Leading Briar and Lia into the Carpathian castle for the first time as residents felt like an unbelievable dream come true! Artorias had dreamed of this moment so often that walking through it didn’t feel like reality. So much time, work, and patience had gone into making this moment come to life for them all. Countless lonely nights, wistful days counting sunrises and sunsets, whittling away time as much as they could until their temporary stays together could turn into lasting moments of pieces of forever. There would be no more tearful goodbyes, no more emotional farewells when one of them would inevitably have to return home. The Hallows would be Briar and Lia’s home for the rest of their days, and Artorias would do everything he could to ensure they were both happy here—well and truly happy.

Artorias had guided Briar and Lia on a brief tour of the castle grounds. Briar needed no introduction to Hallowed lands and familiar rooms, but Lia had never seen his grand home before and would no doubt need help getting acquainted with the layout as many wolves did. It was sorely tempting to just grab Briar and whisk her off for some much needed alone time, especially with how enticing she smelled in heat, but the Aegis forced himself to behave for now and be a good alpha. When the tour ended with selecting Lia a room on the third floor, the Carpathius brute left Lia to get unpacked and settled in while he helped Briar bring her cart of belongings up the stairs to the second floor to their shared room. It was a little tricky, but Artorias managed with tenacity and sheer brute force.

The obsidian and azure-furred brute pushed open the ornate mahogany doors and welcomed Briar inside with a dramatic wave of his paw, then followed her inside with the cart. He set the cart to the side of the room and closed the doors, turning to gaze over Briar with a smoldering look of heate dlove and barely contained instinctive lust. Finally they were alone. "How do you like your new home, Lady Fatalis?" he asked her in rich, rumbling baritone while he slowly closed the space between them, a grin gradually spreading across his muzzle the closer he got to her, all thoughts of unpacking forgotten in favor of helping Briar get “settled in”.

"Artorias Carpathius"

The tour was of course necessary and she certainly wouldn't deprive her sweet, devoted friend to the full experience of being in the castle for the first time, but the waiting and being with Artorias but not being able to be alone with him yet was torture. She still brushed against his side as they walked around the grounds and hallways that had long since become as familiar to her as the plains that Armada called home and snuck little kisses here and there between the time they arrived and the time that they finally got Lia settled into her room, but it wasn't filling the need that had been nagging at her so deeply and she was getting more and more eager to get the tour over with so she could finally have some privacy with the man she loved.

Eventually she got what she wanted once Lia was left to unpack and get comfortable in her room and they managed to get the small cart of belongings up to Artorias' room. She kept having to correct herself and remind herself that this was now their room, not just yet. She got to live here with him finally after all this time. She would never have to say goodbye without knowing when she would see him again. That fact made her happier than she could possibly explain and that giddy happiness kept returning and filling her chest when she thought of it. She grinned to Art as he pushed open the large doors with a flourish to reveal the impressive master bedroom. Her attention wasn't on the lovely, comfortable home she had moved into though. Her attention was fully on the king of the castle. She stepped inside so that Art could bring in the cart and close the doors behind them. His gaze of love and lust was met with one of her own and she chuckled with a smirk at his formal title for her. "It's stunning... I'm so happy to finally be here."

Briar's smirk grew into a grin to match Artorias' as he moved closer to her and she took a couple of steps to meet him half way. As soon as she was close enough her lips eagerly found his and she kissed him with rapidly building desire. It was extremely difficult to keep herself from tumbling into bed right this very second and part of her wanted to just say fuck it to any of her other plans for now just so she could have him, but there was something else she was almost equally as excited to give him and she knew it would make everything all the more sweet if she could manage to keep her paws off of him for just a few moments longer. Reluctantly she broke away from their kiss with a soft gasp after several long moments of hungry kisses and tasting his tongue on hers, flickering open her turquoise gaze as she gave him a grin. "Before we get too caught up in each other, I do have a surprise for you." It was almost painful to walk away from him, but she knew it was just for a moment and she teasingly brushed his cheek with her tail as she went just to tease him a bit more in the process.

