About a week or so after their wedding once everything was cleaned up and settled and they were able to arrange for a couple of other wolves to fill in for them while they were gone she and Artorias set out for a trip across Auster for their honeymoon. Auster had a plethora of places that would suit just fine for a picturesque vacation spot, but considering they didn't get the chance very often to really get away she figured they ought to take advantage of it and really see all that Auster had to offer. They packed up some supplies into a pair of bags that could be slug over their backs and headed out, taking their time and making some frequent stops as they made their way down into southern Auster—being sure to throughly enjoy their married life together.

As they reached the southern tip of the continent, they found a short, broken land bridge that connected the shore to what looked like a small island surrounded by a cluster of trees. For once it seemed like they had found something that Artorias hadn't explored yet so she was excited to see it with him. She let him take the lead but followed close beside him as they crossed over into the new territory and quickly she realized as they got closer that it wasn't a solid island at all, but a ring surrounding a large pool in its center. There was a break in the ring letting water flow in and she spotted a small fish using the channel to swim in and she looked curiously toward the large pool, wondering if there were a lot of fish that swam in here as well. "This seems like a good place to stay for tonight," she said once they were under the shade of the trees, giving them a reprieve from the warm Auster heat.

"Artorias & Briar Carpathius"

In the days that followed the fantastic wedding, Artorias had been floating on cloud nine. The wedding had been everything he'd dreamed of and more. He and Briar were finally married, officially mates, and she was now a part of his family and lineage. Though their day to day dynamic hadn't been changed from what it had always been, Artorias never passed up a chance to use Briar's new title as Mrs. Carpathius or Queen Carpathius—not to mention all the sex the two newlyweds were happily and vigorously engaging in following their nuptials. The day after their wedding, Briar had mentioned taking a trip as a sort of honeymoon for the two of them, escaping their duties for a time to enjoy the married life and some alone time together. Of course he had jumped at the opportunity, and after some planning and making arrangements for their absence, Art and Briar ventured out with a set of bags filled with all the camping equipment they'd need to spend a few lovely summer days out in the wild lands. Auster was especially gorgeous this time of year, so the couple had decided to spend their time exploring the natural beauty of their home continent together.

The two Carpathians headed southeast first, as Artorias knew of a small section of beach that he hadn't explored yet. It was supposed to be serene and isolated, the perfect first vacation spot for the honeymooning couple. They took the scenic routes, walking leisurely to their first destination as they explored Auster, pausing in their trek to thoroughly indulge in their new married life in some very physical ways. After a couple of days trekking and mating, they arrived to the southeastern most point of the continent, finding the easy to spot bridge of short yet wide land that reached out into the sea. At the end of it was a sandbar—but this was no ordinary sandbar. The water from the ocean had cut small channels into its exterior and began to fill a lagoon in the center of the ring of earth, with lush vegetation and palm trees growing on the surrounding sand ring around the lagoon. As he had expected, the islet was barren and isolated, with only a few tropical birds singing overhead and the lap of the waves to fill the air. There was no one around for miles, giving the couple total privacy in the tropical paradise.

Artorias gazed about at the brilliance of the lush greenery and the sparkling blue sea surrounding them. The islet was the perfect getaway for the two of them! As they ventured beneath the shade of the dense trees, Briar decreed this a good place to set up for the night, and Artorias agreed with a smile and a nod. He unslung his pack from his back, beginning to unpack their supplies. He unfurled the blanket of ermine pelts Ikigai had made for them as a gift—their bedroll for their travels—setting it up beneath a copse of palm trees for shelter and shade. "This place is stunning!" said Artorias, gazing around their surroundings as they got settled in to their campsite. He turned a wide smile and excited eyes to his wife. "What would you like to do first? Go for a stroll around the ring? Take a dip in the lagoon?" He almost suggested something more lewd, but he knew that'd come sooner or later with them anyway.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

Once Artorias agreed with her choice for tonight's campsite, she slid the bags off of her back as well, leaning them against one of the trunks of the palm trees around them and pulling out a water skin of fresh water to take a drink after their long walk. She offered it to him once he had unrolled the plush blanket of furs that had become a bed for them on this trip. It was maybe a little early to judge so far, but as she looked around this beautiful, secluded, tropical landscape she had a feeling that this was going to be the perfect place to spend the bulk of their trip. She was pretty easy to please when it came to location though. As long as they had somewhere with a bit of shade and shelter where she could be comfortable and enjoy ravaging her new husband then she would have everything she needed. She looked back to him as he questioned what she would like to do first and she grinned as she tried to resist the obvious choice of enjoying him here under this palm tree. "A dip in the lagoon sounds lovely after that walk," she decided on instead, but the thought was still very much in the back of her mind.

