Alexander's irritation only seems to grow. Not only is he not offered a proper explanation right off, he's made to wait. Finally, @Lilliana speaks and begins to explain. The news of their marriage elicits surprise from the beast. Eyes widen, he looks between the two; realizing that this situation was quite literally no different than the one with Levana and Ryker. There is an instant wariness in his heart, in his soul. Mother he is tired. Tired of all of this, tired of all these supposed loyalists causing such friction within this family - for him, for all those that strived for peace. Selfish.

They were so very selfish.

Lilliana had not thought about how this would affect the entirety of her family. She hadn't known the extent of his intentions? Did she know him at all then? There is worry and hesitation written all over his face, as well as a blatant distrust for this husband of his niece. Her father was gone, Camellia was gone. So many had disappeared, taking parts of his heart with him. What was left, he would protect with the broken pieces.

"Seems the two of you need to get more on the same page." He thought he was done being surprised, but nothing could prepare him for the one that came next. The comforting words of their mother tongue grace his ears. Alexander should be happy, but instead he feels dread. With how this had all started, the King could only begin to imagine the turmoil the rest would all cause. His heart squeezed tight, sorrow overcoming him for a brief second.

What if this were to be another Arkyn and Csitri situation? Would Lilliana turn her back against them, would she embrace those of her husbands Gods and forsake the Mother? Perhaps that had not happened exactly, but it had been what it felt like. As Csitri's father, blood or not, it had broken his heart to see her disappear, presumably to abandon her family. Abandon him. Would the Savante name only pass with his own efforts. Women, more than men - were supposed to carry the name with more weight.

"Beszélgetést teremtett..." He has created discourse... He rumbles, pale gaze lingering on @Haakon. How could he willingly bring someone so volatile, unpredictable and careless into his home? Finally, the beast speaks - ushering forward to explain himself more. This only proves to irritate Alexander more. The news that he asked permission and it had been approved set his blood ablaze. So, Caladan had wanted violence and conflict between the two of them?

Alexander hadn't at all paid any mind to whatever was going on between Miaran and Aphrodite, domestic disputes weren't his business, after all. So he was unaware of the disagreement. However, it seemed like it didn't matter. And Aphrodite and Haakon would only be rewarded for such behavior. Ears sweep back, his brows furrowing further as Haakon continued to speak. If his words were meant to be a dig, they were misplaced.

Lilliana was the epitome of potential. She had an important role within this family and him taking her nullified that, especially if he oppressed her desire to worship and be with her family. Perhaps this was more of his own fear rearing it's head, but it was there and he would not ignore it. He steps forward, teeth flashing, "We know nothing about you. You sought violence to prove your worth when my family strives for peace. You spit on that with your proposal and disrespect me as a result. We know nothing of your traditions and you expect us to just accept this? You did not care to learn of her family, you only wanted to take what you think is yours. She is not a possession."

Haakon only continued to dig himself further into a hole with Alexander. Not only did he continue on, but he threatened him as well. Disgust. He didn't want Lilliana to have anything to do with this disrespectful idiot and he would find a way, even if it killed him, to rip them apart.

The Mother could not have blessed this union - it was no coincidence that it was done in private, where there were no witnesses. "I can throw about threats too, boy. Do not take today as a show of weakness, I can and will show you the true might of a Savante if you try and keep Lilliana from us or our Mother." And of course, Miaran was quick to offer praise, a reward - a way to entice them away from the Hollows. Alexander would not, could not condone Lilliana living there.

He didn't trust any of them. For good reason.

"I do not want my niece living within the Cove. This has been an outright attack, and it seems that the leadership is not on the same page. Until we can mend things, or if we can, I ask that Lilliana remain in her home. You," He pauses, looking back to Haakon, "Are free to come and go as you please." And oh, would he be watching. Waiting for the other to mess up. He had sat idly by, trying to be understanding while some foolish boy had brainwashed his daughter. Alexander would not allow his niece to suffer the same fate. Blue eyes look toward Teodora as she fought the other. He had failed today, he could only hope Teodora would not.

table by aurora / art

Teodora had been fighting all her life, it seemed. Perhaps not always. Once upon a time she'd been a soft, delicate creature who believed in love. In fairy tales. The monsters that went bump in the night were just make believe and couldn't hurt her. Until they did.

Until they ripped her apart and took her soul with it.

