The setting for that day was like a perfect description from a weatherman: bright, cloudless skies with a low chance of rain. It was the type of day that summer was expected to bring with it. Although the day's features looked promising and lovely, the heat itself was a different story. Aeil knew that it was only the beginning, so she should enjoy the low nineties while they lasted. She secretly hoped that cool breezes would come and sweep around her, brushing her fur off of her body for lengthy amounts of time. Oh well. One could dream, right? This explained why Aeil could be found, hiding among the forest trees. The shadows that stretched from the tall branches' leaves made great spots to choose from. Those said choices didn't last long, for at some point, the sun would break through some gaps of the canopies and cause heat to meet a random part of the wolf's body. With great care, Aeil finally chose a spot near the river that flowed through Seracia. Near the upper part of riverbank was a set of trees that were firmly planted in the ground. The roots had enough water to keep dehydration away from their bodies and the shade that was provided by their swaying branches was enough to make anyone rush to it. Oddly enough, there was no one there. Aeil took her chance and carefully strolled in the direction of her chosen destination. She picked her away among the shady outline of the other bits of trees, intending on keeping her dark fur from absorbing anymore sunlight. She braved a few feet of bare grass before stepping into the shade of the spot by the river. Her paws met cool ground and she sighed happily. Looking around, she hoped that no one else would come and try to take over the spot she had taken so much time to scout for. "speeeeech"

It was safe to say that Kamala was still far from her usual self. She had avoided as much lupine company as possible, keeping to herself and avoiding even her dear brother. The quiet female had never been this withdrawn, but her thoughts were not something that she would dream of burdening another wolf. That meant that she would keep to herself until she had gotten them under control and driven them away. She knew that they were ridiculous, but they were there and that was undeniable. One part of her rebelled against them, but the rest of her, well, she knew they were true. That was undeniable too. She had not been good enough for her mother, who had lost every grip on reality. She had not been good enough to keep Adette grounded and together, and her mother was dead, at least in part because she was not good enough. And she had not even been good enough for her polygamist uncle. He had broken off their engagement and even left Seracia, going to Valhalla. At least he would be happy there. She had never been excited about marrying Gideon. It had been a matter of duty, nothing else. But there was Valkis too, vanished and presumably dead by now. Had she failed him too? She had not been good enough for him either, it seemed. Perhaps he had simply up and left her. But it was foolish to think that, she knew. He was probably dead. Probably. But she could have helped him more, offered him more. Logically, Kamala knew it didn't make sense to dwell in the past. She knew that, but it was hard to feel it. Her mind was a chaotic, jumbled mess, and in this state, she almost walked right into the black figure of a female known as - oh, it started with an A. And yet Kamala didn't know her name. That was inexcusable. Maverick never should have named her Princess. Having the rank empty would have been better. Ears twitching irritably, Kamala tried vainly to focus on something else by speaking, her voice slightly rusty with disuse. "Greetings, lady." She inclined her head a little in the direction of the other female, "Lovely day, is it not?" No use, the female thought irritably to herself. She would have to be careful in this conversation. No hint of the Princess' . . . unhappiness could infiltrate her words, or even her body language or tone. Seracia must see a proper Princess. She would have to make her brother proud, right? She had to prove to him that she wasn't expendable, that she wasn't useless, as the rest of the world seemed to believe. Maybe he thought so too. And maybe her father agreed The thought chilled Kamala to the bone. And she tried desperately to think about something else, focusing her gaze on the river and letting it burbling wash over her ears. There. Look. Fish. Distracting, right? Well, it was something, anyways.

She was surprised to find another wolf in her part of the woods. Aeil thought that if anyone was out, they would try to be in the shadier parts of Seracia's lands. The unexpected company wasn't a problem, though; Aeil enjoyed seeing another member around the same part of ground she was. The scents of Seracia's members and its land reached her nose from the unnamed figure that was approaching her. The slight bump didn't phase Aeil as she perked her ears and took in the red splashed detail on her pelt. The white and red fae spoke to her and she was then shot with a memory of talking to Queen Epiphron. Since the Princess's husband had been made King, they would have changed the titles anyway. With this thought in mind, Aeil wasn't sure how it would affect her meeting this unfamiliar fae. Nonetheless, her natural friendly demeanor shined in the words that she spoke in return to her visitor. "Good morning to you, dear lady," she replied. Light blue eyes twinkled in her wake, taking notice of the ways her newfound companion was acting. Something seemed to be bothering her...maybe there was something Aeil could do for her? She would find out sooner or later. "It is a lovely day, although the heat is something I don't prefer contending with." She saw Kamala look at the river and her gaze moved to it as well. "The water certainly has a way about it. I've been trying to ignore its calls to get me to slip underneath the surface to cool down..." She then looked up at the female again. "But, I don't think I could fight the current too long before being washed down current." Aeil leaned back against the tree and started to satisfy an itch that had found itself at an untouchable spot. She pushed herself up and down on her hind legs, rubbing the area free of the itch before she asked Kamala, "What brings you out here today? I didn't think many wolves found themselves in this part of Seracia?" "speeeeech"

