Consolation Prize

Ashen's summer festival had been one to remember! Artorias had gotten to meet many new wolves, enjoyed a delicious feast and celebrated summer with friends and family, fought in a tournament and proven his valor and skills for the Hallows by making it to the finals, and he'd gotten to witness a lovely wedding ceremony between Plague and Void as the two brutes were wed. It was the perfect way to cap off summer after the horrendous winter they'd all endured, and it gave him a lot of ideas of events he could host in the Hallows when he became alpha. But most importantly to him, he'd gotten to spent this time with Briar.

After the tournament though, he'd noticed his beloved girlfriend noticeably more sour in mood. She tried her best to keep it hidden behind a mask of princess-like decorum, but Artorias saw straight through her facade. Something had been bothering the Fatalis princess. Even through the wedding, despite sitting next to him and letting him be lovey with her, something about her demeanor felt off... colder, distant, distracted. Had he done something to put her off? He couldn't recall anything specific off the top of his head, but he was also a rookie when it came to relationship stuff. He was still very much learning as he went.

Once the wedding ceremony had concluded and the remaining wolves milled about and socialized, Artorias gave Briar a little nudge and motioned wordlessly for her to follow him. He quietly led her down to the beaches just south of the white forest, stealing her away for a private moment to themselves. His paws hit the soft golden sands with a quiet crunch, the calming lapping of the waves filling his ears while he followed the curve of the beach until the clamor of conversation faded into silence and only the waves could be heard. Artorias glanced over at Briar in the dark, her form just barely silhouetted by the silver moonlight. His breath caught; she looked so beautiful with the silvery outline accenting her form against the dark waters and bluish-looking sand in the night.

Smiling mostly to himself, Artorias came to a stop and sat back on his haunches to gaze out over the ocean glistening with the moon and starlight. "Plague and Void looked so happy, didn't they? Makes me wonder what my own wedding will be like one day," he said and shot her a teasing grin while gazing at her with a lovestruck expression while he gazed deeply into her gorgeous turquoise eyes. "You look so beautiful in the moonlight." He leaned closer to steal a soft kiss from her lips. Then he remembered he had brought her out here for a specific reason and redirected himself from his flirting before he got too lost in her breathtaking kisses. "What's wrong, Briar?" he asked softly, leaning closer to nose her cheek tenderly. There wasn't a question of if something was bothering her in his words; he knew her well enough to know she wasn't okay.

"Artorias Carpathius"