Briar gave him a quick kiss and another grin before she walked out of the shade to the edge of the beautiful, blue lagoon. From here she could see a few fish swimming through the clear water further into the pool, the water sparkling as small waves rippled across the surface with the breeze that was blowing through. She stepped into the cool salt water, wading into the lagoon until it was just over her knees. It was surprisingly shallow, though from the darkness at the middle of the lagoon it looked like maybe it got deeper at that portion of things. Her tail floated on the top of the water as she moved, the tawny fur trailing out behind her and snaking across the surface of the water with each step. Once she was several feet out into the water and it didn't seem like it was going to get significantly deeper anywhere else in the shallows she ended up settling down onto her stomach so that the water came up mostly up her sides, leaving just her head, neck, and the top of her back uncovered. She sighed happily with the cool relief of the water, stretching out into the serene pool happily. "This feels amazing," she purred, turning her head to look back at Artorias with a smile.

"Artorias & Briar Carpathius"

Artorias saw the look in Briar's gorgeous turquoise eyes when he asked what she wanted to do first now that they'd reached their destination, the thinly veiled grin she wore betraying all of her salacious innermost thoughts that mirrored his own. He smirked back at her and rolled his eyes, taking the offered water gratefully and downing a healthy swallow. Being surrounded by saltwater meant they would need to travel briefly inland to resupply their water every so often—especially at the rate they were drinking it with all their vigorous activities—but thankfully they'd passed by a fire freshwater streams on the way to the shore. Besides, this location had been idyllic and isolated, everything the young couple wanted as the backdrop to their personal time alone on their honeymoon while they ravaged and enjoyed one another thoroughly and exhaustively. It was probably a good thing they hadn't waited until the Austral winter to get married while Briar was in heat, or the couple would definitely have been coming back home as expecting parents to be. The thought made Artorias grin and chuckle to himself, the idea of being a father getting pushed far into the recesses of his mind for now. Right now, he just wanted to enjoy giving all of his time and attention and love to his new wife and mate, his queen, his Briar.

Briar liked the idea of a dip in the lagoon. It did sound lovely after their trek in the hot summer sun, and Artorias nodded assent to show he'd be joining her. He gave a happy hum when her lips caught his in a quick kiss that he happily returned before giving pause to watch Briar saunter off towards the edge of the water, the young brute's fire-emblazoned eyes watching the way her shapely hips shifted and swayed with every graceful stride she made, her intricately braided tail bobbing to and fro from her back end enticingly. Tearing his gaze away, Art finished stowing away the last of their supplies before he made his way over to the edge of the lagoon, toes treading through soft sea grasses and warm sand. The Carpathian man was dipping his toes into the cool water when Briar turned to look over her shoulder at him, commenting on how good the water felt. Artorias loved the water and had no reservations in making his way deeper into the clear blue surf. The waters of the lagoon were calm and tranquil, barely making so much as a gentle ripple while the ocean waters lapped and waved at the shore shielding them. Down in the crystalline lagoon, Art could see a myriad of fish and sea life milling about, doing their own thing. The water darkened near the center of the pool, likely deeper than the rest. That was fine; Artorias was only going over to relax beside Briar anyway.