Kamala

Her ears pricked in the other's direction, though Kamala kept her gaze locked on the river, hoping that the flashing silver forms of the fish would be enough to distract her for the moment. "It is quite lovely," Kamala had to work to put some passion into her words, and even then, they seemed to fall a little flat. What was there to be lovely about today? She knew well enough that it was pretty, but it was hard to feel like it was. That was weird. She needed to get out of this funk. If Kamala had been in private, she would have growled at herself. As it was, she shook her head violently and turned her thoughtful gaze towards her companion. "Swimming in this river is perhaps not advised, my lady." Kamala spoke absently, twitching her tail halfheartedly against the earth. "The current is indeed quite strong." With that, she let her voice fall into silence, allowing Aeil to carry on as she would in the silence that followed her words. The question that she asked threw her for a loop more than Kamala was willing to admit. How to explain this without making it sound like she was insane? She wasn't, was she? "I wanted to explore a little," Kamala glanced around absently. To tell the truth, she hadn't really been paying attention to where she wound up. The downside of being as distracted as she was was that she didn't really remember getting here. Ugh. She really was a mess. Not a fitting Princess at all. And speaking of being a Princess, Kamala didn't recognize the female at all. Her father would have been disappointed. Of course, he had every right to be. She was a failure. "My name is Kamala. I don't believe we've met, Lady?" So utterly impolite of her. She shouldn't have been named Princess. Not like this. She would only let Maverick down, and then he, like her mother and brother and her uncle, would find her unworthy.

She continued to see the distance that was readable in Kamala's eyes. It was a look she was all too familiar with, considering past acquaintances she had met had been like that. Something was definitely on this young female's mind, something that was tempting to overrule how she acted and spoke. Again, Aeil didn't want to forcibly extract any information from her, so she patiently reclined to her haunches and proceeded with the pleasantries of conversation. "It definitely is, although I wouldn't mind swimming downstream if it meant catching a delicious meal." Her tongue swept across her dark lips to emphasize how yummy a fish dinner would be. The twinkle in her eyes didn't fade as she perked her ears at the other female's inquiry. Names were forgotten before she had thought about it, which made Aeil all the more embarrassed. "Oh my goodness," she said, eyes widening in shock. "Forgive me for being so rude, m'lady. I should have let you know who I was before carrying on a conversation with you. If your imagination is as vivid as mine, I bet the possibility of me being an evildoer could pop up in your mind." She raised a paw in midair and gently shook it. "Believe me, though, I am not like that at all." It was then that Aeil rose from her sitting stance and rose to all four paws. She dipped her lower half to the ground, bringing her head closer to her chest with eyes closed. "I am Aeilanyllis, but everyone I have met so far have agreed that Aeil is a better way to get my attention." Her dark form rose from its regal bow and she shook all over to warm up the muscles that had been temporarily stiff. "What is your name, pretty stranger?" Her question was followed by a tilt of her majestic head. "speeeeech"

Kamala

Kamala twitched her ears in the other female's direction, though her gaze remained trained on the water. Between the words and the flickering, darting forms of the fish, Kamala found herself largely distracted. Good, the female thought to herself as she formulated a reply, "It's been a while since I've had any fish," Kamala responded absently, which wasn't much of a response, but it was more than many wolves had gotten out of her lately. Listening almost absently to the female, Kamala forced herself to respond in a timely manner, before she managed to tune the world out and drown in her thoughts again, "It never crossed my mind," Kamala assured the other female on the topic of this female being evil; no, Maverick and her father had always patrolled the borders and kept the darkness out. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Aeil." Kamala didn't even attempt to pronounce that name properly. Though it was lovely, Kamala knew that she would have butchered it. "My name is Kamala and I suppose that I am the Princess of Seracia. That will take some getting used to." Was that an almost conversational tone of voice? Maybe all that she needed to break out of this funk was to talk to someone. And yet, Kamala suspected it wouldn't be that easy. Life had never been that easy, and Kamala had largely lived a pretty charmed life. She knew that she was lucky to have had such a loving family. ooc: sorry kam's being such a wet blanket :P

