In the days that followed her birth, Dalila fell into a steady routine entirely centered around Rusalka and caring for her every need while her body recovered from the birth itself and her mind started to wrap around the idea of being a mother. It was still hard to fully comprehend the fact that this beautiful little girl was entirely dependent on her for her survival and sometimes the thought scared her. She loved this pup with her entire heart and if anything were to happen to her she wasn't sure what she'd do. Luckily Rusalka seemed to be a strong, healthy little pup that ate and slept constantly and was not a bit afraid of using that loud voice of hers if even the smallest thing was wrong. Sometimes Dalila would lay curled around her daughter watching her sleep with a little smile on her face, utterly amazed that something so stunning could come from her.

She was laying in her bed as usual, resting with Ruse tucked into her side, fast asleep as puppies tended to do. She rested her head on a pillow with a soft sigh, lifting her gaze to look out of one of the windows. The world was still perpetually dark with just a faint glow filtering into the room from the oddly glowing plants and the moon that always seemed to come too early. As much as she was enjoying being a mother, she was just as eager to get back out of this room and be able to see the outside world again, whether it was in this crazy state or not. The majority of her pregnancy was spent on bedrest and now she was slowly beginning to get a little stir crazy. At the very least she just wanted to go out and take a stroll down the beach or take a bath or stargaze or anything besides remaining inside.

"Dalila Vista Rocha"

To everyone's surprise, Chimera was actually turning out to be a decent father. Who would have guessed? In his younger days, the boy had been selfish and arrogant. Well... not that he wasn't still arrogant and yes, he could be incredibly selfish, but that was beside the point. It wasn't all about him anymore and that was truly saying something. He was doing a far sight better than his own parents had done with himself and Siren. Chimera vowed that his children would never feel such neglect. Perhaps that was why he was so hard on his women. So adamant that they obey and worship him. An obedient woman wouldn't stray and abandon their children. ...Viper excluded.

Today, Dalila was on Chimera's agenda. He'd gotten the woman a little trinket. A thank you of sorts. Thank you for what? For bearing his child, of course. For keeping her word and staying his after her heat had subsided. With their relationship shifting from the hatred that they'd once felt for one another, he felt that she deserved something nice. Chimera was many things, but you couldn't say that he wasn't generous when it came to his women.

Darkness ate the land as had become the norm. The giant man made his way across the atrium and to the chambers that Siren and Dalila shared. His claws scraped across the wooden flooring as he entered the room to see the woman laying on a bed of furs, their daughter curled up at her belly. "Dalila," he purred softly so as not to wake the child. Gently, the brute placed a kiss upon the mottled fae's forehead before lowering himself to the furs as well. He placed himself on the opposite side so that both parents formed a protective, natural cocoon for their child. "I've brought you a gift." Taking Dalila's slender foreleg in one large paw, Chimera slid a shining bronze bangle up to the fae's elbow. Pale aquamarine stones were spaced evenly across. "It matched your eyes." He'd been drawn to it immediately. Would she like it though?

"Speech"

Dalila lifted her head from the pillow and looked toward the door at the familiar sound of claws against wood reached her, Chimera soon appearing past the ajar door. A smile pulled across her lips as he greeted her and came over to join her and their daughter, replying just as softly, "Chimera." She had been so uncertain about how she could build a relationship with him after the night they spent together with Aliana and after finding out that she was pregnant by him, but they were slowly beginning to find a way. Once she put the past behind her and began to figure out that there might just be room enough Chimera in her heart just the same as there was room for her in Siren's it had all become much easier. Her ears flicked back shyly and her smile widened as he kissed her forehead, a flush pulling across her features at the affection. Despite the fact that he had known every part of her at this point even just little kisses were somehow flustering when she was sober.

Then he came to lay with her in the bed, finishing the protective wall around their little daughter, and Dalila surprised even herself with the squeeze of emotion in her chest. Chimera had become a much better father than any of them had anticipated and she couldn't have been more grateful. She grew up with only her mother to raise her, never knowing her father until after it came out that he had been the one to eventually kill her, and that wasn't the kind of life she wanted for any child of hers. Luckily Chimera had taken to their daughter immediately and had already proven that he was going to be there for her and that was all Dalila could really ask for. She shifted a little closer to him once he was settled, her tail laying along side his and her forepaws resting on his foreleg, more than happy to just lay like this with him and have a bit of company after a mostly quiet, lonely day.