Artorias waded easily through the shoals to where his beautiful mate lay in the water, smiling down at her while amber eyes shone with a deep and soulful love for her. "Mind if your husband joins you?" he teased her, settling his larger body down beside hers on the soft sands and into the cooling water. Where the water came up to Briar' sides, on the taller Artorias the surface just lapped at his ribs and thighs. Like hers, his bushy tail also began to float lazily on the water, and everywhere he lay underwater, his thick fur melted and clung to his body, highlighting and emphasizing the sleek and toned muscles hidden beneath his coat. Snuggling up to his wife's side, Artorias gently rested one foreleg over hers beneath the water, holding her paw with his own while he craned his neck down to tenderly lick and nibble along her forehead, the base of her ears, and back of her neck, showing her little affections and grooming her in the process. "You chose the perfect location for our honeymoon, my love. Scenic, tranquil... private..." Artorias said the last bit with a sly smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth in a crooked grin, eyes flashing mischievously while he gazed down at her with nothing short of true love.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

She watched as Artorias waded out through the water toward her and grinned as he asked if her husband could join her. Thinking of each other as husband and wife still made her so happy in the silliest way and she was going to keep that giddy happiness going for as long as possible. "Hmmm... I suppose I'll allow it," she replied with sarcastic teasing, but as soon as he was laying down in the shallow water with her she was leaning into his side, happy to have him relaxing with her again. It would have been easy to push off going on a trip like this or to just be content with staying somewhere closer to home for their honeymoon, but now that they were here she was incredibly glad that they had made the time to come out here. It was beautiful and everything she had hoped for. She smiled and gave Artorias' paw a light squeeze as his foreleg found hers under the water and he took her paw, humming with pleasure as he left little affections across her forehead, ears, and neck, making her eyes flutter lightly as her smile shifted into a more sly grin.

She refocused her gaze on him as he complimented her choice in location, chuckling as he specifically pointed out how private this lagoon was. "I figured it would suit our needs well," she purred in response, her tail gliding across the water to come brush across his hip and thigh. She knew that they were all over one another on any normal day as it was, but for their honeymoon they were even more insatiable than normal and she was more than okay with that. Even now as she was simply laying here with her side pressed to his with the little teasing affections she was being given her mind was already set on one thing. Her paw that had been resting in his slipped away to trail up along the inside of his foreleg, tracing a path along his strong limb up to his elbow before following the path back down again. "You know... I bet the water would feel amazing for more things than just soaking in," she suggested as she looked up at him with a lustful gleam in her eye, her tone carrying a sultry purr to it. What better way to celebrate getting to their main destination for their honeymoon than to enjoy the privacy and the beautiful backdrop that they had come all this way for?

"Artorias & Briar Carpathius"

As soon as he'd settled into the cool water of the lagoon, Artorias felt Briar shift so her body was leaning into his, cuddling beneath the shallow water together and looking at each other with the most infatuated lovey-dovey eyes of a newly married couple. Being out here, alone together and amongst the beautiful idyllic Austral coast with the most beautiful wolf in the world whom he loved more than life itself, he wondered how he'd ever gotten so lucky to end up with a life like this. It almost made him laugh to think about how he and Briar had briefly considered just honeymooning adjacent to the Hallows in case they were needed when there were still hundreds of thousands of incredible sights like this to be seen and moments to be shared beyond their doorstep! His duties had chained him to his pack—but maybe this was a sign that they didn't need to. He and Briar could take personal vacations from time to time, go wherever their hearts desired, and trust that the Hallows wouldn't burn to the ground while under the care of their friends and family. Already their honeymoon was shaping up to be an incredible experience, and Art wanted to stay out here as long as they possibly could, just enjoying being alive with one another.

Briar's gentle squeeze to his paw made him murr with happy love, continuing to cover her face and head in tender little affections. He didn't miss the way they made her pretty eyes flutter, or the way her smile shifted into a more sultry grin, knowing exactly where her mind was turning to. He smirked back at her, a knowing expression on his visage, fire opal eyes gleaming with mischievous mirth when she purred back how she thought the lagoon would suit all their needs. Artorias wasn't given a chance to respond though, as he felt his wife's flowing tail brush up along his hip and thigh beneath the shallow water, forcing the brute to suck in a sharp breath from the teasing tickling she left in her wake. Artorias and Briar both shared a high libido and maintained a highly active sex life in their everyday lives, but with the romance of their wedding still hanging in the air around them, they had both become insatiable, all over each other at any opportunity they had to savor, enjoy, and claim their new spouse. Artorias was quite liking this ravenous side of Briar, seemingly brought out by their shared experience with the Mendaciums and with the mood of their marriage still fresh and going strong. Already he was wondering how many days and nights he'd be able to convince his queen to spend tangled up with him in the sands and shoals out here before they'd be forced to go back.

