A few days had passed since the conference between the Empress and her vessels. He hated to feel the gap between them, and wished for the easy friendship of childhood, before puberty had brought changes to their dynamic. Just the two of them, playing in the gardens of the Empire, playing at being a Princess and a Knight. He would always cherish those memories of his youth, and knew that he was lucky beyond compare that he had been given to the Empress. Now, he had broken her heart, and was paying by the cost of their friendship. He hoped this wound would heal, but he was not certain. She had shed many tears for him, more then he deserved. Her loyal protector made his way to her, seating himself outside her door, looking up to the dark sky, and waiting for Deathbelle to awaken for the day. He was accustomed to quiet times of waiting, and would sit there for as long as needed. "Belle""Seer"

Any day now. Any day now she was going to pop, and in all honesty she was nervous. Luce tried to prepare her as much as was possible, but there was still an element of the unknown, and that made her nervous. She was in the care of the best paws in Boreas. Everything would be fine. Her nerves had sent her on a walk. The woman was nocturnal anyway, and her companions were further proof of that. Thistle the owl lingered in a tree above her, while the tiny mouse lemur Snowberry groomed her mistress's fur soothingly. Her ankles and paws were swollen, and would have been even if she hadn’t taken her walk. As she meandered back towards the palace Seer’s huge form would be seen standing at attention by the door. "Seer," se greeted him softly, almost certain there was no one else around. The Empress walked by him to the sunning stone beyond where he lingered. She hadn’t as much as brushed his fur since the talk between the three of them. Belle draped her pregnant form over the rocks, her bongo pelt laying over her shoulders to shield against the cold of the night. Her bright lilac eyes fell to her vessel’s fanged form. She remained silent, wondering if he had sought her out to talk. Laying her head to her paws Belle was able to find a comfortable way to sit for a while. With her entering the end of the pregnancy sitting still grew harder. "Belle" "Seer"

The shape of the wobbling Empress came into his view, and he eyed her large belly as she made her way towards him. The day was coming where she was going to burst, and puppies would spill forth. He was going to have his paws very busy keeping them safe, as well as Death and Zee. He already loved them, these children of his oldest friend. The part of him that wished they where his, was very quiet, muted, pushed to the side. He had never been worthy of that honour, and now he had Zee to think of. The Empress greeted him by nickname, and he held his stance for a while longer, until the Empress was comfortable on the rocks, he then made his way towards her, taking a seat across from her, without intruding upon her space. “So, building an army of little ones in there?” he asked her to break the silence. “Think I’ll get to mentor any?” he asked, a somewhat heavier question, but still idle compared to the aches in their hearts. "Belle""Seer"

She still thought much on her life if Sirius was the one to father the brood growing within her. She still wished for the dream, but knew in no uncertain terms, that it was over. She had to look to the future for herself, her pups, and the pack. The next leader of Ashen was developing in her womb as she spoke to her vassal. He moved to sit near her, but respected the space she left between them. A side effect she hadn’t anticipated, but felt she needed to place between them so she might not tear open the wounds in her heart once more. "As if you couldn’t tell how massively pregnant I still am." She teased him with a smile as she swatted as his huge paws. "You are a Samurai, it would please me greatly if you taught my children." She told him, looking up at him and trying to push down the emotions. "Do you want one all to yourself?" She hoped there might be more than one Samurai wriggling in her belly. "Belle" "Seer"

Deathbelle didn’t invite awkwardness into the conversation, to which he was thankful. Instead, he looked over at his childhood friend, and offered her a gentle smile. There was a hint of sadness in it, which he could not entirely banish. For so long, he had loved her. He did still, really, and well he had known from the start that they would never be, the permanence of it changed their dynamic, changed them both. “You hide it so well.” he teased back as she pointed out how massively pregnant she was. He knew she was doing her best not to waddle as she walked, and keep a stateliness to her pace. He thought she achieved it, that she glowed with the radiance of pregnancy, even as it took so much energy from her. “Thank you” he said softly, as she told him she would love for him to teach her kids. “Perhaps, if you want one to go through rigorous training” he suggested, more than willing to do so. He would love to spend time with these miniature Deathbelles. “Speaking of Samurai, you mentioned once that I could look to Daimyo in the future, is this sill on the table?” he asked softly. Did her resentment and heartbreak over losing him, lessen her desire to rise him through the ranks? He wanted to do so much for Deathbelle, for her children and her pack. He wanted to be able to protect Zee. He wanted to be teacher, and mentor to this pack, a strange contrast to what he always thought would lie in his future. "Belle""Seer"

She wasn’t sure she believed him as he told her that she hid the weight well, she peered hard at him, but didn’t press the issue. Even now as she reached the last few days of being pregnant she was still receiving the compliments she lived for. She was stunning even with these babies growing within her. They set no stone plans for Seer to mentor her young, but it was certainly a possibility as they grew. Seer didn’t waste much time in getting down to business though. Was she willing to promote him still? Rose’s words roused within her mind again. Had this pain she experienced all be intentionally set up? Would Rose feel it as a slight when instead of demoting her beloved warrior she elevated him further? She pulled her ears to her skull and averted her gaze from his massive frame. Did she want him even closer to her? To join that inner circle now that he was so far out of reach of her? She shivered softly as the emotions ran through her again. It would hurt for a long time, she was sure. "Would you fight Hannibal for that right?" She asked curiously. What if he opted in to a rank challenge? defeat her Hand and he was welcome into the ranks of the daimyo. "Belle" "Seer"

She averted her eyes from him, and looked away, and he gave his head a subtle nod. He understood, he had hurt her, and asked too much of her. Even as this was for her and the pack, it was also for himself. He would always stand beside Deathbelle, her faithful vessel and protector, no matter what rank he held. She could demote him back to slave, and he would love and support her through all. He expected that to be the words she spoke, the idea that perhaps he had already risen to high. He had held no desire for this rank when she had first forced it upon him, but he found himself grateful for it now. He enjoyed giving sparring lessons for the pack, and patrolling its borders. Of bringing back slaves for the good of the Empire, and protecting Zee. Now that the possibility of losing it was before him, he found himself longing for it. Regardless, he would take what she gave him with acceptance and understanding. In the end, he never had thought himself worthy of it. “I’m sorry-” he began, apologising for constantly asking more from her, when he should be giving, and preparing himself to take the demotion, when she presented a different idea to him instead. A chance for him to fight for it? To prove he was worthy, to the pack, to Deathbelle, and himself? “Yes, I would.” he said softly. His own thoughts on Hannibal he kept to himself, knowing he was the one who had first lodged distance between himself and Deathbelle. “This is a wiser course of action, it could not be seen as softness on your part.” he said, seeing the bigger picture, and admiring her for her cunning. "Belle""Seer"