach of a less than friendly predator. Or in some weird way, she felt slighter safer doing so.

She remained standing where she was.

Cassius' greeting washed over her, perhaps a bit on the sly side and Freja definitely felt there was some context she was missing to his comment about looking better. A medic's eye flashed over the freshly torn, freshly healed ear and the newer pinkish scars on the woman's body. Did Cassius know something about them? A swift, somewhat confused glance came hurtling towards the male at his next words - another gift? An immediate riot of emotions rose like gorge, the questioning look lingering as she was formally introduced to the Queen.

"A pleasure, Queen Icefang." Almost automatically, a practised response from a good, well-mannered daughter. But the questions remained - a gift? And perhaps not the only one? What was going on here? There had been a small part of her that had felt a little special at the claim Cassius had laid over her.
@Cassius ♔ @Icefang ♔

"SPEECH"

code by scorpixia♡︎

icefang

Ugh - that smile. The sight causes her skin to prickle, irritation running a marathon along her whole body as she stands a few feet in front of the pair. Her expression fails to falter as @Cassius ♔ speaks, the high sovereign wrinkling her nose further when he comments how great it is to see her and that she is looking better. A growl rumbles in her chest, a warning as he swiftly switches topics to the lioness lingering next to him. At the mention of a gift, her grudgeful blue orbs hop to @Freja. Her response is polite, but unfortunately despite her innocence in the situation she would not escape the queen's wrath.

"A gift? What am I suppose to do with this?" The ivory serpent slides up along Freja's free side, one ivory paw picked up to jab at the woman's protruding ribcage. "She is unsuitable for the Brook. I need warriors, not charity cases." Blue eyes scrutinize over every inch of the larger female, malice dripping off each word that is hissed from the serpent's lips. Icefang strides behind the two, coming up past Cassius's free side now to place herself back in front of them. "Dare I ask what I stand to gain from this present?" More headaches? Was the young man doomed to cause her strife with each twist and turn of his actions?

ART & TABLE BY AURORA

There was something just so damn enjoyable when it came to seeing @Icefang ♔ so royally pissed off. Especially when it was aimed at him. The adrenaline it spiked within his lower abdomen was just about as addicting as killing.

The wraith slithers toward @Freja and Cassius does not move. His eyes lock upon the splotched woman yet his features remain lax. He could easily pinpoint her discomfort but he hoped his stance, or lack there of, would be enough to convey that she was in no danger. He had promised to safeguard her, and he would. When it was needed. Which right now it clearly was not.

No. A warrior she is not. A feigned sigh as if it were indeed a real pity. But she has made mention of being a healer. She also said she was a huntress yet that still remained to be seen. The previous family that held the Brook for so long will surely return. And I imagine tensions are high when it comes to them. His attention continued to stare down at Freja, even as Icefang circled around them both like a shark. Only an ear followed the Queen as she progressed along her chosen path. Making sure your fighters stay alive is just as important as the actual fighting. Couldn't quite lead an army to victory if all your soldiers were down for the count. He knew of at least two Medics within the Brook. But could it really hurt to hoard more?

In it's physical sense, this gift will also only be temporary. Cassius' eyes remove themselves from his companion and return to the snowy 'ess as she comes once more to stand before them. There were things left unsaid the last time we.. spoke.. Gazing flicking to her half missing ear. I didn't get the chance to tell you that I plan on taking a Pride for myself. And with me now being Patriarch it would also be for you and your brood. He'd let her think on that for but a moment before adding, Who better for us to ally ourselves with than family? There has been so much friction between us, Icefang. Finally he stands, moving closer to Freja and gesturing toward her once more. Let that friction die here, hm? Take Freja as a peace offering. House her. Feed her. Teach her how to be a Queen. One in your own image if it pleases you. And in return she will service you in whatever ways you need. She will heal your injured; your sick. She will help feed your army. Birth children for Velasco if you wish. Grow our family. Our Empire. And when the time comes, you will extend the same offering of peace by releasing her back to me once I've obtained a Pride of my own.

It was quite a lot to ask for. And there was always a chance Icefang would laugh in his face and turn them away. But there was also nothing stopping Cassius from exterminating her children once she grew too frail to stop him. Their feuding could continue if she wished it. But eventually their bloodshed would turn to murder. Something not in either party's best interest.

He also assumed that Freja would have something to say on the matter. But her words would do nothing to sway him. She was his now after all. His to protect. His to hold.

His to torment.

code by scorpixia♡︎ | art by drifter

Vitriol poured from the pale Queen and Freja was unable to stop the flinch.

Ears flattened and a rapid blink of mismatched eyes conveyed enough. She might not be in the best of conditions right now, but she certainly had her uses. The fur along her spine lifted defensively as Icefang approached, circling like a carrion crow and jabbing a paw into her readily displayed ribcage. The low twitch of her grey-tipped tail spoke of her agitation, though the older feline had moved on to circle back around the dark man and then to face them again as she demanded to know the benefit to herself. "I can -" The protest that rose to the tip of her tongue was silenced as Cassius similarly turned an assessing gaze upon her.