However, Chimera had something else up his sleeve and she blinked with surprise when he told her that he brought her a gift. Her attention was drawn down to her own leg as Chimera lifted her left paw, slipping a bronze bangle up her leg, the aquamarine gems that decorated it catching the light beautifully. It took her breath away as she looked at it sitting just bellow her elbow, standing out against her mottled fur, but also matching her perfectly at the same time. It was the first time she had ever been given something like this, something that was so thoughtful and pretty, and something that wasn't for a practical value but just because she might like it. When he explained that it matched her eyes it just emphasized that he hadn't just picked any piece of jewelry for her, he had picked it out especially for her and that just made it all the special.

She looked back up at him with a wide smile, her tail wagging gently against the bed with a sheen of grateful tears in her eyes. "It's beautiful, Chimera... Thank you," she told him quietly, leaning forward to give his chin an affectionate lick. She had always thought of how gorgeous Siren's delicate headdress was, but she never thought she would ever deserve something even remotely close to that. She had been a slave since she was born, given nothing and forced to live in a cave with all the other low born wolves, but Chimera and Siren had changed all of that. Even if this was only because she birthed Rusalka, it was still precious and special to her and she was glad to have it. Dalila's ears perked as Ruse shifted and wiggled, making a few sleepy grunts and squeaks. Her pale blue gaze turned down to the pup with an affectionate smile, leaning down to gently nuzzle her until she settled again and fell back asleep.

"Dalila Vista Rocha"

As he hoped that it would, the gift stole Dalila's breath away. The look of wonder on the mottled fae's face was worth the effort that he'd put in to find the perfect piece. No matter what Dalila may have thought about her position in his life or why she had such a position, the woman was important to him. She was a companion and lover to both himself and Siren. She had bore him a perfect child. She had forgiven him his transgressions against her and she did so with grace and beauty. There was a great fondness for her. He wasn't sure that he could call it love just yet, but it had the potential to develop if they would both allow. Chimera wasn't sure if that was in the cards or if it was something that the woman would even want, but the possibility was there.

Rusalka began to fuss a bit and the King watched as Dalila quickly and efficiently settled her once more. He had fallen into fatherhood as well as could be expected and it seemed that Dalila had done the same with motherhood. She was a natural from what he'd seen, just like Siren had been. Just like he hoped Aliana would some day become.

Having Dalila there with him, both mother and father curled protectively around their pup, it stirred something within the man. He had given Dalila this gift, but suddenly he wanted to give her more. Lifting one paw, the monochromatic brute gently lifted the woman's chin. His first kiss was a gentle brush of lips, but the second was with a bit more fire. A bit more force. She was too freshly birthed to do much more with, but there was no harm in kissing, was there?

"Speech"

Dalila smiled as Rusalka settled again, sleeping seemingly forever as puppies tended to do, and had just begun to lift her head when Chimera surprised her with his large paw on her chin. His touch was gentle as he lifted her muzzle until she was looking up at his face again, pale blue eyes blinking with surprise. Then his lips met hers, just a soft brush of a kiss at first, but it was still enough to catch her off guard and make her heart skip a beat. More often than not she was the initiator or the lead when it came to physical affections when she was with Siren so not only was she surprised by Chimera's gentleness and affections simply from it being so new to her, but she was also not used to being kissed like this. When he kissed her again with more passion and fire behind it she easily returned the kiss, her eyes fluttering closed as they kissed. She knew it was far too soon after giving birth to do more than kiss, but she still enjoyed the surprise affection, marveling at just how far they had come and how much their relationship had changed.

When his lips eventually slipped away from hers she blinked her eyes open to look up at him with a little, dazed smile, her heart pattering firmly in her chest. Her tail brushed against the bed as it wagged and she tipped her muzzle to give his chin a gentle kiss. A little part of her did wonder if their relationship would have ever developed this way if she had never gotten pregnant, if she hadn't had Rusalka, but that wasn't something she would ever know the answer to and didn't need to know the answer for. Now she could simply enjoy this twist of their fates and see how much further it could go. Still being quiet and not moving around too much to avoid waking up the sleeping pup, she shifted a bit to lay her head across his foreleg, smiling contently as she settled in to resting with her little family.

"Dalila Vista Rocha"