Serene Validis Spring was a greatly appreciated relief for the golden woman; winter meant more work was needed in caring for the herbal garden she had been growing, and then Amaris became stricken with a sudden illness that consumed the mother's every waking minute. It was probably one of the most stressful times for Serene, having the knowledge to heal Amaris but having only a few well stocked herbs to treat her with. She could have used up all the reserves if she wanted to, and one could visibly see how much she wanted to, but it wasn't just for Amaris; it was for the whole pack in case of emergency, for the entire winter. But thankfully, her daughter was strong, a true Abraxas. After a few weeks of much needed rest and delicate herb concoctions, her little princess was back on her feet and off running wild with the rest of her siblings. Spring meant nature was finally taking over most of the work in the garden, and Amaris was back to one hundred percent health, which meant Serene could finally breathe a breath a fresh air. There was one particular wolf she craved to reconnect with in this rare break however, a certain male who was busy running an empire himself. Malleus. The silver stud that had somehow managed to seduce Serene entirely, drawing her in with his smooth talking, herb loving, spiritual enlightenment personality and charm. Ever since their first fateful encounter, she had been drawn to the Abraxas man. But for almost a year now, ever since the pups arrived, it seemed the pair were living separate lives, even though they share the same den. Perhaps it was because her season had come around again, but Serene longed to relive those first encounters, where the heart raced and the feelings surged. She wished to fall in love with her mate once more. So there she was, stalking down the corridor towards the great hall, hoping to find her silver emperor. She had asked a few of the members if anyone had seen the Alpha recently, and one of them mentioned seeing him turn down the corridor towards the meeting hall, so off she went in search of her male. Cracks in the stone walls let beams of light to illuminated the path before her and as she walked under each spotlight, the woman's coat would shine like pure gold; capturing each ray of the beam and harnessing it to brighten her own golden hairs. At last, Serene would round the last corner of the castle that lead to the great hall, but before she got to close, she would call out, hoping to hear his voice respond. "Malleus? Are you in there?" If she heard nothing, she would have to try again another time, or search the grounds high and low for her beloved. "Speech" <

Malleus has spent the better part of a day schooling Pyrrhic on the finer points of domestic diplomacy; how remaining impartial was better for everyone involved, how to be firm and fair. It was an art that was hard to teach, but Malleus was confident that if he laid the groundwork well in time Pyrrhic would be able to master it. Someday, if the Fallen God saw fit, Pyrrhic would become Risen Emperor in his father’s place. It wasn’t a lesson just for Pyrrhic and soon Malleus would make a point to take each of his ambitious children aside and teach it to them. He hoped that by fostering their ambition the rest would seek positions of power or break from the pack to lead their own packs and bands in the Empire. Presently Malleus was taking a break from the lesson. He’d sent his heir on a patrol and now wandered around one of the rooms adjacent to the great hall. It was a room he’d allowed his tinkerer son to fill with all sorts of projects in various stages of completion. Some things he recognized; weapons, nets and the like. Others he had no idea what they were for and could only guess at their purpose. Serena’s voice in the hall pulled him from his reverie though his gaze remained fixed on a particularly confounding contraption. “In here, Serene,” he called over his shoulder. "Malleus" "Pascal"

Serene Validis In here, Serene. Ears perked upon hearing his voice, more distant than she had first predicted but nevertheless she was happy to hear him. Walking casually into the hall, Serene looked about the empty room, wondering where on earth the large male could be hiding. Her amber gaze twirled around the room until she peered into the adjacent room, seeing Malleus's familiar charcoal back in a room unfamiliar to her. Though she knew many of the halls and rooms in the castle, she wasn't surprised whenever she found a new one, but as she looked about all the items cluttering the adjacent room, her brows knit together in confusion. This room appeared occupied by someone, but what for, she did not know. "What room is this?" Her voice was soft as she stepped further into the room, careful to place her paws on open areas of the floor and to not accidentally step on one of the contraptions laying around. "What is all this?" Clearly some of them were tools used for hunting or crafting other items, but some of the knickknacks in the room dumbfounded the woman completely. Shaking her head, she turned her attention back on the silver king and offered him a small smile. "What has our devoted emperor been up to today? Chasing unwanted guests out of the territories or perhaps organizing a pack meeting?" In truth, she really couldn't have guessed what he had been doing, but her teasing tone did not hide the fact she truly wanted to know. Carefully Serene would lean down to inspect some strange pile of metal and wood, trying to figure out what on earth it was suppose to be, before stepping away and turning to look back at the male, one brow cocked ever so slightly and her ember eyes trained on his. "Speech" <

He could hear the click of Serene's claws on the stone floor as she turned and padded towards the room he was in. Malleus had just enough time to glance over his shoulder at the doorway before his mate's flaxen form filled it. Malleus watched Serene take in the room, her eyes trailing over the many half-finished projects their son had strewn about. "Pyrrhic asked me if he could take over a room for his...crafts," That word didn't quite do the projects justice, but he wasn't sure what else to call them. "And this is the result," he finished with a chuckle. Serene went on to ask what he'd been up to and offered up two guesses in the process. "Both good guesses," he offered, "But not today. Spent most of the morning schooling Pyrrhic on domestic diplomacy." He smiled softly, then added, "It may not be fun to learn, but if he's to be Emperor one day he's going to need to know how to settle disputes." "And what about you, my dear?" Her sweet spring scent wasn't lost on him and Malleus couldn't help but sidle closer as he spoke. Serene was perpetually fetching, but now more than ever she was irresistible. Malleus just wanted to be near to her. He could think of nothing that would make his day brighter. "Malleus" "Pascal"