The scrutiny was almost too much for the blood-speckled woman, who wished for just a moment she could turn into herself and disappear. Or maybe that she had never met the dark creature. It felt a bit surreal, to be spoken about as if she were a mere tree or rock to which the pair had turned their attention - some inanimate object rather than a creature of thought and feeling. Then again, she did not try to interrupt again as Cassius began to talk in earnest, the most she had heard from his lips since their ill-fated meeting. It was a lot to take in; the wish for a pride of his own and the subsequent terms he laid before Icefang.

Birth children for Velasco if you wish.

It struck her like a blow to the head, her mouth hanging open in shock and body rearing back from his general space. It felt like falling unexpectedly off a platform, expecting her next step to maintain her and stumbling instead over empty air. The swooping sickness in her gut made her breathless for a moment as she returned Cassius' gaze. "I will not -" She hissed, body bristling and ears flattened. "Our bargain included no such terms - my womb is not for rent." So far, she had been the picture of subservience but Freja was not without a backbone. "Put me to work. I am a good healer and a fair hunter, I am used to cubsitting - teach me whatever you wish." She had turned to Icefang at this point, firm determination upon her features. "I will not be a burden to you." She vowed, body tense and heart trying desperately to escape her chest.

She had not thought that Cassius' definition of "mine" had such loose connotations.
@Cassius ♔ @Icefang ♔

"SPEECH"

code by scorpixia♡︎

icefang

She is unimpressed further when the woman fails the poking and prodding, flinching at Icefang's approach. There is a warning flick of the tail, but it is ignored as the serpent circles back to her starting point. The beginnings of a protest that is quickly silenced as they discuss her value. He confirms her assessment. No, the dame was not a warrior. Pathetic. Instead, she is a healer. The petty side of her personality wants to sneer that she has enough healers. Blue orbs flicker upon the bargaining chip once again, a loud rush of air blowing through her nostrils. "Healer? She struggles to care for herself." If she had been in prime condition, the high sovereign would of been more inclined to believe it. No, she was starting to think that @Cassius ♔ had shown his own form of pity when he snatched @Freja under his wing. He comments on the importance of keeping her fighters alive, another soft growl rippling through her. She knew the stakes of war -such facts did not need to be stated to her.

Finally, the climax of this visit is revealed. An ear flicks forward, Icefang's hardened stare softening for a second as he discusses taking a pride and allying himself officially with her. Hm. That could be useful. He points out their friction, a glance at her torn ear, and in turn she bares her fangs at him. "Blame yourself," she rumbles. He had never been charismatic in her approach with her and a male like him only seemed to learn through tooth and claw. A lesson she had given him every time he played with her boundaries. However, the terms of his arrangement are revealed and she mulls over Freja's form once more. Considering. It was an...unexpected olive branch. Even if the branch was less than satisfactory. Icefang had always been a savior in her own way. She had taken abandoned cubs and molded them into something. Formidable foes. Here and there she had done it to those who were older than her preferred age range as she considers Cathan or Melusina and how they had jumped at the chance to fight for the brook. They had been docile creatures until they found themselves beneath her reign. Even Parthena had slowly revealed a vicious nature.

It is when Freja protests at the conditions that Icefang's gaze sparks interest. Oh, the little bird had a fire to her. "It seems your pet doesn't agree," she smirks, amusement lacing her tone as the splotched lioness disagrees on being a brood prospect. "What were the terms of your bargain?" Curiosity snakes through her as she leaves the question open for either to answer. Would she stop Velasco from touching her? That was not something she could decide on right now. Belonging to Cassius had put a mark on her in ways that Icefang would not say. All he asked for was that she was returned. He did not state she had to go back in one piece. "When do you expect to take a crown?" She asks, attention shifting back to her grandson. Was this arrangement going to be longer than expected? Days, weeks, months?

Freja affirms she will not be a burden and the high sovereign runs her tongue along her bottom lip in thought. "Fine," she huffs "Move it. Before I change my mind." A jerk of her skull as she beckons for the lioness to walk over the border and mark herself as a member of the brook.

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A tenuous twitch of his ear before his head slowly turns back toward @Freja and her refusal. Though his motions were stiff, the look he offers is one of amusement. He was conflicted about it really. The fact she had spoken out of turn and even gone against his wishes boiled his blood. However, to hear her also refuse the touch of another man scorched him in a completely different way. Should he be proud? Flattered? Pissed? Cassius had no fucking clue. But he did know one thing, she had stepped out of line. A fact that would have to be remedied.
Later.

Icefang takes the offering and before @Freja can do as told, a paw flies out to hook her under he arm. To pull her toward him. Get cleaned up. And do what she tells you. He whispers. You have two days. Then you and I will go out and help fill the Queen's cache. This being said a little louder for Icefang to hear. Then she is released as he turns back to the wraith. I found her near the island entry. I saved her life and in return she is to serve me. And serving you is indeed serving me. He explains. And though he does not show it, he inwardly dares the splotched woman to open her mouth again. His grandmother's presence won't be enough to save her a second time. And maybe that would be conveyed in the chilled look he tosses toward his relinquished companion.

As for the timelines to my ambition, Subject shifting back to the board of politics. It will all depend. So many young upstarts are testing their luck right now. Whether it was days, weeks or months had yet to be seen even by him. But I do have another offer for you. @Icefang ♔ next recieving a wily twinkle of a grin.

code by scorpixia♡︎ | art by drifter