Now that their second litter were yearlings and had all moved out into their own bedrooms across Hearthstone, Artorias couldn't wait to reclaim his and Briar's personal space for themselves. He loved his children to death, but by the gods, was it hard to get any alone time together with six little munchkins always around! The quiet in the alphas' bedchambers was a welcome and strange sound, only the falling of the rain outside on the windows and the crackling of the fireplace in the hearth keeping the room from being entirely silent. Artorias smiled as he took in the peace in the room for the first time in a year. Part of his heart ached as he missed the tiny puppies he'd watched grow up in here, but a larger part of his heart was grateful that he could now spoil his queen with love without interruption again.

Carrying a bottle of a luxury vintage red wine into the room, Artorias set the bottle down with a couple of goblets by the furs in front of the fireplace, the warm glow of the fire inviting and comforting against the winter storm outside. This would be the ending of the little date night he planned to lavish Briar with. After making sure the pillows were all fluffed on the bed and a couple fresh logs were tossed onto the fire, Art headed down from their bedroom to the baths, stepping into the empty bath chamber to open the large faucets and beginning to fill one of the spacious in-ground pools with steaming water from the underground hot springs. Gallons of steamy water filled the tub by the second while the dire brute went about gathering up the grooming products he knew his wife used, and before too long the bath was filled and ready for them to enjoy.

With his preparations all set, Artorias whistled for Corbin and sent his faithful raven companion off to go deliver a message to Briar to meet him in the baths for some "quality time together". Then he waited for his queen to show up so he could shower her with affections.

"Artorias & Briar Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

Briar had just begun to wind down for the day, finishing up a few last minute tasks with Marigold, when Corbin found the pair and delivered her husband's message. Her brows lifted with surprise, but a smirk crossed her lips all the same. "Thank you, Corbin, I'll be right there." After the familiar raven flew off she glanced over to Marigold and before she could even ask her old friend to finish up for her the antlered fox was already waving her away. Chuckling, she turned and left the castle's kitchen and made her way through the grand hall, down the corridor, and eventually to the baths. With their youngest litter now adults in their own right they were now free to enjoy their time alone together once again. It was always a bitter sweet thing to see their pups move out of their room and discover their own independence, but she was certainly happy to have their freedom back as well–espeicially since her heat season had come to visit yet again.

She peeked into the baths and found her husband there waiting for her with a warm bath and all of her usual grooming products at the ready. Slipping into the room, she grinned as she stepped over to him, her braided tail wagging gently behind her. "What's all this?" she questioned with amusement, but her turquoise gaze showed her love and gratitude for all of the little things that Art did for her. He had been spoiling her from the day that their relationship began to blossom and even after all these years later that had never changed. She leaned in to press her lips to his for a lingering kiss before she pulled back to look over all of the various shampoos, soaps, and conditioners that he had gathered. She didn't always use all of these every time she bathed, but it was adorable in his own way that he had gathered all of them just in case. "You're far too sweet to me, my love."

"Artorias & Briar Carpathius"

Artorias was not kept waiting long before his beautiful wife showed up to claim her surprise date night, entering the steamy bathroom with graceful steps just as Art was doing his final checks on the bath. The Lord of Cinder looked up at his Lady with an affectionate grin on his face, his bushy tail doing a slow, happy wag behind him as she asked what this was. "This is your loving husband treating you to a little grown up time," Artorias purred in reply to his wife, closing the space between them so he could meet her affections with some of his own, meeting her lips with his own to return her lingering kiss. The dire brute wore a happy, dopey smile on his face when their muzzles parted, gazing adoringly at Briar as if it was his first time seeing her and not the millionth, tail still awag with joy.

Following Briar's gaze down to the arsenal of bathing supplies he'd collected, Artorias just gave a bashful chuckle and flashed his tawny Deer Girl a toothy grin. "I couldn't remember exactly what you use together, so I kinda hedged my bets a little." Better to be over prepared than under, and all that good stuff. Moving over to the steps that descended down into the bathing pool, Art gestured for Briar to enter and get comfortable while he grabbed the first of the shampoos and conditioners in Briar's routine. "Go ahead and let your tail down, Lady Carpathius. Tonight for your birthday present, your Lord is giving you a personal bath and spa treatment followed by a massage with our finest wine back up in our room now that it's all our room again." Artorias winked a single fire-toned eye to his gorgeous queen, already taking note of how potent Briar's scent of heat was coming off of her. Oh yeah, they were gonna be occupied with one another all night...

