The weight of leadership

Avacyn sighed as she leaned back into her mate as he came to join her on the furs, his larger form supporting her own as he gave his own thoughts on the issue of their vacant position and the options they had to fill it. She took another drink of wine and hummed quietly with delight at his affections as she listened and she could certainly agree that Fia seemed to be pleased with her current rank and that their uncle was probably too volatile for such a position. It seemed like Ikigai had mellowed him out quite a bit over the last year, but she could understand Saracyn's concerns. It would have been easy enough to place their father in such a position since he had more than enough experience to do it, but she was proud of being able to let them enjoy their retirement and to be able to give them positions that better fit their years of experience and the role that she wanted them to play in their lives. No, he wasn't the perfect fit either. That really only left them the Klein wolves as their candidates, but even just thinking about the estranged family pulled a crease across her brow and had her pulling another drink of wine.

She wasn't all that surprised when Sara voiced his endorsement for Scylla over Albion for any position of power, though it did make her sigh softly. Even now after she had broken off her engagement to the pale man and given Saracyn everything she could possibly give him it seemed like there would forever be a tension and a distaste toward her former fiancé from her brother. As much as she wanted the Kleins to stay, she knew Sara would never fully be at peace with them no matter how much she tried to smooth things over. Still, she could agree with Scylla being the best choice of them for the Master Warrior, but not because she didn't want Albion in a position of power. She had other ideas and plans that she thought would suit the thoughtful male better than something that focused solely on brute strength.

She leaned gently into his affections as he nuzzled her cheek, her ears folding back a bit as he asked if that was what had her so distracted. "Partially," she admitted hesitantly, taking one more drink from the bottle of wine in her paws before she finally sat it off to the side. The slightly tingly warmth of the bittersweet alcohol was very much welcomed in among all of the worries that she was constantly trying to chase off. Sighing, she leaned into Saracyn and slipped one of her feline paws around his foreleg, giving his paw a small squeeze. "All of our own personal feelings about the Kleins aside, they're three very well trained and skilled fighters that are a huge benefit to our unfortunately less well equipped ranks. Losing all of them in one swoop would leave a noticeable gap in our defenses. And even aside from that... It would just be yet another thing that mother tried to arrange for me to set me up for success that I've ruined. Yes, I know that their father's pack no longer exists so it wouldn't be for the direct alliance any more, but they are still related to the ruling family of Ashen. I don't think Venom would retract our alliance because of all of this considering the friendship she and mother have and not with Ikigai here, but I don't want to cause any issues that could have been prevented either." Avacyn frowned, looking down at their connected paws with a tired sigh. "I just don't know what else I can do to keep them here or what I'll have to do to make up for the gap they'll leave if they don't."

"Avacyn & Saracyn"