It wasn't all that often that Manea found something that she was so utterly at a loss with or unconfident in addressing, but the conflict between Irilyth and Alastor truly was one of these situations. Between Alastor's stubbornness and unpredictability and Irilyth's fragile confidence and stalwart defense of her own actions it left Manea caught between them and feeling as if she had failed in supporting either of them. Part of her knew that she shouldn't be surprised that her torn loyalty to the both of them had landed her in this position, but given the fact that they had all lived together for so long in relative peace it did feel a bit like she had been blind sided by it. Logically she knew that this wasn't her fault, that this all stemmed from Relm and Alastor and that this was simply Alastor's violent behavior and reaction to things at work, but she couldn't help but feel as if she had failed Irilyth in this and the guilt kept her on edge.

It had been several days since she had helped Irilyth wash off in the lake and her lover had moved out of the family den to retreat for a while to let things simmer down. As expected, her anger at Alastor had gotten her no where and she only felt more lost on how to handle it. She didn't want to push him on the subject when she was at the same time trying to support him as he grieved the pups that had never been and the loss of the relationship he used to have with Relm, but then where did that leave her and Irilyth? In the end she decided the only one that could tell her how she wanted it to be handled was Irilyth herself. As the day crept toward evening, Manea gathered up a few things and then began to make her way down the mountain path to where Irilyth had been staying. She approached the den with a bit of hesitation, peeking in until her aqua gaze finally landed on Irilyth. She stepped inside, just past the entry way, before she stopped again and sat down the bundle she had been carrying in front of her. "How're you feeling?" she questioned gently, waiting to see Irilyth's reaction before she moved any further into the space.

"Manea" & "Irilyth"

In the wake of the devastation Relm's miscarriage had wreaked upon all of the Mendacium family, Irilyth had done her best to lie low and keep to herself. What she had felt was the right thing to do had only gotten her assaulted by an enraged Alastor in the height of his hijacked emotions and left her even more uncertain if her decisions had been the right ones to make. In the moment, Irilyth had felt like she was doing the right thing by protecting Relm's privacy when she stood up to Alastor and disrespected his authority over her, but after how Manea seemed so devastated by what had occurred now she wasn't so sure. Gathering her belongings from the Mendacium family den had been a heartbreaking and sobering experience for the small wolf, but she had done so without complaint or protest, scarcely looking up from her work as she collected her meager possessions in her satchel and heading out to her temporary lodgings. She knew Manea would be watching her as she went about her business, but she couldn't bring herself to look up and see the hurt in her lady's eyes. That would just make this transition all the more painful.

Irilyth had gotten set up in one of the smaller guest dens around the base of the mountain. Despite Manea's insistence that she take one of the larger ones for more space, Iri was a small wolf, and did her best to gently refuse the offer. Being in a larger den would have made her feel undeserving of the luxury and would have just been that much more empty space for her in her solitude. Manea had furnished the den with a large selection of quality furs for her to help keep the chill of winter out, but other than that the den was mostly sparse. Only Irilyth's satchel, a few bottles of new experimental variations of Ambrosia she'd been working on, and her medicines to help the still healing marks on her back from Alastor's claws made up the contents of the modest living space. In the days since she had been evicted from her usual home, Iri had seen little of Manea or Alastor, assuming they were either hashing it out over his forms of punishment or that they were giving her space to recover. Either way, the little blonde fae had been on her own for most of her time. It was a luxury in a way, and in others a curse.

On this evening, Irilyth had returned from getting her dinner to her den to retire early, finding peace in sleep where she didn't have to dwell on her thoughts or think about the punishment. She had not been expecting any company, so when Manea's voice called to her from the entrance of the den, Irilyth was almost startled by the sudden presence of another. Ruby eyes were wide in shock, but she quickly settled when she saw Manea hovering in the entryway, looking conflicted as she stood half in and half out of the den. Iri saw the hurt in her alpha's eyes and she understood why. Manea was helplessly caught in the middle of a feud, and Irilyth had been a casualty of crossfire. Neither one of them had wanted this to happen nor knew how to handle it. They were just doing their best to pick up the pieces. "The healing has been slow, but it has been steady," she replied in soft tones, keeping her eyes moved down to her paws as they fiddled with a vial of Ambrosia. "The drugs help." She was not nervous around Manea, but she knew that the other woman was hurting for her every time she was around her. It was impossible to not feel a little guilty knowing she was the cause of Manea's struggle.

