Aliana had started to show signs of her pregnancy. Each day that passed, the small fae revealed her condition more and more. A noticeable swell had begun in her midsection, and though the morning sickness had begun to pass, the fatigue that followed was murder on her delicate form. Performing her daily chores had become more laborious, but still she did her part to keep the pack's shared estate clean, the plants, herbs, and gardens tended to, and worked on a number of poultices and salves in her down time. Her neglect to be fully prepared had gotten her into this situation in the first place, not to mention she'd allowed Dalila to be swept up into Chimera's lusts, and she swore up and down to the gods above and below that she would never be caught unprepared again.

Yet as the days passed and the children within her belly grew, Aliana became more and more worried when the affection she expected to feel for the little lives she was working on creating didn't manifest itself. Wasn't a mother supposed to love her children unconditionally? Why did she just feel... empty whenever she thought about them? Was she broken? Was she as bad as her own mother had been? All the nervous thoughts kept her anxious and awake at night, fearing what would happen once she gave birth to them. Would she still feel nothing? What sort of parent would she be then? And why, why didn't she feel anything?! Chimera had told her he loved her, and in that dizzying, confusing moment, Ali had never felt more than ever before in her short life. Why couldn't she feel something like she had in that moment all the time? Was it because she still felt overwhelming guilt for Dalila, or because she was terrified at the concept of herself being something as important as a mother? The poor girl had no clue.

Still brooding over these fears and thoughts, Ali finished mixing together a post-natal supplement of alfalfa, elderberry, and ginseng for Siren. The pregnancy and birth of the Klein children had been traumatic and taxing on the island's smallest lady, and she and Dalila did all they could to help hasten Siren's road to recovery. The mother and pups had been doing well, all things considered, and Ali intended to keep it that way. She didn't know if her fragile heart and psyche could take anymore failure and loss. Ali put the concoction into a small vial and carried it carefully down the corridors to Siren's and Dalila's chambers, quietly sliding the door open to peer inside and see if the little family was awake or taking an afternoon nap. "Lady Siren? May I enter?" she asked in soft tones through the gap in the door, maintaining the privacy of the queen and her children unless invited in.

"Aliana"

Siren had never felt such love and affection as she did for her two tiny puppies. Or not so tiny in Albion’s case. The woman worked hard to deliver her two children and that effort easily translated into her adoration for them. Nothing in life was worth more than that which you had to work for, and she felt like she had by far and away earned her offspring. Chimera suspected nothing, and perhaps he very well was the sire to Scylla and Albion, but in her heart Siren knew the truth. She was raising little demigods.

The Queen was recovering better than anyone really suspected after the difficult birth. Despite her struggle with her son everything had been smooth. The puppies latched with ease, she recovered with a swiftness, and now her tiny family was growing. The puppies were out on a field trip with Dalila, who was her biggest asset in raising the babies. She was also the only other wolf to know their true parentage.Siren couldn’t leave out the biggest reason for her swift recovery.

Aliana. The girl was an incredible healer, a talent Siren hadn’t anticipated but was so grateful for. Ali saved Cerberus, and she had little doubt Albion’s life could be attributed to her as well. There was no way she would have been able to see to the boy properly after his birth. Not when he had mangled her so thoroughly.

Siren was enjoying the quiet afternoon alone when she heard Aliana at the door. "Yes, of course, come in.” Siren responded softly, lifting herself to her paws. She hadn’t been ready to entertain, but she had to doubt the woman was here for a social call anyway. "What can I do for you, Aliana?"

"Siren Primrose Klein"

Once she received the permission from Siren to enter, Aliana nudged the bedroom door open and slipped inside. The room was quiet yet smelled heavily of the new puppies, a bright and wonderful smell of which there was nothing quite like it. Siren looked significantly better, having healed almost entirely from the traumatic birth of her two children, and still as regal as ever. She noticed the lady rising to her paws, and she gently urged the tiny woman to rest while she had a moment free from her children. "Oh, you don't need to rise on my occasion, my lady," she reassured her queen, dipping her head in a respectful bow to the ruler of the island. "I have your supplement ready for you. How have you been feeling? Have the herbs been helping any?" That was Aliana: all business all the time. It was a trait one developed after a lifetime of indentured servitude. Slaves weren't meant for social calls, after all. They worked until they slept, and when they woke, the cycle repeated. Even though she had been freed, Ali was still struggling to break her mind out of its chains.

Making her way over to where Siren sat, though notably slower thanks to the swell of her belly and the general fatigue that plagued her body. Even though she was only a quarter of the way through her pregnancy, the puppies in her womb were growing at an astonishing rate. Clearly they were taking after their father in that regard, not to mention Ali didn't know exactly how many she had growing inside her. She gathered up a small bowl and filled it with water, then slipped the vial on the string off of her neck and removed the stopper with her teeth. She poured the supplement into the water and passed the bowl to Siren, allowing the lady to drink while she rested on her laurels, using one dainty paw to carefully support her rotund belly while she got comfortable.

"How have Albion and Scylla been? I'm sure you're grateful for the break." She had no doubt the children were well taken care of. Siren was made to be a mother. She was kind, loving, nurturing, patient, with the means to provide her offspring with everything in the world... An ideal parent. While she made small talk, Aliana gazed around the room, observing the way Siren and Dalila had furnished it. It felt warm, welcoming, homey. It was a stark contrast to hers, which felt more functional than fashionable. Perhaps another testament to her slave mindset. Or perhaps alluding to some deeper insecurity in her brain.

"Aliana"