Surprise! More than one!

Artorias gave a barking laugh when Rudyard dismissed his failure as him teaching Art to be so observant. A roll of amber eyes and a humored smirk to his brother, and the alpha replied, "Well in that case, thank you for giving me all the tools to outsmart you." His brother mentioned coming to see him before he got busy, and Artorias' first thought was "Uh oh, what did you do now?" He shot Rudy a cautious glance, seeing the smug smirk on his brother's face and immediately wondering if he was going to have to rush to his brother's defense for something. That look meant trouble, and Rudy had a secret he was keeping.

Artorias quirked a curious but wary brow. He started to mention Fern, going through a deliberate slow buildup to get to his point. "Yeeeees...? What about her?" Rudyard suddenly exploded into jubilant cheers as he exclaimed that Fern had revealed her love for him. Art blinked in surprise, nearly recoiling from his brother's explosive display of joy. He remained where he was however, all smiles to see his little brother so ecstatic and happy. He hadn't seen a smile that big on Rudy's face since the Oxx attack. It did his heart good to see that smile back where it belonged. Even his brother's nub of a tail was wagging! Art very nearly could have shed a tear for how happy he was to see his brother come back to life.

"Really?! I didn't even know you two were into one another!" Of course he was lying. Fern had told him all about the secret relationship they'd been cultivating, and that she'd told Rudy she loved him. But he wasn't going to burst his little brother's enthusiasm bubble. This was a big moment for him and he deserved to have his chance in the spotlight. "So she's staying in your room, huh? Should I tell Gwyn to start stocking more contraceptives in the storerooms, then?" He snickered with a roguish grin, shooting a teasing wink to Rudy. He didn't think they were up to anything lewd, but he wasn't going to miss a golden chance to embarrass and fluster his brother. Rudy went on a bit more to explain how he was helping teach her to hunt and get her used to her new home. Then he confessed that he thought he might love her too. Artorias gave a pensive nod, wrapping his head around his brother's feelings.

Rising to his paws again and shaking out his coat, Artorias motioned for Rudyard to follow him with a nod of his head. He began a leisurely walk through the castle gardens, looking over the flowers and plants they passed by. "What makes you think you love her? Are you not sure?" he asked, looking to Rudy with a curious tilt to his head. To the best of his knowledge, Rudy had never been in love before, so maybe he just didn't know what love felt like or what it meant. Still, he wanted to hear his brother's take on his situation. Maybe he could offer some sibling insight as someone not new to relationships or love.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Argent"