It didn't feel real, this position of power she had taken over no matter how temporary it was. She knew Chimera would be better any day now and this was only for a moment to make sure the pack continued to run smoothly until he was feeling better, but it was still a bit like she was playing pretend. She enlisted Aliana and Siren's help with watching after Rusalka while she was doing patrols and checking on things around the island and by the time she got done with the day she was so worn out all she really wanted to do was cuddle up with her little girl and go to sleep. She was beginning to understand why Chimera was always seemed so overworked.

The sun was beginning to set as she made her way to Aliana's chambers, hearing the clamor of a little pup that was no doubt causing trouble inside. She chuckled softly and poked her head in, finding Rusalka climbing and diving into a pile of pillows and furs, treating the bedding as if it was her personal mountain to conquer. She grinned a little and walked in, walking over to where a very pregnant Aliana was watching the dappled girl play. "How has she been?" she asked curiously.

"Dalila Vista Rocha"

Aliana cheered and laughed softly while she and Rusalka made a game of building up a small pile of pillows for her to scale like a mountain and then dive off onto the soft mattress they were both lying on. It was a simple little bit of fun, but Rusalka seemed to be having the time of her little life! In this moment, Aliana had never felt more like she'd found where she was always meant to be. She had a home, a family, a bright future, and a belly full of very rambunctious puppies! She felt the wind leave her lungs as one of them gave her side a mighty kick, bringing a petite snowy paw to gently pat her rotund stomach to try and soothe the little troublemakers. Not even born yet, and already causing their mother grief! Earlier in the day, Rusalka had been checking out her pregnant belly, fascinated by it and even patting tiny paws on her to try and play with her children inside her, which while adorable, did result in a bit of a kick fight between Ruse and one of her unborn children.

The sound of the bedroom door sliding open on its tracks caught Ali's attention, the clouded queen greeting Dalila with bright eyes and sweet smile. "Look who it is, sweetie!" she whispered to Rusalka, who immediately burst into happy squeals to see her mother. "Oh, she's been a delight. Well behaved and very sweet. She must get that from you though." Ali giggled to herself. "How was your day? How does it feel being the fearless leader of Fenmyre?" Though mostly said to tease her, Ali was genuinely curious what leadership was like. She was very much a follower, and even the thought of being a queen herself still made her balk from time to time.

Aliana's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by another forceful kick to the inside of her womb, making her gasp and lose her breath with a gentle "oof". She stroked her paw over her stomach, still marveling at the size of it, and looked to Dalila with curiosity. "They're very active today! But... do you think I'm looking bigger than last time?" She was just a week or two shy of the point in her pregnancy where she'd lost her first litter, and even though she'd been large then as well, she'd been carrying five pups at the time. Now she seemed even bigger! Or maybe that was just her hormone-addled brain playing tricks on her.

"Aliana"

Dalila grinned as Aliana pointed out her presence to her daughter and Rusalka squealed with adorable puppy excitement, the splattered girl bouncing over to her and nearly crashing into her front legs. She caught Ruse to keep her from falling over, leaning down to nuzzle the top of her head. "I'm glad to hear it," she replied to the report Aliana gave her about how sweet and well behaved her girl had been. She chuckled and gave a little roll of her eyes with a grin to Aliana when she asked about her day, calling her the 'fearless leader of Fenmyre'. Nudging Ruse to go continue playing so the pup could wear herself out for bedtime, Dalila focused her attention on Aliana with a small shrug. "Quiet and unremarkable, luckily," she replied honestly. Her biggest fear was that they would end up being attacked or some other calamity would befall them while Chimera was recovering and she would be forced to do more than simply maintain their current state.

Luckily she wasn't left to ponder that for very long as one of the pups Aliana was carrying kicked the air from her lungs and made Dalila giggle softly while the clouded woman rubbed over her quite large stomach. She had been thrilled to hear that Aliana was pregnant again and had been watching her progress with interest and excitement, desperately hopeful that everything would go smoothly the same way she had been when she gave birth to Rusalka. Even though the world had calmed and most things had gone back to normal she still felt like they could all use something to celebrate and nothing would make her happier to see Aliana as a mother after what she went through with her first pregnancy. She grinned and giggled as Aliana asked her if she was bigger than last time and she nodded easily without hesitation. "Oh yes, I think so." She stepped a bit closer and settled next to Aliana to curiously rest her paws on Ali's stomach, gently examining her and the pups she was carrying. "It's certainly going to be a large litter that's for sure..." she commented as she struggled to count exactly how many she felt.

"Dalila Vista Rocha"