And now, now what was left of it was tethered to only one and without him, Teodora knew she would crumble. But here and now? Now the fire was still ablaze in her heart, it fueled her merciless barrage of teeth and claws. This girl had much to learn, but even still, she was showing Teodora one thing: She was a worthy opponent, despite her age.

It still didn't take away from the fact that the Blood Mother needed to teach her a lesson. The Savante were a family that needed to be taken seriously, but since their arrival they'd been seen as a joke by many. Before her death, Teodora would do whatever she could to fix that.

As the other began to lower herself, the ghoul knew something big was about to happen. As Lagertha pushed herself off the rock and to the side; Teodora would immediately attempt to push herself off of her opponent - trying to use her body to kick herself off.

Of course, she wasn't quite fast enough. The other had managed to turn around quickly and begin lashing out. The Savante woman had put some distance between them, thankfully, so the claws going for her belly slashed across defensive legs. Blood blossoms along their red and white surface, some deeper than others due to the positioning. Teodora was attempting to roll away, so the attack aimed for her neck managed to grab onto her shoulder briefly before the ghoul ripped it away in her retreat.

Panting heavily, the action she'd made had been one - somewhat smooth motion. But she still struggled to stand up, dirt kicking up around her. As soon as she could, teeth would lurch forward to try and snap for Lagertha's face, trying to do damage where ever she could manage while the woman was down.

Teodora vs. @Lagertha
For Minor Maim
0 1 2 3 4
Hits:

Rolling 5d20: 1 + 19 + 2 + 15 + 4

Dodges:

Rolling 7d20: 8 + 12 + 15 + 5 + 16 + 13 + 1

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 11 + 2 + 1 + 17 + 12

coded by flea + background credit + art

She waited patiently for @Haakon to answer before she could. Listening to @Miaran ♔ praise him for his ambition before offering him a rank of either Noble or Lead Fighter. After all of this, Aphrodite felt like that should've been done in a more private scene rather than out in the open. It was clear that @Alexander ♔ was not pleased with this and she wasn't pleased with this entire ordeal. It showed with how he spoke and Aphrodite would listen intently.

Not that my words are going to matter at this point, but when he came to me I offered to come to you and ask for his wife - your niece - but even he said his traditions would not allow him to do that. She understood the cautiousness that had to be held with the Hollows. That had been why she had offered to come and seek out a trade instead of outwardly fighting for the woman's freedom. And when Alexander stepped towards Haakon, Aphrodite would step between them. Her tail lashed when she heard Haakon's on words. Set your anger out on me, for I am the one who allowed this to happen. She was ready to deal with the consequences.

He speaks to Haakon before stating that Lilliana will not being living in the Cove and Aphrodite would dip her head to the King. She is free to stay in the Hollows with her family and the duties she has for your family. I will not take that away. She would state, agreeing and at this point not caring that Miaran or Haakon loathed her afterwards. The Hollows was not a pride she wanted a war to be waged against. Allow me to offer anything to resolve this. Name your price. She wanted peace, even if it brought war to her own heart with her wife and family. But she stayed focused on Alexander instead.

code by corvus

@Miaran ♔, warrior queen, is quick to assuage Haakon’s irritation at the miscommunication, buttering him up and offering him a rank he has surely, by now, earned. The viking flashes a quick, tight smile and a slight nod - but this is something to discuss later, in private when there are no looming, hulking beasts still prattling on.

And thus, his attention remains on @Alexander ♔, and he struggles to keep his mouth shut when the red lion speaks of respect, and then demeans him by calling him boy. Their age cannot be so great that it is nothing but an insult. He has been beaten, and still he seeks to speak down to his betters. Haakon offers an olive branch and Alexander is quick to snap it in two.

Black lips part to address that what the Savante king wants or doesn’t want is none of his concern - the gods have spoken and the choice is none but Lilliana’s, and he is sure she has chosen him. But as the first sound escapes his throat -

@Aphrodite ♔ speaks up. “She is free to stay in the Hollows with her family and the duties she has for your family. I will not take that away.”

Haakon’s icy blue eyes snap towards his queen, his ally - the one had had gone to in this matter - wide and confused for only a moment before something cold settles over his expression instead. He watches the ebony queen cower, begging for mercy from a king he had already bested, to make this right.