Walking over to the cart, she pulled herself up over the edge so that she could dig down through its contents to the bottom where her gift to him waited, hidden from being seen easily. It was wrapped in a fur just to make sure it made the trip unscathed, but she did leave it wrapped up as she pulled it out just for a bit of added dramatic flair. Bringing the bundle over to Artorias, she placed the long, fur wrapped bundle in front of him. "Lia and I stumbled upon something of yours and since the early spring I've been working with a blacksmith that lives in the Armada to restore it for you," she explained as she began to unfold its wrapping, revealing the sword that had been taken from him what felt like ages ago. The steel was perfectly smooth without a single flaw or scratch, polished to a mirror sheen, and the topaz gems that she had ended up searching long and hard for with several trips of bartering and trading to get were glittering in the light. Embershard had been restored to its former glory and then some and she was extremely proud of what her and Ruga had been able to accomplish. She looked to Artorias' face as soon as it was unveiled, waiting for the reaction she had been looking forward to seeing for over a season now.

"Briar Fatalis"

Briar's reply brightened Artorias' expression, eyes dazzling to know she was happy to be here. He knew she wanted to move to the Hallows for a long time now, but even still he had worried that maybe she'd feel homesick or have a change of heart. Hearing that it was everything she wanted and she was so happy made his heart flutter in his chest. She began to approach him with an equally salacious grin, the two meeting halfway and the moment she was within reach, Artorias' paws found Briar's sides while her mouth eagerly claimed his in a needy kiss. He hummed with desire into their kiss, pressing his lips back into hers with fervent desire that burned within him for her. That clenching need of lust gripping in his core grew tighter the closer Briar had gotten to him, her scent of heat thick in his nares, intoxicating his brain and making the brute think only of picking her up and tossing her onto the bed to ravage her for hours until their bodies physically couldn't handle any more. His paws roamed slowly over her sides, moving down to her waist where they gripped her tightly. A gentle pressure parted her lips with his own and he tasted her tongue on his, causing a burst of tension and heat to radiate from low in his belly.

The longer they kissed, the more Artorias wanted to just grab Briar and move on from the foreplay. It seemed the Fatalis princess had other ideas though, as she broke their kiss with a soft gasp, leaving Artorias drawing in deep breaths as well. Amber pools fluttered open to find her lust-hazed turquoise eyes and grinned back at her, dipping in for another kiss—when Briar stopped him with her words. Artorias shot Briar a confused look but didn't resist her when she slipped away, brushing her silky braided tail along his cheek while she stepped past him and headed over for the cart of her belongings. The Carpathian wolf nearly whined in urgent need for her, watching with burning eyes at the way she walked, the way her hips moved with each motion, and feeling the tense need gnawing away at his insides. Briar pulled herself up over the edge of the cart and again Artorias had to resist rushing over to mount her straight away, knowing she likely wouldn't stop him, but he'd certainly get an annoyed earful from her in the aftermath.

Artorias didn't think there'd ever be a reason he'd be glad their imminent mating would be interrupted, but the mystery bundle Briar pulled out of the cart and brought over to him had him curious to say the least. Quirking a brow, he sized up the long, skinny package, trying to discern what it was until Briar handed it over to him. Then she began to explain in cryptic hints, until her mention of working with the Armada's blacksmith caused a bell to ring in the back of his mind. Frozen with wonder, Artorias just gazed at Briar in stunned disbelief. No, it couldn't be...! He watched while she began to slowly unwrap the present with precise paws. The moment the light hit that glistening silver steel and reflected back in a faint orange hue, Artorias felt his breath catch in a silent gasp. The fur slid away from distinct Damascus steel blade, leather-wrapped hilt, and topaz-studded crossguard. In its surface, Artorias could see his own shocked expression reflected between the rippling water-like patterns of the Damascus forging. It was Embershard!