It seemed that Aeil had a strange luck about meeting the royal members of the Seracian kingdom. First, Gerhardt had come across her at one of the many pieces of land outside of the great packlands. Unexpected, their meeting was one of the best things to happen to the dark-furred fae. Since joining Seracia, Aeil had come across Epiphron on that one moonlit night. The conversation she had with the Princess (at the time) was a nice encounter for both females, it seemed. Now, she was speaking with Kamala and so far...so far, she didn't really know what to think about the young lady. For the moment, Aeil was content with trying to make the effort with her. The observation she had made earlier about her having a heavy mind was true, so her concern increased as the conversation became longer. "I suppose so," she lightly chided, chuckling gently to support her statement. "I don't know firsthand what it is like to have such a responsibility on your shoulders, but I hope I can safely assume that it is indeed a job you wouldn't just give to anyone." Aeil's tail flicked behind her as she settled more comfortably on the ground beneath her. Her light blue eyes shimmered as she then spoke what she had been thinking for quite awhile. "With such a rank, I suppose you have a lot to deal with as well...From the way we have been talking, it sounds as though that you have a heavy mind and heart..." Aeil's ears perked forward as she blinked a couple of times in Kamala's direction. There. She had said it. Aeil quietly waited for Kamala's reaction, hoping it wouldn't be in the complete negative for her. "speeeeech"

Kamala

Ears flicking slightly, Kamala glanced in Aeil's direction as the other female spoke. She seemed kind enough, the kind of wolf that Kamala would be glad to claim as a member of Seracia. Their membership varied greatly, but Kamala was proud of all of her members. This female, however, was a comfort right then. She was no Maverick, but Kamala was not interested in approaching her brother right then, and this female was nice enough. The kind of wolf that Kamala could see herself as friends with maybe. It was hard to imagine friends right then. Kamala had always been closest to her brothers, and with one gone, she had simply drawn that much closer to Maverick. She had not sought out romance or even friendship since Valkis had vanished. Distracted by her thoughts, it took Kamala a few moments to answer Aeil's words. "Of course not," Kamala assured the female with a halfhearted twitch of her tail, "My brother surely thought long and hard about who he would choose as his heir until his pups grew older." She was a temporary Princess. Soon enough, she would be Grand Duchess again, the rank in which Kamala felt most comfortable thus far. It was a supporting role, and that was the kind of role she had always wanted. Leadership had never been something that Kamala was interested in seeking out. "And I will never do anything to harm Seracia." On purpose, anyways. She was harming it right now by being this way, wasn't she? She wasn't the Princess that Seracia needed, not right then. But could she be that Princess? Perhaps, with time. But Kamala wasn't going to hold her breath. It wouldn't take Maverick long to replace her, anyways. The female blinked, turning her gaze on the other wolfess as Aeil spoke. "I..." She could lie. She could deny it, even give a wag of her tail for good measure. This wolf was a stranger. She had no right to know. But Kamala had never been a good liar. She had not practiced before this, honestly, and she knew that her acting fell flat at times. It seemed that it had not been nearly enough to hoodwink this stranger. "The way that I became Princess is not the way that I would wish. I saw my mother killed by my father before he chose to step down. I would have much preferred to stay Grand Duchess if it would have meant that my mother would live and my father not have her blood on his paws." It was a longwinded explanation, and most of the truth, at any rate. It felt good to unload at least that much on this female. She might understand and she might not. It didn't matter. Just saying it was enough to make Kamala feel a little better.