"Coward." The single word rips from his throat, taking with it the respect he had for Caladan’s queens, now torn to shreds in the wake of this absolute clusterfuck. "The gods will punish you for this." It is not a threat, nor a curse - but a promise. Haakon has seen the gods ignored and forsook before, and the consequences have been dire. But here, he is powerless. A warrior among those with crowns and kingdoms.

And he is no longer interested in listening to their bullshit.

His attention turns away from the group, to @Lilliana. He presses a kiss to her jaw, then as he lingers there, breathes, so very softly, "I will come for you. They will not keep us apart." But for the moment, without the support of the kingdom he was promised, Haakon is unable to keep her safe. For now, they must part ways.

Breaking free of his wife’s hold, Haakon steps away, willing to meet the gaze of whoever dares meet his. His gaze lingers on Miaran, Aphrodite. His lips twitch, amused and cold. "Consider me an ex-member of Caladan, queens. One you should not cross again."

And that is a threat.

Exit.

code © hinter

So many words are tossed around. A grey Queen offering her husband a rank sees some of her tension resolved. The fear of him being banished no longer a concern. The darker Queen offers anything to right her wrong as she is the one who told Haakon he could do this. They did not need to be enemies.

Her uncle, instead, dashes all hope. And Lilliana can only stare at him. Bewildered. Hurt. Angry. The last emotion a foreign one. Never had the woman felt anger toward her family. Let along her patriarch. Even when they had placed the death curse upon her sister, it had not been anger but immense grief that had followed.

@Haakon places a kiss to her jaw. Mutters his promise. Her brows knit slightly. What did that mean? She makes to ask him but he is already painfully pulling away from her. Lilliana takes a step, having no desire for distance. Then what he has to address to the Queens, leaves the Medic's jaws a little slack. What? He was.. Leaving. But to where? How long? When would he come for her and how? Too many questions. All of which she wanted to scream out toward his departing form.

Silence falls. Broken only by the clash of battle nearby. Each growl, every rip; it only served to transform Lilliana's long standing sorrow into pure righteous fury. Heat coursed along her veins, boiling beneath her skin and warming her all the way up to the tips of her ears. She thought of her mother. The way she had always put @Alexander ♔ in his place. Thought about all the times the men in her family spoke of the women. How they held all the power. But where was hers? Did she have to yell and curse just to be heard? Just to be respected enough to make her own choices? Did he get all say to all matters in her life? Including who she married? He had tried that once already. Something Camellia had shut down all together. He had listened to her mother. Now he would listen to her as well. Or risk losing her forever by pushing her away.

I. Am. No. Child. Alexander. She breathes through clenched teeth, form and attention slipping slowly back to him. Emerald eyes that were usually so full of mirth now only seeping with wrath. And neither is my husband. She had not missed the fact he had called Haakon a boy. An utterly disrespectful blow considering Haakon had indeed proven himself today.

Men and their egos. They'll say or do anything once it became wounded. As such, my decisions are mine. And mine alone. Period. The end. No more could she lay down and allow her family to call all the shots for her. Shocker, but she did have a mind of her own. Her own thoughts. Her own feelings.

Now, it was clearer than ever why Camelllia had made the decision she had. To depart from the Hollows. From the family. She understood the sudden need for space. The need to breathe unrestricted air. I will continue my duties. I will not abandon my title. A deep inhale, a grasp at trying to hold onto this feeling for a little longer. Willing the tears to stay their hand for just a few more moments. But the Hollows is my home no longer. A location was not home for Lilliana. Family would always be her home. No matter where they were. No matter where she may ever be. But Haakon was family now. Whether or not Alexander, or anyone else here, wanted to accept that. He was her home just as much as the Savante were.

With flattened ears and a final glance toward the direction Haakon had gone, Lilliana gathers herself, and departs back to the Badlands.

Back to her garden. Where the events of today could break every bone in her body privately.

/Exit from OH

art by Deej

Alexander had little to no time to respond or react to anything. He received nothing but anger and resentment from his niece. Disrespect from her husband - and nothing else. There was no consideration, no respect. And in truth...

He was so very tired.

The Hollows King stood up, looked amongst those gathered and looked to @Aphrodite ♔. Blue eyes stare at her for a long, quiet moment. No words leave his mouth, though it was uncertain as to why. His mind ran rampant with feelings, with betrayal - hurt and sorrow.

Yet another to leave.
To abandon him.

