Two oryx had been taken and skinned. Some of their meat was salted and set aside as payment for her armor to come, the pelts were preserved and laid out before the Empress along with the four horns that had come from their heads. She inspected them carefully, deciding she wanted one set across the front entrance of her palace and a second on the inside to separate her personal den from the main hall. She felt her lips pull back in an already victorious grin. Her home was slowly becoming exactly what she wanted.

With the task at hand Belle lifted her head and called out for her slave master, craftsman, and brother to appear at her side. Hopefully she wouldn’t disturb him too thoroughly. She would also try and speak to him about the future of their slaves. Too long had passed since the Klein woman had talked to her brother one on one. She was also feeling rather well today, though she’d experienced a long bout of nausea when she arose the Empress was recovering. Her belly was growing more round, though still passed easily as extra food weight. She would make her announcement to the rest of the pack soon, she didn’t want to reveal anything too early.

He sauntered toward his sister’s palace, his tail waving behind him as he carefully climbed toward the portal she had called him from, a wide grin on his features. It had been far too long since he had spoken with her, and he was eager to reestablish himself in their new home as a man of great power. “You called?” He purred gently, eyes roaming over the gathered materials. His mind ticked steadily, thoughts of what he could craft from the hides and horns given the opportunity  but would wait for his sister’s allowance before he made himself too welcome. On his back the two headed rat scurried up his spine to rest on his skull, chittering gleefully as they bobbed their heads in a bow to their empress. “Greetings.” Said Writhe “Salutations.” Chirped Ruin. Speaking  Thinking you

Rose answered her summons with haste, his beautiful form appearing before her with grace. She offered a smile in greeting as his eyes shifted to the materials she had collected for her. She didn’t hesitate to offer a bit of affection and nuzzled his cheek in quick greeting. The double headed rat offered vocal greetings as well. She couldn’t help her fascinated grin as she dipped her head to the creature, respectfully returning their words silently. Deathbelle returned her attention back to Rosemary and his question.

”I did,” she teased softly as her dainty paws carried her to the opposite side of the large pelts. ”I have need of your magnificent brain.” Belle answered with bright enthusiasm in her voice. ”I’d like to hang one pelt over the entrance of my den, and the second to cover a more private room within.” She continued to explain. ”I wasn’t sure what all supplies you had need of to do that, but I’d like to incorporate what I’ve gathered here.” She told him and met the eyes of either rat head with a smile as she returned to his side.

He smiled slightly as she touched his cheek and the rat tittered delightedly as she explained the reason for her call. “Easily done beloved.” He purred. Instantly the rats set to work, gnawing holes in the hide while Rosemary set to work measuring the horns and the entrance to the den. “How have you been fairing dear?” He asked as he worked examining the hide once the rat was finished chewing and thinking of the best way to go about hanging the curtains from the mouth of the den. He noticed she seemed have gotten more plump since he last saw her on the battlefield and he wondered silently if she was carrying pups. They were no doubt Hannibal’s, their older brother had never shied away from his affections for her but some instinctual part of his mind begged the question; what if they weren’t? Speaking  Thinking you

Rosemary’s words made her features light up as he accepted her request and mentioned how easy it would be. She delighted herself in stealing a bit more affection from him as she brushed his shoulder as he went on to examine the pieces she’d given to him. Belle pranced on dainty paws back to her sunning spot, knowing this might heavily cut into her nap time. Luce would be rather displeased if she found out, but Belle was still early on it wouldn’t hurt much.

”Very well, Rose.” She muttered happily as she draped herself over the rock. Did he make a guess at her condition like their sister had? She wouldn’t offer the information freely yet, having enjoyed her little secret thus far. ”How are you, brother?” she asked curiously, having only just gotten used to having a brother instead of a sister before the disaster. ”Are you settling in alright?” If he needed anything, he only need ask her.

“I have done well for myself here, basking in your glow as the brother who shared our mother’s womb.” He responded, the rat tittering as it worried at the draping. “Speaking of glowing…” He muttered and waving the horns through the holes left behind by the rats. “You radiate sister, with maternal light.” He simpered and looked up from his careful work. “Who is the father?” He asked, his tail drumming slightly against the floor of her den, already sure he knew the answer. His sister had been faithful to the Klein lineage, he would never expect her to stray from what was the true path as he saw it. Although in the same breath he had to wonder. He had seen the ruddy male sauntering through the pack lands like an ill omen, and had heard at a distance his prayers toward his strange god. Belle had seemed quite taken with him in her own fashion although he knew her true passions would always lay with Hannibal. "Talk"  Thought you

Even though their father hadn’t treated his children with the woman who was not his wife any different than the rest Deathbelle held a special place in her heart for her full siblings. Rose returned her question while he manipulated the supplies provided. Belle was only half surprised when he followed up with his observations. He knew her little secret and he stopped tip toeing around quickly. She raised her brows as he asked of the sire and finally met her gaze. "Thank you Rose," The Empress started, did Rose expect her to say Hannibal? He would have been the father of her first litter had he not disappeared for so long. "His name is Archon Abraxas, he was an ally of Hannibal’s before I arrived in Boreas." She explained, knowing her brother would not only want his name but who he was as well. However loose the definition of ally was. That was how Belle had taken it anyway, she wasn’t aware of Hanni’s captivity by the same man. "We met after Hannibal’s attempt and failure to establish our empire again, I thought he was gone." Had Hannibal won that day, their lives would have been much different in this moment. "Speech"

He raised a brow at his sister with interest, their rise to power it seemed had not been as untroublesome as it seemed. He was intrigued, mostly in the role this man Archon paid in their current rise to greatness. “Why not tell me everything that happened while I was away?” He offered placatingly. He had only just arrived in Boreas but Hannibal it seemed had been here for quite some time. He wondered just what their brother had been up to while he had attempted to live in their homeland, before giving the barren wasteland up for good. He settled in to listen, as he threaded the last of the holes through the first curtain rod, and the rat began work on the second. "Talk"  Thought you

If her brother was surprised he didn’t show it, but interest played on his features as he finished with the first of her tasks. He asked further about what had happened here before the rest of their siblings arrived. Deathbelle was already quite comfortable, but she shifted slightly crossing her paw elegantly as she settled in for story time. "As I know it," she started softly, eyes glittering and smile flashing as she began to recant her tale. "Hannibal arrived at least half a year before my paws touched the soil in these lands. He has already sired one brood of Kleins, however only Banshee remains in our grasp." She knew the girl was upset with her for not spending nearly as much time with her. The consequences couldn’t be helped, however as the Empress was an increasingly busy woman. She loved her niece fiercely, but duty came before want. "When I finally found Hannibal it was his call to challenge that brought me to him. Archon was behind him, their alliance simply that if Hanni won the territory that holds a shrine to his god would be vacated." She continued, her bright eyes watching for reaction from her beautiful brother. She sighed softly before going on. "He was unsuccessful. I tried to nurse him back to health, so that he might rise and try again, but he was inconsolable and left my side." There had been a long period of a season or two where it had been only herself and her niece. "Ban and I travelled for a long time, I met Archon and established a similar alliance as Hannibal. It was a small price to pay for the support of his band." Eventually though, it hadn’t been enough. "When I claimed the crown for myself and was able to bring power to my part of the agreement we decided to further our alliance in the form of blood." Though her speech was a bit condensed, that was the majority of Klein history within Boreas. Belle was missing a few parts, as Hanni hadn’t divulged everything to her from before the first challenge. "Speech"