Pestilence awaited quietly outside her mother's den, each sound within causing the pup to flinch in anticipation. She knew she was in trouble, there was nothing she could ever say to her mother to make this right. The pup's tail curled tightly around her, her head hung low between her shoulders and her ears flattened against her skull.

Countless punishments filled her imagination and she whimpered softly wondering what exactly the Empress had in store for her. Doing odd jobs for Valdis couldn't have been the only retribution her mother had planned. No, Pestilence knew the storm was coming. She gulped, occasionally glancing at the palace door and awaiting her mother's appearance.

Deathbelle was furious, she wasn’t sure that she could have felt this kind of anger before let alone brought on by her precious offspring. All she could think of on the walk home was Pesto’s tiny form curled up at her belly. The innocence she had before the world showed its ugly face. The Empress was good at hiding her emotions she was silent and stoic as she told Pestilence to wait outside the den. For her the agony of anticipation would built with Deathbelle tried to cool off and gather her thoughts.

After one more deep breath Deathbelle returned to Pesto’s side. She remained silent as as settled back onto her haunches beside the child. She didn’t look at her, but let her lilac gaze settle on the horizon. Pesto looked sorry for herself, but did she really understand the gravity of the situation?

Deathbelle's arrival was as anxiety-wracking as the pup expected, and her heart sped in response. The Empress settled beside her, and Pestilence's head lowered further in shame. No words came - to Pesto's surprise - and she got the courage to look up at her mother expectantly. She was not watching Pesto, not staring down at her with a glare like the pup had expected. It only further drove home how disappointed and angry Deathbelle was, and Pestilence gave a soft sad sigh in response.

Patience was not her strong suit, and although she was not exactly excited to know what awaited her she struggled still with the silence. Her paw moved absently against the ground, her claw drawing circles as she waited. The shape looked bare to see, and Pestilence's heart lurched as she thought upon the sigil she'd worked with her family to perfect. To display her heritage and the things she valued. Blinking back burning tears, the girl etched in the remaining symbols to complete the mark. To her it wasn't a sign of Abraxas, or Abraxas-Klein, or her father. It was Pesto and everything that made her who she was. She wanted the comfort of the sigil with her through her mother's wrath.

After a few very long minutes, the pup cleared her throat and swallowed. Lavender gaze peered up hesitantly at her mother's stoic form, unsure what to say.

Her daughter remained silent as Belle reclined softly and let her thoughts roll tumultuously through her mind. What did she say, what did she do? Why had Pesto behaved that way and how in the world could she curb it or point her in a different direction. It was easy to explode, to yell and scream and drive her point home with violence. Mostly Deathbelle wanted her daughter to understand that she wanted better for her. Pestilence was born of two incredible lines and her potential was without end. How could she reach that greatness when she couldn’t follow her mother’s laws or even worse, that she was lying about her family?

Deathbelle let her features fall to Pesto as she scratched the runes into the earth. She didn’t know what was going through her mind, but maybe she understood better than she was letting on. ”Why, Pestilence?” She asked quietly, all of the anger and disappointment was gone. All that remained was the hurt her daughter caused her. How could she say that her father had purposely fell victim to the volcano. The suggestion that Deathbelle was capable of killing her beloved husband made her sick.

Her mother's words came out finally, and Pestilence did not expect them to be as devoid of anger as they were. Deathbelle's pain was palpable, and even as a child Pesto could see how badly she'd screwed up. She huffed a sigh, then murmured inaudible words in response. How could she possibly explain herself? After a moment she cleared her throat, speaking up louder so her mother could hear. "Alarr said I could come live with him." She admitted softly, unwilling to meet her mother's gaze. "I really wanted to, but then Valdis showed up and told me no."

Pestilence wasn't sure if the disappointment in her voice was because her plan to move packs had failed, or if it was directed at herself. She placed her paw upon her sigil on the ground, willing some magical strength to come from it like her siblings seemed to receive from theirs. When she felt nothing, her eyes slid shut. "I was hoping if I could convince her that Ashen was a bad home that she'd take me back with her and Alarr to Legion." Her voice began to crack with emotion, and she cleared her throat once more to hold it back. "I'm sorry, Mother."

All of her anger disappeared and worry took its place as Pestilence admitted that she wanted to go to Legion with the boy Alarr. Her heart dropped along with her mismatched ears as her eyes returned to the horizon. Her daughter didn’t want to remain with her family, and twice she sought a way to leave the Empire’s embrace. Deathbelle felt both betrayed and then shared the feeling of ashamedness in herself. What had she done to cause Pesto a desire to go?

Deathbelle swallowed hard as she tried to accept the facts as given to her. Pestilence wasn’t even a year old and she was already trying to leave her embrace? ”Why do you want to leave Ashen?” She asked, her voice just as soft as it had been moments ago. She wanted to understand, maybe if she could share in her daughter’s thoughts the pair of them could find a solution that would relieve her pain and give Pesto the freedom she desired.

