When the silver princess wasn't exploring the Glaciem territory, honing her skills, and seeking out her siblings, she was stalking her father's den. She would never get very close, usually several feet from the opening. Ever since her aunt Sendoa had told her that Isardis was ill she had lingered, hoping that she could be there when he finally emerged. Her most fond memory from her childhood was the one real conversation she had with her father and that memory clung to the forefront of her mind. Today she felt daring. Silvery paws carried her closer before she finally settled in the shade of one of the tall pine trees near his den. She was still a fair distance from it, but this was probably the closest she had come. She could smell his scent all over the area, both new and old. Honestly, she would have asked to speak with him long ago, but she didn't want to bother him if he was really that ill. There were few wolves in this world that she really respected, but her father was one of them. She would sit quietly and wait. And wait some more. Speech Thought Others

On that present day his den was no more a hospital bed that reminded him of his poor health, but a hide-away, a secluded palace of where his busy mind could wander. Contained beneath the walls of the earthy room, The King would find his mind lost within a world of doubt; one that had never truly presented itself to him before. He bored, completely and utterly uninterested in what Glaciem had become in that present time. Whether Sendoa was to blame or not, he would hold her responsible for what it had become; despite, perhaps, that he had been its true source of rot. Frustrated his was at his previously ill health, but even now in his returned vigour something was just not sitting right against those silver shoulders of once-vibrance. He became aware, if not slightly late, that his daughter lingered somewhere nearby. He would not rush to her, but instead remain hidden, if but for a moment more; to rest his pale eyes with the knowledge that somebody he trusted was looking over him, even if he care not to admit that he appreciated it. However now he would rise, and slink so effortlessly from the abode he had made his solitude; her scent would guide him to her vision. So entrapped within a shell of her mother?s beauty, Athena would forever be a reminder of the woman who had betrayed him; and yet, even in that thought she brought back the fine reminiscences he had shared with Argent, as if she were a selective mirror into the brighter regions of a broken couples past. She had always been his little darling; a babe to let coil within the warmth of his body, to prosper and protect her as the tiny child she had always been. And yet there she was; sprawled as a near-adult, so elegant and beautiful, holding a femininity and regality that perhaps he had never truly noticed before. She had always been here, there? wherever; never had she left Glaciem or doubted her father even when the lights grew dim and darkness threatened to fall. Hew oudl approach her in a waltz that was so incredibly famous, but perhaps one that had not been seen for quite some time. And yet instead of drowning her in his embrace, as his body so craved, he would halt before her, and he survey her. Those crimson and emerald eyes could pierce even the toughest of skin; perhaps despite how harmless she were to him, they still bore a determination that could sear ones faith and confidence within themselves. She was no less than- ?Perfect,? he spoke, finishing his own thoughts in a moment of personal bliss. ?She is perfect,? and his cherry lisp would flutter, threaten to snicker, and yet his honesty was unwavering, his features genuine; and he would lift his chin, as if inviting her into his contact.

Suddenly his pale form would appear from the mouth of his den, making Athena rise to her paws and her ears point forward with interest. A grin slowly spread across her facade, her eyes gleaming excitedly. She wanted to run to him and enjoy being with her father once again, but she would hold her place, waiting has he sauntered toward her. She held herself with pride, wanting to make a good impression for her first meeting with him in months. "Father," the silver princess would breathe happily, practically glowing from his short compliments. Athena wouldn't hesitate to accept his small invitation, closing the distance between them in a smooth stride, and pressing her face into the silky fur on his neck. Everything she felt could be summed to pure joy. She hadn't realized how much she had missed Isardis until she was in his presence once more. Her conversation with Roman would come back to her mind and she would step back to peer into her father's pale gaze with a parting, affectionate nuzzle. That familiar, burning determination would return to her gaze as she spoke. "Father, I want to be more to Glaciem. I have been constantly sharpening my skills for you. I want to help." It was a short and simple speech, but she meant every word of it. She was confident in her abilities and wanted to put them to good use. Speech Thought Others