"Manea" & "Irilyth"

Manea's ears flicked as she accidentally startled Irilyth with her presence. She hadn't known if she would be welcomed here or not and Irilyth's reaction and uncertain words didn't reassure her much, but at the very least she wasn't referred to as Matriarch this time so that gave her some hope. Manea frowned a bit as Irilyth told her that the drugs helped her feel better through her slow recovery, but nodded quietly in response. She knew they were a necessary part of it and she trusted that Irilyth would take care of herself, but it still made her feel the same way as she did about any other part of this–it shouldn't have happened or been needed in the first place. "I'm glad you're healing well," she replied softly while she continued to stand uncertainly in the doorway for a moment longer. She debated what she should do before finally picking up the bundled up gifts she had brought once more and making herself step further into the small den to approach Irilyth, keeping an eye on the golden healer so she could stop if Irilyth started to look uncomfortable.

She settled down on her haunches across from Irilyth, placing the bundle between them. "I brought you a few little things," she explained before she untied the wrapped up piece of cloth and revealed the fragrant flowers that had been planted in a small pot, a small pillow made of a snow leopard pelt that had been stuffed with wool, and a jar of honey-coated berries. "I wasn't sure how long you might want to stay here, but I wanted you to have some things to make it nicer here for you in the mean time." She knew how staunchly Irilyth tended to refuse her desire to make her lover's living spaces more luxurious or grand, but hopefully this was an acceptable level of gifts for her modest temporary arrangements. She got up briefly to place the potted flowers on a ledge on one side of the cave and to put the pillow with her other bedding before Irilyth could refuse. With her small attempts at making the space feel more homey done, she came back to Irilyth and settled there with her, giving her a tentative smile. "Do you mind if I stay with you for a while?"

"Manea" & "Irilyth"

Irilyth could feel the uncomfortable tension pouring off of Manea in waves. The aura of it was palpable in the small space of the den, and everything in her lady's body language screamed that she was unhappy and not sure what to do with herself. It hurt Irilyth's heart to see the usually confident and level Matriarch so off kilter like this. All because of her... If Irilyth had just stood down instead of standing up to Alastor, if she had relented and submitted like she had time and time before, maybe this never would have happened. There was a moment of tense silence between the two faes after Manea spoke where neither of them seemed to know what to say or do in this situation. After some time, Manea lifted the bundle she had brought with her and explained what it was. Some things to make her stay more comfortable. The gifts within here lovely little luxuries Iri still didn't know if she deserved, but she would not deny Manea's generosity if it made the violet queen feel better.

"Thank you. That's very kind. The flowers look lovely," she replied in her soft lyrics, looking at the blossoms in the pot with a delicate smile. From her place on the bedding, Iri watched while Manea went about setting up the flowers, placing the plush-looking pillow on her bedding, and then came back to sit beside her. As she was used to, Irilyth had to crane her neck to peer up at the tall woman when she asked to stay for a while. "Of course you may. I'd be glad for your company," the petite blonde fae replied, raspberry red eyes still lifted to Manea's beautiful face. It truly tore her up inside to see Manea in such a state. She hated that she was doing this to herself when Manea was guiltless in this ordeal. "Please stop doing that, Manea. Blaming yourself for what happened. I don't blame you. There was no way you could have known or intervened. I made my choice, and I took the consequences. I'm a big girl and I can handle it." Iri pleaded with Manea, hoping that the headstrong alphess would listen to her. "How can I soothe this guilt you're unjustly carrying on yourself?"

"Manea" & "Irilyth"

Manea smiled a bit when Irilyth accepted her request and that she would be glad for her company. With how they had last parted ways she hadn't really been certain of that. As much as she hated that feeling, everything felt uncertain in one way or another and in some ways it felt like she was starting all over with Irilyth. As her lover looked up at her and pleaded with her to stop blaming herself for what happened and telling her that there was nothing that she could have done, her attempts at appearing at least neutral slipped and her ears flicked back. She knew that she had not been directly to blame for what happened. She understood that Irilyth had made a choice and that she had accepted the punishment that came with it. She most certainly did not agree with Alastor's method of punishment, but she still couldn't get the vision of Irilyth in the lake, so distant and detached, hearing her call her Matriarch again. She had a feeling that memory would haunt her for some time.