The Aegis was rendered speechless. All he could do was lift his paws to pick up the sword with a careful touch, feeling the familiar weight while he inspected his long-lost weapon. Whoever the blacksmith had been who'd restored it had been a master. None of the delicate Damascus pattern had been lost on the blade, and the amber stones on the crossguard had all been replaced by valuable faceted topaz stones, the same distinct orange color as the stones in Briar's bracelet. "I never thought I'd see you again..." Artorias murmured to the sword in his grasp, an elated smile growing on his muzzle. "Briar... where did you find it?" He turned bright, excited eyes back to his girlfriend, then took the sword in his jaws, lifting the familiar heft of the steel. It felt like a part of himself had suddenly been returned.

Artorias carefully brought the sword over to its scabbard that he'd left on the mantle, sad and empty, and slid it safely back into its home with the satisfying rasp of metal on leather. With his weapon returned and stowed where it belonged, Artorias turned to face his beloved with an emphatic grin, approaching her slowly once more while he devoured her with lustful eyes. "Now how should I go about repaying you and thanking you for finding and caring for Embershard, my beautiful queen?" he asked with a teasing chuckle, closing the gap between them until he had returned to Briar, grinning at her while unabashedly drinking in her sweet, alluring scent that was smothering him in their room.

"Artorias Carpathius"

She had been waiting for this moment since she first saw Embershard beginning to take shape under Ruga's skilled paws and she wasn't at all disappointed when she uncovered the sword and saw the shock on Artorias' features. She grinned at the gasp that escaped him and her braided tail swayed back and forth against the floor while he picked it up carefully to inspect it. She saw nothing but happiness and gratefulness in his expression and she was so happy to see him back with his sword once more. It had become such a part of him that seeing him without it just had never felt right. As much as she had wanted to rush to bring it back to him she was glad that she had ultimately given Ruga as much time as he needed to perfect it and that she was able to bring it home to him in a special way. He had changed her life for the better and this only felt like a small thank you for everything he had done and was continuing to do in her life.

The huge smile that crossed his face warmed her heart and she loved seeing him like this so much. It was everything she needed and more. "Lia and I were fishing in the Rio Grande with a large net and when we tried to pull the net in it got hung on something in the water. We ended up ripping the net trying to get it out, but it brought the sword to the surface. I'm guessing it had gotten lodged in the riverbed," she explained, finally getting to recount the story to him after keeping it a secret for so long. "It was in rough shape when we found it, but there's a blacksmith in Armada that has been working on it for the last season or so. I think he did a great job." She watched Artorias carry it over to where its empty sheath had been waiting and tucked it away, the gleaming steel disappearing behind the leather sleeve. She was happy with her choice to go with the topaz stones when Ruga gave her the option of replacing all of the stones while he was fixing the one that had fallen out. Not only did his sword now match her special bracelet, but the way they gleamed in the light made the sword even more beautiful than it already was.

Briar's overjoyed smile returned to the lustful grin she had been wearing before as Artorias turned back toward her with a lustful gaze, chuckling softly as he asked how he might repay and thank her for bringing his sword back to him. Even though she knew there was nothing to thank her for, she was still more than happy to let him ravage her as thanks. She hummed as if she was actually considering her options even though they both knew full well what she would pick. There was really only one thing the both of them wanted more than anything else in the world in this moment. "Hmmm... I'm sure you can think of many ways to repay me, handsome..." she replied with a purr to her voice. She always wanted all of him, but in her heat that desire was even more insatiable and even harder to ignore. She brought her muzzle to his as he reached her, pressing her lips to his in another passionate kiss for a long, lingering moment. Eventually she slipped away with another grin, her gaze heavy lidded and heated with desire as she got back to her paws.

She went to turn toward the large bed, but before she did she leaned down to tug away the ribbon that was tied at the end of her tail that was keeping the braid intact and with a few quick combs of her claws through the long strands of fur the braid started to unravel. Giving her tail a quick shake helped the rest fall out and her tail was now trailing out behind her with a slight wave through the fur from where it had been braided. It skimmed along the floor as she walked over to the bed with languid sways of her hips, glancing back over her shoulder at Artorias with a grin since she was just incapable of not looking to see his reaction. She hopped up onto the bed, settling down into the plush, comfortable bedding while waiting eagerly for Artorias to join her.