"Artorias & Briar Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

There was never a day that she didn't thank whatever god or fate that brought Artorias and her together, but it was moments like these that reminded her just how lucky of a woman she really was. As he presented this lovely set up he had prepared for her as his treat for her–some grown up time together–she couldn't help but grin happily while her tail swayed behind her. He really did spoil her in so many ways, no matter how many times he insisted this was only what she deserved. Even the way that he pulled out all of her bathing supplies just so he didn't risk missing one of them made her smile and giggle at how adorably thoughtful he was.

As he instructed her to let her tail down and laid out his plans for their evening, she was more than happy to do just that. "That sounds wonderful, handsome," she purred as she leaned in for another kiss, giving him a sly grin as she pulled away. Her heat had, of course, not gone unnoticed by her by any stretch of the imagination. Since they had already discussed taking a year off of adding to their family she had gotten the herbs she needed from Gwyn which took the worst of the edge off of her heat, but that didn't mean she wasn't very much looking forward to spending some valuable alone time with her husband. She stepped toward the tub, turning so that her tail was facing Art and looking back over her shoulder at him with a grin. "Would you unbraid my tail for me, love?"

"Artorias & Briar Carpathius"

Artorias couldn't help the swell of pride that puffed up his chest when he saw just how happy his little surprises had made Briar. Even if they wasn't some grand or opulent gift, knowing that she enjoyed and appreciated his acts of service and affection to her for her birthday and their anniversary made him feel like the king of the world. Artorias was quick to meet Briar's loving kiss with one of his own, leaning his body gently back into hers as she pressed her side against his. When their lips parted, Art noticed the sly grin on his wife's face and immediately knew where her mind was going to. They were both acutely aware of her heat season, and even if they weren't fully indulging in it this year and opted instead to take a year off of making more little Carpathians, that didn't dissuade the dire brute's instinctual desire and lust for his mate. Besides, this was the first true alone time they had been able to get since the birth of their pups and Art was very much looking forward to taking advantage of it as much as he could!

Still grinning like a lovestruck idiot, Art watched with lovey eyes as Briar stepped towards the bath, his eyes roaming appreciatively over her body as she moved, from her sleek and slim sides down to her supple hips and the curves of her thighs. She paused near the edge of the tub, rump facing him to present him with her tail, and shot a grin back at him that turned his blood to fire in his veins. Briar's sultry request for him to help her unbraid her tail was met with bright eyes and an eager grin, tail wagging excitedly behind him. "I'd love to, my darling," he purred back in low, rumbling tones as he moved up behind her, taking his position at her rear end and falling to his haunches to free up his forepaws to begin their work.

With practiced motions, Artorias began to loosen and untie the braids that held his wife's gorgeous flowing tail up, watching as it became a loose cascade of tawny fur the more he freed. He started from the ends and worked his way up towards the base of Briar's tail, undoing braid after braid at a slow, savoring pace until his paws reached the point where her tail met her body. Then, without missing a beat, Artorias' paws slid up to caress over Briar's rump and rubbed down over the backs of her thighs, a delighted, lustful grin on his face as he slowly felt up his wife. Low murrs of delight rumbled deep within the dire brute's chest, his paw pads brushing ever so close to Briar's most intimate parts, just barely avoiding touching her as he savored his wife's stunning, flawless body. "I should let you get in the bath..." Artorias murmured in husky tones, leaning in closer to nip teasingly at the base of her tail, an eager fire flaring up in his amber eyes. "But you are far too tempting to resist, Deer Girl." With a roguish grin on his face, Art dipped his muzzle beneath Briar's tail, letting his tongue find her sensitive flesh as he gave in to his most basic urges and indulged himself in pleasuring his mate.

"Artorias & Briar Carpathius" | "Carpathian"