As Irilyth questioned her, asking how she could soothe this guilt, Manea sighed softly, glancing down between them for a moment. There was a heavy pause as she tried to tip toe around how she could express what she was feeling, but in the end she just came out and said it as a frown pulled at her lips, speaking quietly and having a difficult time meeting her gaze. "You're mine, Irilyth. You're one of my wolves and I wasn't able to protect you. I knew how Alastor felt about what you did, I knew what he was capable of, but I couldn't bring myself to punish you myself to protect you from him. How can I have no guilt?" Manea let out a slow breath, closing her eyes for a moment before she finally brought her gaze back to Irilyth's, her aqua eyes apologetic as she tentatively lifted a paw to Irilyth's cheek. She gently stroked over her soft, blonde fur, missing the feeling of it beneath her paw pads. "I appreciate that you don't blame me. I know you can handle things on your own and I understand that you made the choice, but..." Words failed her and she gently shook her head as her paw slipped away again.

Sliding down onto her stomach in front of Irilyth so that the smaller woman wouldn't have to crane her neck to look up at her, Manea tried to refocus herself. Even she knew that letting herself spin constantly in this endless cycle of what ifs and should haves wasn't helping either of them and she desperately wanted to do something to help. "What can I do? Is there something I can do for you? Something I can do to Alastor? Every way I've ever tried to reprimand him for anything has never gotten through to him, but if there's something that you think is fair then I will do it for you." She left it in Irilyth's paws, feeling that as the victim in this she should have the ultimate say in what she felt was fair. Perhaps it would be nothing, but Manea would feel better as long as she knew Irilyth was cared for.

"Manea" & "Irilyth"

There was a pause between the two femmes when Irilyth asked Manea to let go of her self-deprecation, and after some time to think the request over, Manea began to explain her position. Hearing Manea say that she was hers brought her a sense of comfort to know that even through all this, Manea still wanted her. She would never doubt her alphess' love for her, but there had been a time of worry that if caught between making a choice of her husband or her lover, Irilyth might not come out on top. Hearing just how deep Manea's guilt ran hurt the little golden wolf's heart. She did not want to be the cause of such strife and discontent in her lover's life. All the while Manea spoke, Iri listened in patient and attentive silence, giving the Matriarch all of her undivided attention. The blonde fae would not pull away when the larger lady reached out to stroke her cheek, instead leaning her delicate, slim features into the soft paw pads that brushed her cheek with careful affection.

Irilyth watched as Manea came down to her level, begging for some way to make amends for the situation. It made the golden blonde wolf sigh and shake her head. Did Manea really not understand that she didn't want anything done? She didn't feel the need for revenge or retribution. Iri, who had lived her entire life pressed beneath the ways of some other more powerful wolf, now had someone who genuinely cared about her. That was enough for her. "I don't want you to punish Alastor on my behalf, Manea," she replied in her usual soft lyrics, raspberry red eyes lifting to seek her lover's aquatic jewels. "What I want is for you to forgive yourself and not blame yourself, the way I don't blame you. Above all else, I don't want you to do anything to Alastor. I don't want revenge on him and I don't want to give him any reasons to continue to harbor hate towards me." A bit of a cheeky smirk touched the smaller bitch's lips then, her ruby eyes flashing mischievously. "Besides, nothing would punish him or upset him more than me carrying on like he did nothing to me." Irilyth knew brutes like Alastor well. He was looking for a reaction in her, trying to get a rise from her pain. By giving him nothing to feed on, she was punishing him more effectively than anything else by showing him that his actions had done nothing to her. It would likely drive him mad.

But Irilyth saw the pleading look in Manea's eyes. No matter what she said, no matter how much she tried to reassure her that she was guiltless in this, Manea would not be able to forgive herself and move on from this catastrophe unless Iri gave her some sort of penance. The petite golden fae sighed, her ears drooping back to her head in defeat. "What would make you feel better, Manea? I've already told you that I don't blame you, but that hasn't been enough for your conscience. So tell me what you'd like to do to ease your own mind on the matter. What would make you feel that you've atoned for my pain? Then do that for me." Irilyth could not tell Manea what to do for her because she did not feel Manea owed her any sort of debt. If the violet queen wished to make amends to her, they would have to be on her terms. Whatever Manea chose to do for her, it had better be enough to assuage the undeserved guilt she placed upon herself.

