Love you to the moon and back, honey

In the days that followed the fantastic wedding, Artorias had been floating on cloud nine. The wedding had been everything he'd dreamed of and more. He and Briar were finally married, officially mates, and she was now a part of his family and lineage. Though their day to day dynamic hadn't been changed from what it had always been, Artorias never passed up a chance to use Briar's new title as Mrs. Carpathius or Queen Carpathius—not to mention all the sex the two newlyweds were happily and vigorously engaging in following their nuptials. The day after their wedding, Briar had mentioned taking a trip as a sort of honeymoon for the two of them, escaping their duties for a time to enjoy the married life and some alone time together. Of course he had jumped at the opportunity, and after some planning and making arrangements for their absence, Art and Briar ventured out with a set of bags filled with all the camping equipment they'd need to spend a few lovely summer days out in the wild lands. Auster was especially gorgeous this time of year, so the couple had decided to spend their time exploring the natural beauty of their home continent together.

The two Carpathians headed southeast first, as Artorias knew of a small section of beach that he hadn't explored yet. It was supposed to be serene and isolated, the perfect first vacation spot for the honeymooning couple. They took the scenic routes, walking leisurely to their first destination as they explored Auster, pausing in their trek to thoroughly indulge in their new married life in some very physical ways. After a couple of days trekking and mating, they arrived to the southeastern most point of the continent, finding the easy to spot bridge of short yet wide land that reached out into the sea. At the end of it was a sandbar—but this was no ordinary sandbar. The water from the ocean had cut small channels into its exterior and began to fill a lagoon in the center of the ring of earth, with lush vegetation and palm trees growing on the surrounding sand ring around the lagoon. As he had expected, the islet was barren and isolated, with only a few tropical birds singing overhead and the lap of the waves to fill the air. There was no one around for miles, giving the couple total privacy in the tropical paradise.

Artorias gazed about at the brilliance of the lush greenery and the sparkling blue sea surrounding them. The islet was the perfect getaway for the two of them! As they ventured beneath the shade of the dense trees, Briar decreed this a good place to set up for the night, and Artorias agreed with a smile and a nod. He unslung his pack from his back, beginning to unpack their supplies. He unfurled the blanket of ermine pelts Ikigai had made for them as a gift—their bedroll for their travels—setting it up beneath a copse of palm trees for shelter and shade. "This place is stunning!" said Artorias, gazing around their surroundings as they got settled in to their campsite. He turned a wide smile and excited eyes to his wife. "What would you like to do first? Go for a stroll around the ring? Take a dip in the lagoon?" He almost suggested something more lewd, but he knew that'd come sooner or later with them anyway.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"