The had made it back across the borders late the night before and Freja had spent the night curled against the X'uekai Patriarch. Not only had he completely erased the scent of Scilla from her skin, but their physical reunification had ensured that she was saturated in the scent of him alone. Not just Vermeda, but the unique bouquet that marked her more thoroughly as his. She wore it like a perfume, revelled even momentarily in the complete eradication of her own self in place of him. It seemed too good to be true, too early to tell how long it would last. Too early to tell for a lot of things, although Freja had hopes and wishes like any thoroughly ravaged female would.

The scent emanating from Icefang's den had changed drastically since she'd been here last. When she'd found the White Queen cleaning and freshening and still perfectly happy to deny her pregnancy. Freja had missed the birth, a fact that hit her with sadness - she had told Icefang she would be there. And then it had all gone to hell. It was still a fresh-cub smell though, enough that the piebald woman stopped well outside the den and did not crowd its entrance where no doubt the Queen's children still slumbered.

"My Queen?"

The low-pitched query as to whether Icefang was in residence or not was unobtrusive - she didn't want to disturb the mother or the cubs within but she had wanted to at least let Icefang know she was back, to see how she was. And perhaps to get the story as to how Cassius had claimed the position of Heir after the war that had failed.

@Icefang ♔

Art by Moogle, Code by Minxy

She was inside feasting on a kill while her children suckled their midday meal. She is finishing up, blood staining the majority of her muzzle and face when that familiar, sickly sweet voice calls out to her. Icefang pauses, blue eye squinting against the bit of sunlight that streams into the entrance of her deep den. She rises, the children crying out but quieting once they crawl themselves to each other to huddle for warmth. The matriarch stretches, a loud groan vibrating from her throat before she is stepping out of the dark and into the light to see @Freja. A smile slides onto her face, the dried blood cracking against the movement. "Now, how did you manage to get yourself home?" She had not heard of any challenge for the splotched woman's release, but Icefang does not need more than a few seconds to get her answer.

Jaws part to inhale her scent, stepping out and closer invading her space as she had done the first time Cassius brought her over. She reeked of him. A slight growl rumbles in her chest, but Icefang does not focus on it rather she is observing for any signs that this toy has injuries. If she is damaged goods. Though she does not see anything, but rather all she can see is her heir clearly rubbed all over her. The sex still drifting off her pelt. "I see he has found you," she states a slight edge to her tone, brow quirking as she does that familiar circle of a predator ready to pounce on its prey. "Though you do not tremble nor speak with your head bowed like before. Have you decided to look at Cassius in a different light?" She already knows. She has three times the years on either of them and Icefang can clearly see the longing in her lead hunter's duo toned eyes as she rounds back to stand in front of her, blocking the entrance to her den.

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The quiet of the dawn was the perfect backdrop for Freja to pick up on the sounds of cubs feeding vigorously from inside the den and the louder crunch of a mother feeding herself. Perhaps she should have brought a gift for the White Queen, a fresh meal would have gone down better. It was too late now - the squeals of displeasure preceded Icefang's appearance in the den entrance and it was impossible for Freja to supress the gasp of surprise. Icefang's left eye was damaged in much the same way that Isla's had been - had they extracted the same injuries from each other? Freja had left before the conclusion of their fight, though she had seen the aftermath of the Scillan Queen's hurt not long after and had assumed Icefang had been victorious.

The smile that came her way was soothing however and the question that came from blood soaked lips reached her with reassurance. "I negotiated my release from Scilla." She offered, the smile she gave in return somewhat of grin. And then quickly felt the vibes change - Icefang's careful scrutiny that no doubt took in the scent that saturated her coat (that felt like it saturated her very soul). The low growl that slipped forward, causing her body to tense as the White Queen stepped forward and into her space, the words that came with her almost accusatory. "I - Y-Yes he -" She murmured, confusion clouding her face as Icefang circled her - naturally she tucked her tail tighter against her body but remained where she was.

Her next question baffled and Freja had no idea how to respond. In the worst kind of naivety, she had almost expect Icefang to be happy to see her. To see that she had freed herself, that she had been empowered enough to get herself out of the situation she'd found herself in. And instead, the inquisition had shifted swiftly to Cassius. As Icefang circled back to block the mouth of her den, Freja leaned back somewhat to search the scarred woman's face. "Perhaps I'm not the only one whose opinion has shifted in regards to Cassius. He accepted me back into the Brook, because he is now Heir?" Her words lilted at the end, a question hanging in the air. How did that occur? "The last we spoke, he was a pest who received little but ire from you." But in a way, Icefang was right. Freja would never have voiced such questions and opinions when she'd first arrived.

@Icefang ♔

Art by Moogle, Code by Minxy

The gasp that leaves @Freja's jaws cannot be concealed. Icefang smirks, ignoring it initially as she does her inspection before tilting her skull once she has returned to her starting point. "What? Has he made me so horrifying to look at?" Though she does not specify who 'he' is, but based on the topic of their current discussion it is easy to confuse Cassius as the culprit. Though mention of what he did to her ear would never willingly leave her lips. At first, Freja is giving her smiles and joy, but in seconds the energy between them shifts as she stumbles over her words. "Good. I was just preparing to go get you. I couldn't come sooner because of the children," Her attention drifts towards the entrance of her den. She had given birth days after they had returned from the war and thus her mind had been preoccupied with nurturing the newest generation. Besides she hadn't expected Scilla to treat the lead huntress poorly, they had probably fed her and kept her warm despite the shackles they had thrown around her wrists.