"Manea" & "Irilyth"

Manea's gaze lingered on Irilyth's as her lover insisted that all she wanted was for her to forgive herself and that she didn't want anything to happen to Alastor. A little frown pulled at her lips at that, but she didn't interrupt, letting Irilyth continue as she explained how she didn't want the Commander to have another reason to hate her and pointed out that nothing would upset him more than her carrying on like nothing had happened. That at least made Manea smirk since she knew that was certainly the truth. It wasn't a satisfying resolution, but she had come here wanting Irilyth to give her guidance on how to handle the situation. Just because she didn't fundamentally agree with the solution she was given didn't mean that she could disregard the answer. Her gaze refocused on the golden fae's face as she questioned what would make her feel better. A small smile pulled at her lips as she listened to Irilyth's pleas for her to tell her what would ease her mind on the matter. Chuckling softly, Manea reached her forelegs out to slip around Irilyth's sides, gently pulling her closer as she looked up at her raspberry gaze and rubbed her large paws along her lower back.

"I'm just a more vengeful creature than you are, it seems," she commented. "It just doesn't feel like enough to do nothing after what he did to you, but... if that's what you want then that's what I'll do." Still, she felt like she had to do something to make it up to Irilyth or maybe just make herself feel like she had done more to prove to Irilyth this hadn't changed anything between the two of them. Yes, Alastor was her husband and she loved him dearly, but she was more than willing to admit when he was wrong and she wouldn't blindly stand behind all of his actions. Leaning her head into Irilyth's chest, she nuzzled affectionately into her ivory fur. Maybe she couldn't lash out at Alastor the way she really desired to, but she could follow Irilyth's lead and prove to him that his actions had changed nothing and that they would continue on regardless. The thought did spark a bit of an idea in her head and a sly grin tugged at her lips as she lifted her head from her lover's chest, her gaze meeting hers again with a mischievous gleam. "Come on," she said simply with a chuckle before she easily swept Irilyth's much smaller frame onto her back, picking up the little healer and carrying her out of the den and up the sloping mountain path to their proper home.

As they crossed into the branching chambers of the cave, she strode past the alcove that was Irilyth's usual den and instead carried her back to her own bedroom. She knew Alastor would still be out for several more hours on a hunt with Saracyn so they were free and clear for her to send a message to her husband in her own way. She knew Irilyth didn't want her to punish Alastor directly, but she just couldn't resist at least getting under his skin just a bit. She gently tossed Irilyth down onto the plush bedding and rolled her onto her back as she settled her own body over hers, a sly grin on her lips as she slipped her paws under her and hugged around her waist. "You want to show him that you can just carry on like he did nothing to you? Then let's really drive that message home." She chuckled and started kissing down along her jaw and throat, a soft rumble in her chest as she started covering every inch of Irilyth's skin with gentle affections. She was still cognizant of the fact that this was the first time Irilyth would be having sex after her attack so she was still careful to avoid any of her healing wounds and she paid close attention to Irilyth's reactions to make sure she was comfortable, but she hoped that her tender, passionate love would help her relax and enjoy it.

"Manea" & "Irilyth"

The disappointment and disgruntlement on Manea's face was almost humorous to Irilyth when she instructed her lover to take no action against her husband for his misdeeds. She knew Manea was a much more directly confrontational wolf than she was, and being told to stand down when she felt the need to act would drive her bonkers, but it was the best way Irilyth could think of to take her power back from Alastor. He had tried to put her down, to break her and belittle her, but she would pick herself up and carry on like he had done nothing to her. Manea may not approve of her passive aggressive response, but it was not her call to make. Thankfully, the alphess seemed to respect her decision, no matter how much she disagreed with her, relenting to Iri's wishes in a few simple sentences. Irilyth gave a humming giggle and smirked up at the larger fae. "Does that surprise you that I'm less vengeful than you are? I wouldn't have survived half as long as I have if I tried to take on every wolf that ever wronged me." Iri had built a life on survival by servitude, subjugating herself to the will of others in exchange for protection and provision. Manea had been the first wolf to ever treat her as something more than a maid or a concubine.

A few more tender affections were shared between the two ladies, with Manea nuzzling into Irilyth's cream-colored chest and drawing happy sighs from her. This felt normal again. Being in Manea's arms while they talked and cuddled felt like the world was setting itself right again. Then out of nowhere, Manea lifted her head and gave her a sly, wicked grin that Irilyth knew all too well. The golden fae raised a curious brow, but before she could ask about the mischievous look on her lover's face, the larger violet fae was scooping her up onto her back and whisking her out of the den and back up the mountain paths. "M-Manea! Where are we going?" she asked amidst clinging onto the larger wolf's back so she didn't go tumbling off. Her question was answered not by words, but by Manea carrying Irilyth across the threshold of their shared home and down the private tunnel to the Matriarch's bedchambers. Iri's eyes widened in realization when Manea brought her over to the expansive bed of luxuriously soft furs and tossed her gently down onto her back, manipulating her smaller body in her large leonine paws with ease.