Aeil was definitely the type of wolf you would want to look for when something would be on your mind. She had the kind of personality that didn't judge, and if she did, it wouldn't be the type of thoughts that would take root in her mind for long. It was, perhaps, a good thing for Kamala to have run into Aeil that day. Some happy accidents happened when you least expected them to...this was probably one of those times. The dark pelted fae listened with an open mind and heart as Kamala shared a tiny bit of her soul to her perked ears. Her attention was focused on the information the Princess relayed to her and it was quickly processed so she could give an appropriate response. The sadness that rang in Kamala's voice made Aeil want to approach her and give a comforting nuzzle. However, since they were strangers and had just met, it would be inappropriate. Instead, Aeil whimpered gently and her dark blue gaze held the same tender emotion as she met Kamala's own opts. "I know that we have just met, but do believe me when I say that I am sorry you had to witness such an ordeal. No one should ever have to lose a parent, especially at the paws of the other." Aeil knew Gerhardt had a good heart and what he did was probably for the greater good. "Grieving is understandable and comes in many phases...and if you are still going through it, then your body is mentally and emotionally healing. It may not happen all at once, but you seem to be coping pretty well..." She gingerly kneaded biscuits in the ground with her front paws, moving each one slowly and at a steady pace. "As you go through it, and handle the responsibilities of being the Princess at this part of your life, you will get stronger..." Aeil's voice faded and she slowly wrapped her tail around her legs, keeping them in a loose grip due to the heat. "I can tell that you wouldn't do anything to harm Seracia. After all, the kingdom is your family and you are one of the key components to keeping it as wonderful as it is now." She gently smiled and her dark gaze turned to light blue. "It will get better, Princess Kamala." "speeeeech"

Kamala

Kamala pricked her ears in the other wolf's direction even as she directed her gaze out towards the river, unsure how to react now that she had essentially spilled her soul to this strange wolfess. And yet, this female wasn't judging her. It was the kind of thing that Kamala needed to hear; the words that rolled off of Aeil's tongue were comforting to the quiet she-wolf. Maybe Aeil didn't know her as well as Maverick did, but she seemed to know exactly what to say to make Kamala feel at least a little better. "It's all right," Kamala managed to smile in the other's direction, "My mother was too far gone to be saved. It's better that she's happy now, I suppose." Did she believe that? In all honesty, Kamala wasn't sure. But she liked to remember her lovely, fiery mother the way that she had been when Kamala was young and her family still close. That was the way that Kamala would remember her mother, and she would believe that in death, she had returned to the state. Glancing at the female when she spoke, Kamala examined the wolfess, ears still pricked attentively in her direction. "I don't know about being a key component, but I will always do my best for the Kingdom." That much was the entire truth, at least. She would put the Kingdom first, before herself in all cases. The kingdom mattered more than a single wolf. That was simply the facts of the matter; the bare bones, with no sentimentality clouding her thoughts. She would ensure that the Kingdom carried on. Would it get better? Kamala wasn't sure; the facts would never change. The truth would always be that she could have helped her mother more, that she could have done more for Valkis, that she wasn't good enough for Gideon. There would be no changing that. But perhaps, time would let her look at these things in a more detached manner. That was possible, Kamala knew. After all, before the death of her mother, she had been thinking of Valkis less and less, allowing herself to move past his disappearance and probable death. "I do hope that it does," Kamala murmured, half to herself, "Thank you, Lady Aeil. It truly does mean a lot to me, what you've said today." Aeil had said the kinds of thing that Kamala needed to hear.

When Kamala's smile broke through to the surface, Aeil knew she had touched the she-wolf's heart. It was something the dark-furred fae thought was a wonderful thing to do, especially after seeing how troubled the Princess had been. The overall change from the complete distracted behavior Kamala had held to being more focused on their conversation made Aeil's smile widen. Her ears remained perked in Kamala's direction as she spoke of her mother and how it was probably best for Adette to be in a better place. Aeil had never met the ex-Queen of Seracia, but she figured that if her children were stable and healthy, then she did a good job raising them with Gerhardt. "I am sure that where she is now, she is admiring how you are handling everything with each day that passes," Aeil softly said. She had her own ancestors up above and was pretty sure they kept their eyes on her as often as she thought of them. Her words of being the best she could be for Seracia made Aeil's own heart swell. The excitement to the oral proclaim Kamala made had her all a tither. "I hope to be the same for our kingdom as well, Princess." Her words rang true and the hope she had voiced was evident in her eyes and the increased brightness that shined on her face. "Ever since I have come here...it is all I have wanted to do." This bit of a confession escaped Aeil's dark lips in a quiet breeze, so whether Kamala heard it or not, she would be fine with just saying it out loud. As their conversation became more in depth with the words, Aeil realized that Kamala would possibly become a good friend to her. Although they had just met, they had shared bits of their souls that hadn't been seen by many other wolves. Aeil took Kamala's words to heart as she thanked her for being there to listen. It was all Aeil could do to simply blush deeply and make a big scene of how flustered she was from it. Instead, she inclined her head at an angle as she softly said, "It was nothing, my lady...I am glad that I was able to be here for you when you needed someone to talk to, and I wouldn't hesitate to be there for you again if you needed me." Her eyes twinkled and she pushed her upper half towards the sky, stretching her spine to release the tension that had built up from sitting for so long. "I also have another confession to tell you, m'lady Kamala." Aeil stopped stretching and relaxed back into her normal stature. "I can foresee us seeing more of each other in the future...as friends." Although she was getting up in age, Aeil still asked timidly, "Would that be all right with you?" "speeeeech"