Pestilence offered a swift apology, but Deathbelle wasn’t going to just say that it was okay. It wasn’t okay, there was a serious rift between them and Belle wanted desperately to get to the source.

Her mom seemed to be trying to be understanding, but her soft words were stirring Pesto's anxiety further. She expected to be yelled at, to be punished severely and without hesitation. The effort Deathbelle was putting forward to hear her side was unexpected, and Pestilence wasn't sure if she should feel like she was being lulled into a false sense of security or if her mother really was just trying her hardest to be accepting and kind, and if the latter was true then the pup's guilt would only continue to grow.

Her small shoulders lifted in a shrug and she eyed Deathbelle side-long. "I don't know." She lied, taking in a big breath and letting it out slowly. She owed it to the Empress to try and be open and honest, but worried it'd upset her mother further. "I don't want to live under Abraxas' shadow." Her response finally came, hesitant as if she knew it was not the correct way to feel. "I'm reminded of it - of dad - everywhere I look. My siblings' blessings, the sigils etched into the trees and dens, even Obi." The pups voice was sad and her eyes stung at the thought of her father and the ways he'd touched Ashen.

Her head lifted, turning her tear-filled gaze towards the volcano looming in the north-east. She watched the faint smoke above it, imagining her father's ashes mingled within it's debris. "It gives me nightmares. Why did we have to move here?" Pestilence was overly-fond of the nostalgia of Wolfpaw Lake and the neighbouring ravine; she yearned for the place she was raised with her father still beside her, and resented their move that brought them even closer to his fiery grave.

Deathbelle remained quiet and allowed Pestilence to lead their discussion. Belle steered the course but her daughter was the source. She was hesitant to answer at first, and Deathbelle kept her gaze from growing hard when Pesto started with a cop out. Patience was key, and the girl went on to more thoroughly explain herself despite how hard it was. She didn’t expect the answer, but she hadn’t been expecting much.

The Empress continued her silence, her lilac eyes searching the ocean beyond as she thought about her daughter’s words. The question was an easier place to start, she had an answer for that. Maybe it would tie in with the solution Pesto sought. ”Before you were born,” long before the pups were conceived even. ”Your father wished to claim the shrine for his god.” Deathbelle wasn’t sure if the god Abraxas ever existed, but to think a god could live in mortal flesh.. She enjoyed the idea of ascending to godhood with her husband. To be a goddess you must be worshipped though, and it was never worshipers she looked for as her followers.

”I wanted to take the shrine to honor Archon, and everything he was to me in life.” Being seperated in death took its toll on the Klein Empress. Having the shrine and being here physically made her feel close to him again. ”I miss him.” A confession she didn’t make often. ”Being here helps me still feel connected to him.” She sighed softly, knowing that her wants and desires should be put second to the needs of her children and pack.

”But. This Empire is for the Klein family, not a cruel god.” Maybe some supernatural force brought her and her husband together, but if it was at all good it wouldn’t have ripped them apart. ”Pestilence,” Deathbelle’s voice was soft again, but it held worry and doubt that didn’t often show through. ”I will not force you on a path you do not want to take. For now, you won’t leave pack lands without a high ranking escort.” This was a non negotiable part of her punishment. ”You’ll be a yearling soon. When the day comes,” why were these words so hard? She should be proud that her daughter wanted so badly to go out into the world. ”You may remove yourself from the Empire’s ranks and I will not stop you.”

Pestilence listened quietly, not expecting a real answer from her mother. Generally with adults it was a 'because I said so', and Pestilence knew that Deathbelle owed her no explanation on their choice of territories. It surprised her to hear her mother open up about her intentions, and Pesto snuck a peek at her mother while she spoke. "I'm sorry, mom." She repeated softly, knowing it was selfish to hate the land that Deathbelle felt so connected to. "I miss him too." The pup sat in silence for the rest of her mother's speech, glancing down at her feet to re-trace the lightly smudged sigil. It wasn't easy for her to think of others feelings, to push down her own bitterness and anger to make way for empathy.

Her mother's admittance of Abraxas as a cruel god did little to help her feelings towards it, and she struggled wordlessly in response. She'd said the empire was for the Kleins and not Abraxas, but with so many of the pups bearing her father's name it made it hard to believe. One day her mother, Hari, Hannibal, Lucretia, Hela, and all the rest would be gone and remaining would be the Klein-Abraxas generation. It was a fact that was hard for the pup to face, and she didn't like to think of what the pack would become in that future.