Yet another stranger to rip his family apart.

Or was it him?
Was he the problem?

Had he always been the problem?

The Savante turns slowly, a look of utter emptiness on his features. And he leaves. He says nothing to no one; Alexander simply leaves. Not toward his home, no, the King wanders.

Lost.

/exit Alexander

code + art

When each sets of words rang out, they pierced Miaran's heart like a dagger. The betrayal and loss caused by Aphrodite's actions cut deep, igniting a fiery rage within her. With narrowed eyes and a clenched jaw, she shot a venomous glare at her wife, the Black Widow who had spun this web of deceit.

As Haakon and Alexander turned and walked away, Miaran felt a wave of frustration and disappointment wash over her. She couldn't bear to stay in the presence of the one who had caused such mess. With a heavy mind and a heavy exhale, she made to depart, but not before delivering a stern ultimatum to @Aphrodite ♔ in a hushed whisper.

You are going to fix this mess, Miaran's voice dripped with anger and determination. Stay here until Lagertha is finished, and then help her home. We will have a reckoning later. The weight of her words hung in the air as she turned and stormed off, her mind clouded with fury.

Each step she took away from the scene only fueled the fire burning within her. The betrayal of her wife, the chaos caused by her actions, it all swirled around in Miaran's mind like a tempest. She needed time to clear her head, to calm the storm raging inside her. But until then, her anger burned bright, threatening to consume her whole.

/Exit

table code by daanyen

she's got the devil in her eyes
pretty in the light, even prettier at night

Things went by fast. Alexander left and Haakon declared himself an enemy. Yes she supported his traditions. The way his family was but when it clashes against another, one that would require the lion to be there. That was where she had issues. But even Lillianna seemed to not like that she sided with Alexander. Leaving the Hollows for her husband and deep down Aphrodite found that rather impressive before her own wife told her to stay and wait for Lagertha. A growl erupted from her lips but she turned turned watched her Noble fight. She would wait like a good hound. She didn't want to be home anyways.

table by ryuu

I put my armor on, show you how strong I am

Perhaps they all had such a time. That time where minds were still untainted by the truth of reality. The truth that their world wasn't a fairytale, not a dream, but a place where violence determined who would last.

Youth against experience was a fight she was all too familiar with. Something she had known from the moment she could walk. She'd fought for as long as she could remember. And that would benefit her in at least some small way. Others tended to underestimate her. Though this one hadn't and for that alone she could respect her. No holding back because she was younger, no fighting like she was less. Someone who still needed to learn, yes. But someone who should still be taken just as seriously.

Her attempt to throw the other off had worked out. Not quite as she planned, but she would adapt. A swift move had her shifting on the ground after fangs tore into the other's shoulder instead of her neck, though her hold on the red woman hadn't lasted. Fangs came towards her face with vicious intent as she was still moving and she dashed forward in a head on charge to meet the smaller woman with brute force, seeking to crash into her while lowering her head, protecting her own throat while a vicious bite aimed at Teodora's neck once again.

If she was getting tired, she was determined not to let it show. No, she wouldn't give anyone that satisfaction. Not when she still had to rip and tear, when the flames were not yet sated.

Lagertha vs. @Teodora
For Minor Maim (Dislocated shoulder)
Round 3 / 4
Hits:

Rolling 5d20: 14 + 12 + 18 + 16 + 11

Dodges:

Rolling 4d20: 16 + 2 + 17 + 11

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 11 + 17 + 13 + 3 + 19

code by flea, art by irish

The pair of women near her ceased their fighting at Reti’s barking, though as she turned back to the group surrounding Alexander, Teodora had taken Vladizmir’s place against the sandy-furred woman. She listened to @Cosmin's attempt at an explanation of the man. A Savante, huh? She liked most of Cosmin's family but something about his supposed great uncle rubbed her the wrong way.

She didn’t hear much of the exchange over the fighting, save for Lilliana’s last words: But the Hollows is my home no longer. Her heart ached then for Alexander. If one thing had been clear of him, it was his love for his family and how happy he was to have them filling their tunnels. She watched as he left without another word, dejected and alone, but felt it was not her place to follow. She was not family and her presence was probably the last he desired. She turned to Cosmin with a pleading look. "Maybe you should go after him? I think he needs you now more than ever." Family turned away and denounced the Hollows, but family could be there to support him in return.

art by moogle, code by lars