A squeak of surprise escaped Irilyth's lips as Manea was suddenly upon her, covering her petite form with her own much larger, slender body. Irilyth's heart began to pick up speed, beating faster and harder in excitement and anxiousness while she gazed up into her lover's hungry aqua eyes with a blend of yearning and apprehension. Still, that didn't keep the eager grin off of the blonde woman's muzzle when Manea slipped her paws beneath her to hug around her waist, pulling the smaller fae's svelte body up to hers. The alphess' words sent an excited and naughty thrill through Iri's nerves. Manea was really driving the point home to Alastor by fucking her lover in their bed. "Manea...!" Irilyth gasped out between heated breaths as the violet fae began to trail sultry kisses down her jaw and throat, then across her chest and barrel, moving slowly down her in a way Iri was intimately familiar with. "Alastor... He's going to be furious with us. Are you sure...?" Of course he was going to know what the two women had done together. How could he not? But it seemed like that's exactly what Manea wanted, and she was prepared to face Alastor in her own way. Still grinning while she watched Manea move down her voluptuous body with half-lidded raspberry eyes, quiet murrs and sighs of delight began to slip past the littler fae's lips while she basked in Manea's love. Thanks to her potent medicines and salves, her injuries had all but healed by now. Only the emotional and mental ruin still lingered, and Manea would be the first and only one to see just how much her body had returned to its former glory.

"Manea" & "Irilyth"

She loved the gasping sound of Irilyth exclaiming her name as she began her decent down her lover's body, savoring every part of her with tender affections as she went. Still, she fully expected Irilyth to have some kind of concern at Manea's own form of protest toward her husband and she got that concern in the form of Irilyth pointing out how Alastor was going to be furious with them. She glanced up to catch Irilyth's gaze, giving her a sly, defiant grin in response. "Oh, I'm more than sure, my love. It fact, I hope he's furious. I can't wait to see the look on his face..." She chuckled and grinned again before she continued on with her kisses and featherlight nibbles across her lover's pale fur, inching her way down her chest and stomach, a rumble of delight resonating in her chest. It had been far too long since she had gotten to devour this little fae that she loved and what better way to truly show Alastor that he had changed nothing than to make Irilyth scream in their bed? She was hardly ever the most gentle of lovers, but she did take her time, worshiping every inch of Iriltyh from nose to tail and everything in between, pulling out all of the tricks to bring her to the highest peaks of pleasure imaginable. Maybe she couldn't tear into Alastor over this like she really wanted to, but he could make her jealous and prove a point in her own way and that was almost as good.

- fade -

"Manea" & "Irilyth"

Manea addressed Irilyth's concerns about the wrath of Alastor with a sly and defiant grin, sending a delightful shiver running down the little blonde fae's back. Manea was such an incredible and imposing woman, she often marveled at how she could look into the face of someone as dangerous as Alastor and simply choose to do something to piss him off without any concern or regard for her own safety. She wished she could have been half as brave as Manea was, but that just wasn't who she was, and Iri was okay with that. She had Manea to look after her—and look after her she was doing oh so well right now. As Manea responded that she actually hoped that Alastor was furious with them and that she couldn't wait to see the look on his face, Irilyth's breath caught as a grin of her own began to slowly appear on her muzzle, followed shortly by little squeaks of delight as the large purple fae resumed her trail of kisses and nibbles down her pale chest and stomach, teasing over warm flesh through thin fur. Violet lips made the golden woman squirm beneath her, back arching off the plush bed of luxurious furs while she watched Manea descend down her svelte body, practically worshipping every inch her mouth graced with tender affections.

Iri breathed a shaky sigh of satisfaction, raspberry red eyes half hidden behind fluttering lids as they glazed over with heady desire. "I hope he’s furious too… I hope he hates me for what we’re about to do…" said Irilyth in a rare show of defiant confidence, grinning down at her lover just as Manea’s muzzle moved down between her thighs, and then Irilyth’s breath was stolen away in a sharp gasp, ruby eyes going wide and rolling back in her head. "Manea…!" And then Iri was washed away in a flood of pure euphoria, drowning in the sensations of her lover and the heat they kindled together.

- fade -

"Manea" & "Irilyth"