Kamala

will your system be all right when you dream of home tonight? Kamala had to smile at Aeil's words, but it was less a smile of happiness than it was one of a dry amusement. Her mother, admiring her actions? No, not when Kamala had let her down so much since her death. She had spent so much time locked up in her mind that it wasn't fair to expect her mother to 'admire' anything that Kamala had done. She was far too much of a letdown for that. "Hopefully," Kamala murmured, letting the word roll of her tongue, "I want to make her proud." Yes, yes she did. She had always loved her parents, but her father had made it clear that he approved of them no matter what. It was her mother that she had felt like she had to work hard to please. And maybe that hadn't been entirely fair of her, but it was how Kamala had always felt. Kamala glanced at her companion with a smile flickering across her features, "I am sure that you will succeed in that endeavor, My Lady. Your mere existence brings goodness to this pack." That much was true, if a little flowery. Of course, Kamala had always been a pretty flowery wolfess, and it seemed that even now, with shadows filling her mind, she was still good at that kind of thing. It just went to show that being raised in an environment like Seracia could impact a wolf. Her ears remained pricked attentively in Aeil's direction, even as her gaze began to wander a little. Still, when the female spoke again, Kamala turned her full attention upon the female, her tail wagging slowly behind her, "I would have to be a fool to turn down such an offer, Lady Aeil." Kamala admitted with a tinge of amusement to her words, "You are a lovely wolfess, and I would be honored to call you a friend of mine." She inclined her head slightly in the direction of the other, her tail's speed picking up slightly as she shifted her weight lightly.

Aeil's tail swayed behind her in a rhythm that indicated she was happy at the answers Kamala had given her. She had made another alliance in her pack, which was something she didn't mind one bit. It was in the gray wolf's nature to befriend as many as she could, something her mother had bestowed to her in genetics. Her eyes danced in the same happy manner she was feeling and she responded with a warm tone to her voice. "I intend to not disappoint you in that, Kamala. Friendship and loyalty are two important things to me in life." It may have been a gushy response, but she meant the words that she spoke. It was probably destiny that had played a part in Aeil meeting the Princess. She was eager to get to know more about the young fae, for curiosity was evident in her thirst for knowledge. Aeil rose from her haunches and stretched out all four legs, getting rid of any aches that would unknowingly settle in. She continued to wag her tail as she said, "I hope that we are the best of friends, Kamala. I have met a few wolves here since joining Seracia, but none more past the pleasantries...except for Queen Epiphron." A flick of her left ear happened after mentioning the Queen and she yawned briefly. "Even there are so many wolves here, I have only met a fair few." She shrugged and then looked at Kamala with her gentle gaze. "How long have you lived in Seracia, Kamala?" "speeeeech"

Kamala

you only miss the sun when it starts to snow. Kamala glanced at Aeil, curling her tail slightly as the other female spoke. "Those are important values," The female murmured to herself as she found herself internalizing the other's words. What were the two most important things to her? Her family. That one leaped immediately to her mind. Kamala knew that she would do anything for them. And Seracia appeared in her thoughts mere moments later; her family and her pack would always be the most important concrete things to her. She would give her life for either one of them. A ghost of a smile flickered across Kamala's features as Aeil continued, and Kamala turned towards the female with a friendly look on her features. "I am certain that we will be." Kamala said simply, inclining her head as she spoke. She was sure that this female would be a good friend of hers if she could see Kamala in her current state and still wish to be around her. After all, even Kamala herself didn't want to be around herself right then. It was testimony to the fact that Aeil was a good wolf that she was willing to be around the Princess right then. Ears twitching slightly, Kamala took a moment to respond to Aeil. "I've been here since Seracia was founded, Lady Aeil. My father found my brothers and I and took us in while he and Adette sought a home to build their pack upon. We had travelled with them for a little while when we found Alacritia and built our home there. I don't remember much of our earliest days, but I've been a member of Seracia since it was founded." Aeil probably hadn't wanted to know her entire family history, but ah well. It was too late now.