Her warmth would press against his heart as if there were no flesh between them; simply her pulse against the bare and bleeding organ of his sentiment. He would time his breaths with her, as if afraid to break the unsion that had been so welcomed between them; as if trying to push their bodies together in a way that were wholly impossible and unnatural. But he felt as if beneath the dangerous jaws of his untamable existence, perhaps Athena was the only one in that moment he felt he could confide within. No, he would not speak of what puzzled his mind, but alas let his intellect believe all his worries had been pushed into her bloodstream, accepted, become one with her innocence. She would leave his contact, somewhat earlier than Isardis had hoped, however he would lower silver haunches to gaze upon her with a rosey sense of awe only his loyal children would ever truly come to recognise. And her words would then send a buzzing of thrill down his spine, make his veins twist and contort in shocked realisation; his mind began to flurry with a stimulation that soon became obvious even on the charming features of his snowy fa?ade. And in the dusting of snow beneath him, coral paws would shift, as if the pads had become sweaty and uncomfortable with the joy that had suddenly caressed him. But it was not all rainbows in a mind as seasoned and vigorous as his own; no, he had to know that?s he was capable, that she would do what he wanted. ?Then you will help,? he said, as if it were as simple as just that. And his gaze would narrow slightly upon her as the flickering of his smile would fade. ?What do you feel Glaciem has become, my daughter?? sly serpentines would weave from his cunning lips, testing her, ?Do you believe Sendoa?s brief rule has turned the structures of our existence for better or for worse?? He wanted to hear what she thought (or rather, he wanted her to say what he wanted to hear), and even if she did not know it in that moment, whatever words fell from her silvered lips could quite potentially decide upon the purpose of her future.

His response would please her, glad to know from his simple response and the expression that crossed his face that he was willing to let her do her part for the pack. There was always the hunting to be done or other odd and end chores here and there, but Athena wanted something bigger, something more meaningful. She would settle on her haunches as well, her gaze curious as the wheels in her father's mind seemed to turn. Isardis would question her opinion of Glaciem's current state and she would scoff, her tail curling around her haunches and her split ruby and emerald gaze gleaming. She wouldn't think anything of his question as far as if he was testing her or not. Athena would only see it as a chance to finally, honestly speak her mind. "As far as I'm concerned, it is in shambles. No one that I've spoken to has been truly happy to live here. There's no direction, no purpose... No comradery." She gave a simple shrug of her shoulders, wondering if that was enough to answer his question. She had nothing against Sendoa personally, but she couldn't agree with how she had been handling her time as queen when all of the Bloods she had spoken to were unhappy in some form or another. Members were dropping off left and right and training sessions, especially in fighting, were subpar. Speech Thought Others

She seemed to bask with a glowing pride within his presence, as if her confidence and manner would swell and grow before him. Even as she coiled the silvers of her tail about her haunches, it would become clear that she had grown so much in being since the last time he had spoken with her. Her scoff was acceptable, he perhaps understood where it came from, even if he did believe it slightly improper or unnecessary; he craved an elegance and manner in his babes, but her mother was admittedly not always wholly polite. Fair enough, he would consider her response worthy, even if he did not completely agree. ?Happiness has never been our priority Athena; safety, production? reproduction and efficiency,? he paused for a moment, ruby gaze expanding across the wintery landscape. ?But most of all vigour, threat, supremacy,? in all his years all he had ever worked for was the reputation that had kept them safe all this time. Without the reputation, without being feared, one would forever be susceptible to the wrath of another?s jaws. Athena was barely trained; there was nothing to say she could hold her own against the clash of a creature that had learnt to hone their skills. He knew her sinew consisted of a strength so few could match, but until she knew how to use it, there was no point in boasting. ?I want you to learn to be unstoppable Athena, I want you to claw to the deepest of your being and destroy what little weakness remains; teach yourself to survive, and teach yourself to ensure others survival,? so bored he had been, but perhaps this would shine through the thickness of his dulling skin and provide him with the interest he needed to continue in life. ?If I were to lean to you, to grasp your scruff and cast you to the deepest, darkest waters your soul had ever seen; could you emerge entire? Or would you leave yourself behind?? it made perfect sense to him, as the tone would begin to rise in his voice; husky and scratching with new meaning. He needed to train her, he needed to teach her to be a queen

