once upon a dream

The affections given were returned. Yes, she loved Roan with all of her heart, but she loved Deathbelle as well, albeit in a different way. If the speckled woman needed affection, Iolaire would give it. Belle's words brought a grin from Io accompanied by a wink. "I'll always be here for you, Belle. Just say the word and my ears are open to you." She felt a little bad about not having paid a visit to Ashen since the pups were born, but there was so much on her plate. So much on both of their plates.

She listened as Deathbelle went on to speak of her son, Chimera. The boy was distant. So much so that Belle felt that he didn't, or couldn't, connect with anyone in the family. Iolaire tilted her head slightly as though deep in thought. She did love to help with issues of the mind. Perhaps she would pay the boy a visit. See what she could find. She then shared her worries about Siren, explaining the colors that she saw around wolves. That was fascinating. She would definitely like to speak to the girl. "Would you mind if I visited to speak to them both? Perhaps I could give a bit of insight then."

When Belle asked for stress relief tea, Iolaire chuckled. "Darling, I have tea for everything. Come with me." She led the empress back inside and motioned for her to rest upon the piles of furs if she wished. The small fire in the hearth was burnt down to coals, but she stoked it easily enough. Placing a stoneware pot filled with water onto the fire, she let it heat up. In the mean time, she placed some chamomile, lavender and hibiscus into two dishes. In a separate dish, she ground up a few leaves of stevia to sweeten the tea. A few minutes later, she poured the water over the herbs, catching the chunks with a sieve that she'd made from fine grasses woven together. Taking the dishes one at a time in her strange paws, she placed one before Deathbelle and a second across from her before depositing herself upon the furs. "Drink up."