Her crown tilts when Freja throws back her own judgement on Cassius. Icefang is silent a moment, amusement dripping off her expression. My, how the little bird grew so bold. Even if the queen still managed to get her to stumble. "He is family. I always wanted him here, we just had to get past our disagreements first." And indeed they had, or at least she would allow everyone else to believe so while they navigated their new power dynamic. She was used to sharing a male with other women and it wasn't the fact that Freja reeked of her prioritized toy that bothered her. She had known that eventually she would of found her way beneath him - willing or not. Rather, it was the thought that she hadn't immediately come to the Brook to search for acceptance from Icefang. She had been a gracious host had she not? "So, did he find you? Or were you the one that sought him out?"

She was a nosey leader and Icefang felt quite certain that she would of known if Freja had met Cassius at the borders and then proceeded to lay with him. She would of likely walked in on their privacy to assess the woman if she had been given the chance.

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He -

Her mouth snapped shut, confusion overtaking her as she tried to assimilate this new information. Her assumption had been the Scillan Queen and she said as much now - "I presumed Isla had returned the favour. I saw the mess you made of her face." She replied, an approving edge to her voice. Freja was not bloodthirsty, she did not enjoy the fallout of battles and war. It was her job to fix them, afterall. But in spite of the fair treatment she had received in the Lagoon, she still harboured a grudge about being taken in the first place and that extended to all Scillan's. "'He' who?" She asked, peering with a more critical eye over the healing wound. "Have you had it looked at? By a healer?" She wasn't ready to let it go quite yet.

Of course, the inspection had gone both ways and Icefang's words were not a surprise to her. "Congratulations - are they well?" She asked, mismatched eyes also flickering towards the gloom of the den entrance. She could see nothing, but she could certainly hear the hungry little grunts from within and it softened her somewhat. She still had questions, ones that Icefang no doubt would not give her a straight answer on. Cassius was family, but 'disagreements' hadn't seemed like a strong enough word for the contempt Icefang had regarded him with. Nevertheless, it was a solid reason - he being the X'uekai Patriarch, it made sense for him to be here too.

She gave only a nod of acceptance in return to that information, knowing how unlikely it was that she would get the White Queen to elaborate. And Icefang had her own inquisition to continue with - had Cassius found her first? "We met in the middle. I was heading north for home, he south and he found me around the Peak." She explained, ears turning slightly horizontal as she wondered what the differentiation was. What did it matter to Icefang? "We made it back late last night and now I'm here, seeking you out." She tacked on, mismatched eyes lifting just enough to catch startling blue and cloudy white before she dipped her head back down again.

@Icefang ♔

Art by Moogle, Code by Minxy

I presumed Isla had returned the favor. I saw the mess you made of her face.

She hears the approval in @Freja's voice and Icefang smiles. "The mess I made of her and Cassandra," she hums obviously quite pleased with herself. If only she had managed to also removed Isla's eye rather than just blind her. "The sovereign of Caladan mimicked my job to their mother. How fitting for the three of them to match now, but no. The viper of Andal Oasis did this to me." She hisses out the last sentiment, a sudden ire simmering inside her as Harou's face flashes in her mind. That bastard. At the prompting for information, the queen releases a sigh as her good eye moves over the lead huntress. They were essentially family now. Cassius had properly marked her and despite the irritation that the situation brought to her in this moment, she knew that Freja might eventually become a trusted shoulder to lean on. Like Nikiri had once been. "Harou. He is the sovereign of Andal, and yes. I ran into Melusina when she was taken by Illyria. She provided treatment." Maybe she had been lucky with her missing medics that the ghastly eye didn't need to be removed. She was not sure what to think about a gaping crater in her face rather than her current appearance.

Congratulations - are they well?

"Yes," and the mention of the children softens her own harsh exterior. "Four girls, one boy." Her largest litter yet and it is clear she is proud for having been able to produce so many at her age. We made it back late last night and now I'm here, seeking you out. She grumbles, but stops when Freja's skull drops back down. The submissive nature she had known was still there and the queen's gaze drifts to the larger lioness's belly. "Perhaps I will be congratulating you next," she states before deciding that her earlier annoyance is unwarranted. Indeed, the details did not truly matter. She had found her way back to the Brook and was ready to serve her as she had before. "Come," she orders the medic, turning to head back inside the den deciding that all is forgiven. She had expected Freja to be one of the few faces inside the den when she had been giving birth, so while she had been a bit prickly upon her return the X'uekai had always planned to allow her to meet the newest generation of their family.