She was about to speak her worries, but her mother continued speaking her name softly. Pestilence looked up at her expectantly. Her ears pulled back and her jaws parted as she prepared her argument. "But, mother!" She whined. Of course she'd expected a punishment, but had hoped their conversation would relieve Pestilence of the need for discipline in the Empress' eyes. She knew it was futile to argue - after all, she had tried to run away. Pestilence sighed heavily, slumping her shoulders. "Valdis wants playdates for Alarr and I." She reminded her mother hopefully. "Can I at least see Alarr without an escort? He'll-" Her voice shook uncomfortably, and she bit her lip. "He's only a season older than me, and he's not going to need a babysitter." Pestilence's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she spoke. "He'll think I'm lame if I need to bring an adult."

There was a part of Deathbelle's speech that Pesto had to sit on - the potential for her to leave when she grew into a yearling. Although the ability to leave was all she wanted in life, it left a bitter taste in her mouth to leave for good. At least if she ran away to Legion with Alarr she knew that her mother would be frantic and welcome her back whenever Pesto decided to return. Though if she as a yearling chose to leave Ashen, would she be allowed to return? It was a hard decision to make, and Pestilence didn't know how to make it. "Will... will this always be my home?" She asked after a while.

She could feel the genuine emotion that Pestilence shared with her as they both admitted to feeling the hard loss of Archon. Again the young girl apologized, but quieted as her mother finished. Belle tried to keep herself from showing the frustration she held within. She didn’t want to let go of her children, but if she didn’t let them go how were they going to conquer the world?

Pestilence was not eager about her punishment and tried desperately to negotiate the terms. There wasn’t much time left before she would reach her year mark. ”No. Alarr will have to think you’re lame until you’ve come of age.” She told her firmly. Her transgressions were fierce and Deathbelle wasn’t going to let her forget the severity of her words. Alarr’s opinion of her, if he did indeed hold those thoughts, would be part of her punishment.

The girl was forced to think about the last part, about her being allowed to go her own way. Deathbelle hated the way it made her feel, but this had always been the end goal. ”As long as you bear the name or heart of a Klein your home will always be with the Empire.” And in her arms. ”Learn well, my dear daughter.” She said softly, adoration in her eyes instead of the earlier disappointment. ”Take on the world and bring the Empire with you. Then you’ll always be home.” Belle wasn’t sure if she’d understand exactly what she meant, but her daughter showed her strength. She wouldn’t forget her family, she was a true Klein.

Pestilence gave a soft sigh as her mother insisted firmly upon her punishment. Alarr would think she was lame, and it frustrated her that her mother didn't care about how the boy saw her. Pestilence cared, and that should be enough. She frowned, but didn't argue further. Her mother was generous enough by not going harsher with her discipline, the least Pesto could do was accept it like a good pup would. "Fine." She grumbled. It wouldn't be a very fun play-date with an escort, and she'd have no time to talk privately with him to explain why she'd lied. How frustrating.

However her mother's words caught her ears and melted away some of her pain, Pestilence looked up at her with soft hopeful eyes as she agreed that Ashen could always be her home as long as she beared the name or heart of a Klein. The choice of words thrilled her - it meant she could throw away her Abraxas name without punishment as long as she held tight to her Klein bloodline. Her head lifted proudly and she smiled at her mother. "I'll be the best Klein there ever was, and all will cower before the Ashen Empire." Suddenly she moved forward, pressing into her mother to lean against her chest. Pesto gave her an affectionate nuzzle while she leaned close, and apologized once more for good measure. "I am sorry, mother. I'll be more careful." She understood that she was not only hurting her mother with her blatant lies, but also sullying the Klein name. She'd do her best to think her words over more carefully in the future.

Pestilence was obviously unimpressed with her punishment but Deathbelle wasn’t going to let her get away easily after running and and lying so severely. She wanted Pestilence to be a respectable member of the Klein family, and spouting such atrocious lies was unacceptable. She would have to deal with her punishment. Her daughter’s next words brought a huge amount of pride within her, she claimed that she would hold tightly to her name. Deathbelle gave her daughter a smile that conveyed her emotions, though she needed guidance Belle didn’t doubt Pesto’s words. She would certainly be a force to reckon with.

Then Pesto was beside her and Deathbelle’s heart warmed. The young Klein Princess might be destined to go out and take on the world but as she embraced her mother Belle knew that she would always belong to the Empire. She would help to prove their greatness, just as was always intended long before her conception. The Empress was both saddened and proud of the path her daughter wished to take. Her arms wrapped around the girl and she buried her head in her dark scruff, the love she held for her near overwhelming as they embraced. She apologized again and Deathbelle could feel the sincerity, no matter where she went in life she would take the Empire and her mother’s love, with her.

”I know you will.” Mistakes were difficult to swallow, but they created more room for improvement. ”You’ve always been destined to find greatness. I just want you to be prepared when the time comes to take it.” She whispered softly and squeezed her tighter. ”I love you Pestilence,” words she didn’t speak often enough, but meant to the moon and back. ”I’m proud of you.”