Athena listened with absolute devotion to her father's words, nodding in understanding as he explained what was the true priority. She knew he was right, he was always right, but she thought there could be more than that. If wolves weren't happy, what would motivate them to strive toward the safety, production, reproduction, and efficiency that he craved? She knew this was a conversation for another time, but she thought it was a good point to bring up at some point. She knew from personal experience, both from her short time away from Glaciem and seeing how discontent her brothers were, that wolves would want to stay or work for the pack if they were not content with their lives here. None of the less, with every word that he spoke she was absolutely riveted. It was easy for her to comprehend why all of these things that Isardis spoke of were of vital importance and she craved to embody all of those things for him. His voice would gain intensity, but she would not flinch, would not back down. She refused to show any weakness in front of him. Only Vereux or maybe Genesis would see any softness. As he spoke of destroying any weakness, she nodded, imiditely taking it to heart. She had always seen herself as a princess, but when she was with her father she felt like that is what she truely was. No, with him she felt she could be something more. He posed a question, one that made her mind turn and question herself. She paused, pondering the question deeply, wanting to answer carefully. "I would emerge even stronger than before," she would finally answer, her split tone gaze finding his again with determination. "No one can go into the darkest depths and emerge unscathed, but I would use that to my advantage, use it to make myself stronger." Speech Thought Others

?And if you do not, then you shall die,? cold truth would weave from blossomed lips, gazing upon her with a threatening wisdom; he believed her words, and yet he knew she still didn?t wholly understand them herself. Though she believed she knew what it was rise from the ashes of the fallen, there was nothing that could prepare her for the realities, for when it truly came to her. ?This is the real world, my darling; we are here to flourish, we do not need our lips to be swollen with the lies of a pleased grin. It does not save us from the demons that loiter every curve of earth?s surfaces, it is a determination and a lust for success that will save us. If you wish to keep others alive then they must realise survival comes before mindless joy, no matter how much they believe they want a caressing touch of adore, it is not such a hand that will prosper them; it will weaken them, shred their skin, splinter their skeleton.? Piercing gaze refused to leave her, the warmth (however deceiving it may be) that previously loitered his windows now wavered with an uncertain chill. Otherwordly desires became apparent upon his gaze, and the hairs upon his spine would bristle with the sensations of their conversation. ?I have seen so many leaders slaughter their people with kindness, it is only those that believe in rainbows and happy endings that will fall. Nature does not love us; our entire life is a battle, whether it be with the thrashing of violent weather or the piercing of our enemies blades. Peace is found only in death,? he was aware that she wore a brittle innocence upon her spine, with a false pride that she was everything a leader needed to be. She was not. But she could be, ?And that is why I do not wish death upon my enemies.? A lifetime of agony. He would trail for a moment, taking a breather; sure that he will do all in his power to swell her brain with the knowledge of his own. He was her father, and though his love for her stretched far beyond the eye could see, he was still capable of hating her choices, her actions. She would get one chance to prove she could satisfy him. For now, he challenged her only intellectually, but soon? he would demand her physical strength, force her body to extremities it had never been before. Now, she was his project. ?You?re a leader, and your people bare pups; helpless, blind babes who are no less than the future of your superiority; a man, alone but physically fit, strays your borders. He?s not yet aware of you, so what does a queen do?? oh how he dared her to answer correctly, though he didn?t expect it, soon she would understand.