Once inside, she gently licks each cub before nosing them out of their pile so that their faces can easily be seen. The children mewl in protest at the cold sensation on their bodies, but Icefang's attention is already planted back onto Freja, searching for a reaction. What would she think especially at the three that were such a strong resemblance of herself and Cassius? Icefang sits, the cubs crawling around on the fur in front of her paws. "Their father approves," she says hinting to their previous conversation when she had claimed that their creation had been unknown to him.

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By now the she expects the gloating cadence to Icefangs words, the boast that comes with admitting that it was more than just Isla who had received injuries from the White Queen. But the breadcrumbs of information trickled towards her and she listened with open ears as she revealed a small truth - Andal Oasis was responsible. And then, slower still, a name - Harou. It was a privilege, to receive such information from the notoriously tight lipped Queen. "Are we seeking revenge?" She asked, mismatched eyes once again searching the milky, ravaged eyeball now marring the womans face. There was of course more information given - "I did not realise she had also been stolen - will they release her?"

Regardless of Freja's mixed feelings towards the woman and her opinions of Cassius, the Brook was her home and she deserved to live where she wanted to. The Queen's response regarding the cubs was at least positive - they were well. The healer blinked rapidly as the number and genders were revealed; five! "Well congratulations once again, five healthy cubs is quite the achievement." She praised and was pleased when Icefang finally relented and offered her entry into the den. Freja still moved carefully, understanding all too well that Icefang could change her mind.

In the dim interior, it took a moment for her eyes to adjust and the White Queen's nuzzling movements were almost missed. It was clear the Matriarch loved her children however. But as dichotomous eyes roved over tiny scrunched faces, they widened once again. Several of them bore the same moon marking as the Darkling she had recently left sleeping. And there was no such mark upon Icefang's pristine fur. Confusion crossed her features at the woman's comment about the father. And who, precisely, was that? Two of the five were much different, darker and without that telltale sign upon their heads. The first trickling suspicions began at the back of her mind, though the chances of Icefang being honest was slim. "And who might that be?" She asked outright, gaze still fixed upon their tiny little faces.

@Icefang ♔

Art by Moogle, Code by Minxy

Indeed it could be considered a miracle that her particular mood today has indulged her to share so much with @Freja. Are we seeking revenge? Revenge. Most would say it is an ugly thing to chase and desire, but Icefang is a primitive beast at best. "In time," she hums, hopeful that Cassius would indeed keep his word. Otherwise, she was already counting down Harou's days of peace before she stumbles upon him again. Accidentally or intentionally. Whichever came first, but for now her focus was on the writhing bodies inside her den. "Melusina wishes to resolve her own problem," another thing she had check marked off her list. "She will be back soon." Otherwise, the queen knew when she grew tired of waiting she would head to the summit to retrieve the tiny medic herself.

Freja's congratulations are taken well though not acknowledged as the pair shift from the outside of the den to the inside. Eyes adjust and frames are placed as the queen reveals her children to the huntress. She does not miss the shocking realization in her company's eyes, but the queen only regards Freja with a careful eye as she asks the question. Who was the father? The temptation to continue the game is strong. To evade and avoid as she always has with most of them, but call it a blessing or rather just experience causing her to know better. She is sure that the heir will tell his toy if she asks. Their patrilineal side would be revealed eventually, even if it wasn't from her own lips. "Cassius. Family is why he is now here." Her good eye bores into her. Burning into her. Now, what exactly would she think of that? Would she be jealous or accepting of where she stand in the complicated web of lies and half truths of the X'uekai? What were the odds she dared to call Icefang a liar?

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Cassius.

It was as much of a shock that Icefang had answered her, given an actual name rather than some cryptic half-answer that made little sense to the piebald woman, than the name itself. The inkling of suspicion had not had very long to grow before the evidence is confirmed and Freja blinked briefly, her mind totally blank.

Cassius —

— Cassius

Cassius.

Her grandson, according to both of them. Blank mind throbbed, trying hard to assimilate this information and once more coming up blank. Her mismatched eyes remained fixed upon the tiny bodies of Cassius' children for several beats before the weight of Icefang's stare caused her to look up. It was an intense gaze, burning really even with a whole eye missing and Freja's ears flattened once again. In truth, she didn't have a clue what to think, had no words rattling around in her head. Nothing to say, absolutely zilch.

"They're beautiful." She murmured — deflecting, averting. And then the natural instinct to retreat overtook her. "I should - get back - leave you in peace -" Stumbling over the words, Freja attempted to scoot herself around the white Queen and back out of the den once more. Yet more heaps of shocked static remained in her head, she couldn't compute right now that the male who had been so sweet to her the night before had fathered cubs on his own grandmother.

/exit

Art by Moogle, Code by Minxy

The shock is evident on @Freja's face. She blinks stunned into silence before her lips part to slew out a flurry of words as she backpedals out of the den as quickly as possible. Icefang smirks, amused by the splotched woman's discomfort as she allows her to leave without an attempt to stop her. She turns around and admires the mewling children, pivoting her body to embrace them with her own. She settles back onto her side to continue nursing, pleased that whatever bit of her had been annoyed by Freja's actions had been soothed by the hunter's obvious discomfort. Perhaps her words might even cause a tiny rift between her and her love.

-exit

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