Luxury Accommodations

After their dinner plans had been made, Artorias had left his guests to their own devices, being sure to shut the door on his way out to grant them some privacy for the wanton acts he had no doubt would be commencing as soon as he was gone. He'd sought out Briar immediately after, informing her of their guests' presence and their dinner arrangements. He knew she would remember Manea from the conversation he'd shared with her a season ago, and Briar seemed thrilled at the idea of getting to play host and alpha for the first time in their diplomatic ventures with the Elysium alphas. The remainder of the day was spent in the kitchen for the most part, with the Aegis and Queen preparing a small feast for their company. Artorias had selected some choice cuts of venison from a recent hunt and roasted them with an assortment of spices from the Hallows' gardens as the entrées, which Briar helped him season and cook. Briar took it upon herself to select their wine for the evening, picking a few bottles of one of their finer, sweeter, and stronger vintages to go along with their meal, while also preparing a sweet finish with some honeyed seasonal berries. Artorias was downright proud of how excited Briar was to handle being both a host and a queen at the same time. He'd be sure to show her just how proud of her he was later.

Throughout their preparations, the echoes of voices locked in the throes of passion and lust echoed about the castle. Artorias had no curiosity as to what the source of the noises were; he knew exactly what Manea and Alastor were up to. Unlike Briar, however, it didn't embarrass him so much, and the Aegis was able to mostly ignore it while they set up dinner out in the gardens. Once the meal was prepared and evening had crept over Auster, Artorias and Briar waited for their guests at the picnic banquet beneath one of the larger wisteria trees in the gardens. It was a lovely clear spring evening, the air warm and the stars beginning to show up as sunlight slowly ebbed away. Soon, Artorias spotted both Mendaciums on the terrace and headed their way, perking up with a warm smile as they came closer. The first thing Artorias noticed right away was the heavy musk of sex coming from both wolves, mixed in with their combined scents over one another. They really were quite bold with their sexual escapades, it seemed. But Artorias was not one to judge another couple or culture. Perhaps that was just an Elysium or Mendacium thing. He glanced over to Briar, catching the look on her face as well as the flush that came over her cheeks. He reached a paw over to rest on hers, a silent show of affection while their guests joined them.

Manea greeted Briar first, and both Manea and Alastor made no attempt to hide the way they were both admiring Briar in much the same way they had looked at him when he'd welcomed them at the border. Fortunately, Briar either took it in stride or didn't notice it, as she didn't seem put off by either other wolf, greeting the Mendaciums just as formally as they did her. Artorias breathed a quiet sigh of relief; he knew Manea and Alastor were very outwardly comfortable with their sexualities and relationship, and while he took their teasing in stride, he'd been concerned for how Briar would handle it. So far, she was doing tremendous! "You're very welcome! It's our pleasure to host you, Manea," he responded to the Elysian alphess, dipping his head politely.

When introductions had been made and the wolves all settled in, Briar invited their guests to dig in. With the spread they'd made, there would be more than enough food for both alpha couples. Once everyone had helped themselves to some meat and the wine had been distributed with several more unopened bottles waiting on the side, the meal began, as did the small talk. Briar asked about Elysium while Artorias chewed a hunk of venison and downed a healthy swallow of wine. When the Mendaciums answered Briar's questions, Artorias perked up in interest. "I haven't spent much time up in the northern parts of Boreas, but I do love exploring. I'd very much like to see Alias Island, if you'll have us for a visit." Just as Briar was doing her part to work on the Hallows' diplomacy with Elysium, so too was Artorias, but with the added benefit of getting to see and explore lands he'd never been to before. Maybe he and Briar could take a vacation up to Elysium sometime in the near future.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"