The more Aeil found out about Kamala and her past, the more she felt at ease with the female. She didn't mind listening to others' stories, particularly the histories that brought each person to where they were today. Aeil knew that her own past wasn't glamorous or contained anything dramatic, but she was okay with that. Her parents weren't famous wolves, but they were sweet, considerate, and smart above all else. She was proud of her past, even if others were not impressed by it. She continued to listen to her newfound friend's words, nodding at the appropriate times and then putting in her own words after Kamala had finished speaking. "I am sure that you have seen plenty of different wolves arrive into Seracia since the beginning, Princess Kamala. Watching your parents rule the kingdom with firm, but fair paws - I hope I am assuming correctly - must have been something to admire at a young age." Aeil curled her tail around her right hind paw, letting the tip dance across the ground it touched. "speeeeech"

A startled smile escaped Kamala as Aeil adressed her, and the gray and russet female wagged her tail easily as she gazed at the black female who stood before her. "My father has never been anything but fair and kind. My mother was much more . . . passionate while she was alive. And she had lost everything that my father loved in her before she died." Kamala shook her head slightly, twitching her ears as if she was attempting to drive off a buzzing insect. In the moments that followed her words, she was startled to feel a laugh escape her, "I still remember," Kamala began happily, "The first wolf that I ever welcomed into the pack. His name was Segar and I was a mere pup at the time." She sobered as she remembered everything that had happened because of Segar and Ghost. Their lives had been hard, but Kamala trusted how her father had handled them. Still, there had always been that wiggling doubt that perhaps, things might have turned out differently if she'd said that Segar didn't belong in Seracia. Speech,

She listened with intense interest as Kamala spoke of her parents. Aeil then remembered the way her parents had been when she was growing up. Loving, supportive, and it had always seemed that no matter what, they would appreciate the lady she would grow up to become. She couldn't imagine having a parent lose their identity, especially her own mother. Dezui meant the world to her, and having anything alter her memory of the woman would be traumatizing. The gray female didn't say anything in regards to these thoughts, for having them out in the open would be a step she wasn't sure she wanted to take just yet. Aeil was slightly startled by the laugh that escaped Kamala's lips. She smiled and her response came in at the right cue as Kamala stopped speaking. "You were carrying out your duties even at birth? That is definitely something to be proud of." She sat with her back in its perfect posture, uncurling her tail to let it freely sweep in wide arcs around her on the ground. "I bet you were fearless, coming up to this...Segar, was it?...without a thought of worry or the possibility of anything negative." "speeeeech"

Kamala turned her head slightly in the other's direction as she spoke, listening solemnly to the words of the other wolfess. "I think I was a season or so old at the time. I was young, but not quite that young." Kamala smiled absently at the thought all the same, her tail twitching half-heartedly against the earth. "He caused much trouble within Seracia, however. I'm not entirely sure I did the right thing. But I think my father had decided to accept him already." Kamala's voice was thoughtful as she mulled over such things, ears twitching thoughtfully as she examined the ground. She let a soft laugh escape her as Aeil continued, "I stalked him through all of Seracia. It was less fearlessness than curiosity, I guess, but it was a learning experience. My father taught me a lot that day." Her voice was still pensive as she commented on her father, a soft sigh escaping her. She hadn't talked to him in some time, and she missed his close company. Speech,

"It's always the bad boys we tend to want to know," Aeil said, tones filled with a memory of one particular guy she met years ago. "Curiosity can be so bad, but definitely rewarding in its own time, too." She grinned, tail lightly flicking to either side of her form. "You had the right to follow your first accepted wolf, even if he may not have liked it so much." Her eyes twinkled and then Kamala mentioned Gerhardt. It had been a long time since Aeil had seen the man whom had convinced her to join Seracia. She missed his presence, but knew that if something had happened, she would know. The absence of her own father was something she didn't want to wish on anyone, even though it was out of her control if it did happen to someone else. "Your father is definitely a stickler for authority and going by the rules," she said, tones now warm and more gentle than before. "He was the one that invited me into the safety of Seracia, to become a part of this vast kingdom...and I am so glad he did." The memory of him seeing her do a backward roll at their first meeting made her chuckle. "He's a good man," she said, eyes watching Kamala. "He also did a good job raising you, Princess. I can see it in the way you have been speaking to me." "speeeeech"