after the birth and between the meetings, she had not been able to spend much time with Acere as of late. she knew he was terribly busy but she did miss him. they never seemed to be able to be in the same proverbial room at one time. with her nursing five children and him running Winterfell, both had a busy schedule. though she accepted this when they became one, it did not stop her from wishing they could spend every waking moment together. Heloise left the children in the care of Avalon, who offered to watch them for her while she sought out her mate. with the five pups fed and groomed, she was free to roam. peeking into each room aboard the ship, she would see idle signs of the king. a scent here or there, a piece of his white-black fur in the gentle breeze. she finally opted to go above deck, hoping to see him in the distant pines or just outside. the woman hadn't left her birthing den in what seemed like forever. she reveled the cold air, breathing in the crispness of winter. Heloise was gladdened they would not be forced to flee the area due to the eruption. though she also wished to help those affected. sitting down, she began to groom her alabaster fur while waiting to see if Acere would show up. licking clean the scent of lingering birth and grime she had acquired, Heloise soon felt better. the five children she had brought into the world had taken a toll on her, and she had felt exhausted. but they were healthy and she was still breathing; it was a blessing. some mothers were not so lucky. she also realized she still needed to speak to Acere privately about some manners. especially their spat about the Hjarrandi and her leaving for a few days to train in private. "SPEECH"

art + code by Kara

He sighed heavily as he climbed up into the ship. It was more from weariness than anything else, and asides from the falling ash and the missing members...everything else seemed fine. Hjarrandi had yet to contact him about raiding, but he knew it was only a matter of time. It could be today, or tomorrow, or even a month from now. Whatever the case, he was ready...but he couldn't say the same for the rest of the members. He had yet to hear any training called for the apprentices, and he was quite displeased with that. He didn't want to have to call yet another meeting just for that...and the only thing he figured he would do to address it was to start demoting if he had to, and training the apprentices himself. As he rounded the corner he spotted Heloise. He stood there for a moment, watching her in all her beautiful glory. Despite the strains that happened before, he couldn't hold any of them against her. He loved her for her outspoken personality, even if she disagreed with him at times. She had been doing an amazing job with their litter of children, and soon enough they would be roaming around the territories and then he would really get busy chasing them around. The alabaster titan approached her, seeking to nuzzle her cheek for a moment. "Getting some fresh air?" "Speech"

"Acere" she greeted him as he swept up to her. she leaned into his nuzzle, breathing in his scent before pulling away. Heloise gave a nod, her eyes sweeping across the raised platform to view the pines beyond them. "yes" she added with a little smile. she had been thinking too. just enough to keep herself from getting bored with waiting, even if she knew she'd see his proud form eventually. "the ship needs to be cleaned. it is rather stifling in there." the woman chuckled fondly. among other random items there was a lot of dust. she worried for the breathing of their children, yet they so far hadn't caught any colds or even sneezed idly. her gaze returned to Acere's. "I thought we could discuss a few things, though" with no one else around, she felt more open with her feelings. with the Hjarrandi having slipped Winterfell a rope around the neck, she felt a foreboding sense of dread. but she shook such things away. her mate did not want to think about that, surely. she recalled the disappointment in his eyes over her standing with the rest of the knights instead of him. though she did not press for a date to their wedding, the concept of her being with him hadn't stopped. but would it make the others of Winterfell pause? they had children now, and the pack was a traditional one. she was his mate in name only. "Acere... I wish to challenge you for a higher rank" she told him boldly, her shoulders square and head proud. "I wish to be your queen - both in rank and in heart. I have one of those things, I know. yet I also know Winterfell is a traditional pack. I would not be your queen to the rest of them." she faced him confidently, no sense of dread or mistake in her eyes now. Heloise knew that Acere would not see this as a power move. she only wanted to be closer to him, and a higher rank would allow her to work with him over against him. they would finally be partners if he accepted her challenge. Winterfell would potentially grow stronger from this. "I am willing to wait until I have recovered from the birth to fight for it though" she added in with a raised brow. she had only ever gotten stronger for herself, but now she had Winterfell. she had Acere and the children. she had everything she could ever want. even if she did not win the challenge; she had made a point. he was important to her. too important to lose. "SPEECH"

art + code by Kara

She answered him easily enough, and he chuckled with her response. When she mentioned the ship needing some cleaning, he grinned. "I'll get right on it," Whether she meant it as a joke or not, he meant it when he said he'd work on it. He and his companions would clean it top to bottom. It was their home, after all. It was different than the pines or most other territories. When she went on to say she wanted to discuss some things, he sat down and gave her his full attention. He knew when she wanted to talk it was serious, and he would be a fool to dismiss anything she had to say. "What's on your mind?" He was curious of course. "Acere... I wish to challenge you for a higher rank" A brow rose as she spoke, though he didn't speak just yet. She continued, and he nodded quietly when she mentioned she had one of those things already. Despite her not yet having the official title of Queen, she had been to him the moment they confessed their love to each other. He could understand where she was coming from though. He had meant to hold the wedding some time ago, but with everything that had happened between the deal with the band and then the volcano exploding on top of her being pregnant, he had gotten sidetracked. Although their marriage would make her a queen, he understood why she asked to challenge. He nodded. "If it is what you wish to do, I will not deny it. You may challenge for the rank when you are ready, dear." He leaned in to briefly touch her nose with his as he smiled. His chest swelled with pride and it showed in his eyes. How did he get to be so lucky? "Speech"

she waited with bated breath, searching his face for his reaction. Acere seemed pleased, accepting her challenge. Heloise relaxed, knowing he never would have thought it was a grab for power. it was just difficult to explain; she wanted to stand with him, up there at meetings and official business. she wanted to be his queen in the eyes of everyone. her own traditional mindset refused her this boon. they were not married, not yet anyway. he knew he would hand her the rank if she asked but she was a woman who worked for the things she wanted. she would not accept Acere handing her the title of the queen by marriage. she would beat him, prove to everyone she deserved to be with him. some laughed at her small size compared to the handsome direwolf. she knew they did. "thank you, my love" she said, smiling as he grazed his nose against her. wagging her tail slightly, she went on. "no companions. no armor. no weapons. just the two of us. perhaps I'll finally beat you." she joked softly, amusement clear in her icy depths. the restlessness she felt while pregnant was gone and she felt ready to take on her king once more. though not a master fighter yet, Heloise wanted to do this. she wanted to prove she was ready. that maybe all her training was leading up to this very moment. she moved away from him now, to the opposite side of the ship. "I was always ready to be your queen" she told him, resolve in her eyes as they squinted "yet I always felt I had to work harder than everyone else. I just never had a formal goal until you. please, accept my challenge now. I am ready, Acere." and may the gods be in her favor. "SPEECH"

art + code by Kara

The Winter King nodded his head to the alabaster queen (for she already was in his mind). She stated she didn't want anything used in their fight, which of course, he was okay with. He wanted a fair fight after all and would have implemented those rules even if she hadn't suggested them. "Of course," he grinned. What he didn't quite expect, however, was that she was ready to challenge him then and there. So when she said it, his brow lifted slightly and he admired her even more for her determination. Of course, he should have expected this. He knew her better than anyone, or so he liked to think. He smiled and stepped back a few paces to allow them room, the titan settling in his defenses as he rolled his neck and felt it crack with the motion. "In that case, I'm ready when you are, love." And may the odds be in your favor, he thought. He just hoped she wouldn't take it too hard if she happened to lose.

Acere vs Heloise for position of Queen
Round: 0/?
Age: over 1yr
Height: Dire wolf
Build: heavy
Fight skill level: Master
Specialty: Knight