As they lay there with the Aegis musing over these wanton thoughts, he felt Briar's paw leave his to begin trailing ever so slowly up and down his foreleg, bringing those tickling tingles back over his skin wherever she touched him. He murred under his breath, the sound of delight rumbling deep in his chest. That felt so nice and was also beginning to turn him on, the heat gradually smoldering in his core competing against the cool water surrounding him. Briar spoke to him again with that sultry purr in her voice, her words suggestive and lewd and everything Artorias loved to hear from his queen. Gods, she was so perfect...! A sly grin crept across his lips, the dire brute chuckling low in his throat as he shifted to press his body a bit more snugly against hers, fitting her form perfectly into his side. "Hmm, you know, I bet you're right... but there's only one way to find out," he replied in lustful, husky tones, his eyes burning with that same lecherous fire that hers had.

While she continued to stroke over his foreleg in an almost hypnotic way, Artorias craned his head down to continue to trail a path of kisses across Briar's forehead, around the base of her antlers, slowly making his way to her closest ear and catching it gently between his teeth. He gingerly rolled the delicate flesh between his teeth, releasing it only long enough to run his tongue along the edge to tease her some more before moving down to trail kisses along the side of Briar's cheek and then down the side of her neck, breathing in deep her scent, her natural perfume intoxicating him and giving him a lustful high like nothing else could. He withdrew his leg from her grasp then, rising so he could stand above his wife lying prone in the shallow water. The cool water sluiced from his fur, dripping from soaking fur that clung to his muscles like a wet shirt while he stood over Briar, lowering himself just enough so that he could continue to run those kisses, nibbles, and love bites down the back and side of her neck, teasing her endlessly while the brute's forelegs wrapped around his fae's hips. Artorias carefully laid his body down across Briar's in the water, shifting his hips into position to align their bodies, his head resting beside hers and paws hooking around her shapely hips with a strong, secure hold. "I love you," whispered the Aegis to his Queen. Then Artorias pushed his hips forward and slid himself into Briar with a deep groan, making their bodies one as he poured forth all of his love and lust for his perfect bride into their passionate lovemaking.

- fade -

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

Briar's grin widened as Artorias played along with her sly remarks, saying how there was only one way to find out if she was right while pressing even more snuggly to her side. It really took hardly anything to get them in the mood for each other and laying pressed together in a cool, relaxing pool in one of the most picturesque locations she had ever visited was more than enough to do just that. Her paw continued to lightly trail along his foreleg under the water, her claws lightly grazing his skin, while his affections went across her forehead and around her antlers and ears, making her eyes flutter closed with a pleased, content hum. She leaned into him all the while, savoring the little, teasing kisses and nibbles he gave her, little shivers dancing down her spine when he worked around the base of her antlers and his teeth caught her ear. He always knew exactly what she liked and what got the heat to build quickly in her core, the fire of her need for him quickly spreading through her and sending electricity over her skin wherever they touched. Her paw flexed and squeezed his foreleg as his tongue slipped along the edge of her ear, pulling a breathy sigh of delight from her.

His foreleg slipped away from her then and she blinked open her eyes to see him moving to stand, her hungry turquoise gaze taking in how his fur clung to his body and showed off the toned definition of his strong form. It was sometimes hard to really appreciate the powerful, sexy brute he had grown into since his fur was so thick and obscured how well muscled he was, but right now she could enjoy all of him easily and it was just another reason why this honeymoon spot was perfect. His body settled over top of her own with a familiar and welcomed weight across her back, the kisses and nibbles he left along her neck making more quivers of lust tremble through her as she tipped her head back with an eager grin. Soaking in everything Artorias gave to her, Briar easily lost herself in him and whined softly with need as his paws hooked around her hips. "I love you too," she breathed back in response a moment before his hips pressed to hers, making her gasp and groan with pleasure as she pushed back into him as well, their bodies joining together as if they were made for one another and she fully believed that to be true. The water moved and rippled around them, a gentle accompaniment to their passionate love making and another sensation to bring her to peaks of pleasure again and again under her perfect husband.

- fade -

"Artorias & Briar Carpathius"