Again her father would speak, filling her mind with all sorts of swirling, provoking thoughts. Of course he was right, every word he spoke rang with truth. She wanted so desperately to believe that happiness played some real role in life, and maybe it did somehow, but Isardis was right. Survival was what was most important. She realized that she perhaps had taken the fact that her father had kept this pack intact despite the fact that he had been seriously ill for granted. These lessons she bestowed upon her now, these words of cold, harsh wisdom, racked her bones, cracked her simple view of what she should be doing for Glaciem. For just a moment she doubted herself, doubted her views of the world, but she would quickly gather herself, putting the pieces of herself back together in a stronger shape. She tucked away that softness that she would save for her brothers in private deep down inside of her, desperately grasping at the views that Isardis was sharing with her. She suddenly felt frighteningly young. Around all of the clueless, young wolves that made up the majority of the pack Athena felt superior. She felt like she knew more that most of them, and maybe she did, but her father clearly was a vast sea of what the world really was compared to her own views. She soaked up everything that he said like a sponge, absolutely riveted to every word. She wouldn't speak, not daring to interrupt him while he gave her all of the information she would have never thought that he would give her. A small fire of hope still burned deep in her, his words of the harsh world they live in becoming a steely armor around her bones. Once again he would question her, posing a question of how she would act should someone cross their borders. This time she wouldn't have to think nearly as long. It seemed obvious to her what should be done. "Protect the pups, at all costs if necessary. Whether they are actually blood relatives or not, those pups are part of my pack and therefore are as much my family as any. Anyone that is so unwise as to cross our borders shouldn't deserve mercy." If it was one thing that Athena understood, it was family and pack loyalty. She would go down fighting to protect her family if that's what it came down to. Speech Thought Others

Never had he planned the decision of his heir to be less than obvious. A man who had planned his life upon birth, and followed all steps through every week of the years he worked towards his goals; his heir was to be a strong male, a product of his queen? namely, Kuvio or Kyarst. And yet both were still so swollen with youth, two small boys who knew no more than the innocence of the territory they thrived within. Never could he have planned to name a daughter the new leader of Glaciem, and yet here he was; desperate within a critical state of boredom, his interest in his own life and pack wavering. It thrilled him to take a gamble, he wanted to see if she would crumble or thrive, he wanted to know the truth within the children he had raised. He would nod, if not vaguely, ?You don?t spare a breath to question trespassers intent; judge their character from the moment you attain a visual. You will learn to judge intent, and judge it well; in the mean time, take no risks, all who you do not know are to be deemed foe.? He would take a step back, so tempted to speak more of what he wanted from her, and yet he would hope in that split second of spur, that she would already know. ?Train yourself Athena, hunt day and night; teach your body to swell and bulge with sinew, pull your ribs in beneath your lungs, teach your flesh to be versatile and train your mind to be a weapon. Run, swim, climb; don?t stop until your frame screams of a vigorous might, don?t cease your day until you believe your organs cannot take any more, and when you believe... push harder,? his voice began to pulsate with a seriousness that was so rarely seen, inspiration and determination pumped from cherry lips with every syllable he bled for his daughter. ?Command your siblings and people spar you, do not hold back until you know no men could tame your vigour, your determination. For if you lose Glaciem you lose all I have bled for, all our people have fought for,? final words would come like slicing blades of reality; they were a reassurance that he had made his decision, that now she would become his queen. ?Claim yourself the greatest Queen Glaciem has seen, undo Sendoa?s wrongs and reform a world of sanctuary, where respect and superiority commands. Where the enemy is still the enemy, and we trust only our blood and those who have proven themselves. No man shall leave unless he is useless; rebuild our forces and rebuild the Armada?s, but do not make me look feeble, do not slaughter our reputation- we do not lose!? in that moment, it was a threat, cold and vicious, his mind forgetting just for a moment that he was speaking with his daughter and not his nemesis. It was clear what he wanted, but could she do it? Would she sever all words of trust with their enemy, with Valhalla? And would she thrive?

Every word that fell from her father's lips were like kindling to the fire his intent was stoking inside of her. She had strived to do nothing but better herself for him and for Glaciem and as he spoke of training her body she knew her efforts had not been for nothing. She would do as he said and continue to build and shape herself into something she and Isardis could be proud of, into something that could defend Glaciem from the greatest of threats. He continued to speak and with each word it slowly dawned on her what was happening. Command her siblings... If she loses Glaciem... Be the greatest Queen... Athena's eyes widened at the prospect, but truly she knew this is what she had been craving. She felt the weight of it on her shoulders, but somehow that weight felt right. She felt herself stand taller, hold her head high with pride. She took every task Isardis gave her to heart, making it her personal mission to make sure all of these things were accomplished. She would see to it or die trying. This was the new meaning to her life, to be the Queen that would make her father proud. "I won't disappoint you, father," she replied, her tone reverent with her belief that this statement was truth. She would rather die than let him down. If that were to ever happen she would rather him end her then and there for she would have lost everything. Speech Thought Others