"Briar Fatalis"

Of course, Artorias already knew exactly how he was going to show Briar his gratitude for not only finding his long-lost sword, but for improving it beyond even his wildest dreams. Lascivious fantasies played in his mind of everything he'd do to show her just how thankful he was for all she'd done for him and to give her a proper welcome to her new home and her new role as queen. He'd intentionally made sure that Briar would be the first and only wolf he brought into the alphas' bedchambers. This was their space, their sanctuary, meant for their love and passions alone. Briar gave a teasing hum while she pretended to think of ways he could thank her, grinning with that lustful smile all the while. She told him she was sure he could think of many ways to thank her, and sure enough, he was already on it. The seductive purr in her lyrics made Artorias' core clench with need, her heat scent driving him wild and practically making him salivate over her. Briar smelled delicious and positively intoxicating, inviting him in while her pheromones triggered primal parts of his brain previously untapped before. Now that they were both of age, it had become a simple equation of an in-season fae tempting a mature brute to breed with her, and that was exactly what Art intended to do.

Artorias received Briar's deep, passionate kiss with a sharp inhale, pressing back with the same heated need as their mouths crushed together and he tasted her on his tongue once more. This kiss didn't last as long as the previous one had however, both wolves far too eager and ready to move on to the actual mating. Artorias took a soft gasp of breath when their lips parted again, feeling the fire rising within his belly and groin while he gazed into Briar's heavy-lidded bedroom eyes with a lustful look all his own. Briar shot him a wicked, smoldering look before turning towards the large bed they'd share together for the rest of their lives, heading towards it—but suddenly pausing after a few strides to remove the ribbon that held her braided tail up. Artorias gave a curious tilt of his head, then felt his eyes go wide when he saw the luxurious cascade of silky fur that Briar's tail had become tumble out of the braid and across the floor. The young alpha's mouth hung open as he gazed at the change his beautiful queen had gone through, admiring her tail from where he stood in stupefied awe. Briar shook it out, amber eyes watching the way that soft fur tousled about while she let her tail down, revealing all of herself to him for the first time since her tail had grown out. Briar had always been the most beautiful wolf he'd ever laid eyes on, but with this strange yet incredible evolution, she looked even more like a living, breathing goddess come to their world.

Once Briar had finished combing out all of her silken tail fur, Artorias watched while she sauntered over to the bed, hypnotized by the way her hips swayed to and fro with exaggerated sultry movements, her waterfall of a tail flowing like the rarest of fabrics behind her. It took Artorias several long moments before his brain clicked back into action, the aroused and stunned brute regaining control of himself while he stumbled his way over to the bed after her like an eager puppy. With one strong leap, Artorias joined Briar on their bed, plush mattress and soft silks and linens shifting about beneath his paws while he climbed over her. The Aegis devoured his queen with his eyes, his lust-burning gaze gliding down her nubile form and over every subtle dip and distinct curve of her feminine shape. She truly was the sexiest wolf alive and he was the luckiest brute to be able to call her his. With his body over top of hers, Briar's heat scent was surrounding him like a heady perfume, making parts of him tense and an urgent need clench in his belly in ways he'd never felt before. He'd had sex with Briar often enough now that the sensations were pretty recognizable, but this was something wholly different. The need Artorias felt for the Fatalis queen was so much stronger and impossible to ignore, like it was a part of his very being, coded in his own DNA. He had to have her!

"Your tail..." he began, his words spoken in husky whispers beneath hot breaths. A large azure paw slid down to caress her silken fur, marveling at how soft and long it was! "It's amazing. Gods, you're so beautiful, Briar." Dipping his muzzle down to hers once more, Artorias kissed Briar deeply, slipping his tongue into her maw to let her taste the desperate need he was craving to satisfy with her. While they made out, Artorias' paw slipped leisurely through her draping tail until he found her hip, roaming it slowly over her hip and down her thigh until he felt the part of her he'd been seeking. Artorias only broke their kissing when he felt Briar cry out against his lips, drawing back just enough to watch those first traces of pleasure dance over her expression. "I'm gonna show you just how much I love you and how thankful I am for you..." His words were spoken with a husky growl to them, and with a flash of a sly grin, Artorias lowered his muzzle to kiss and nibble at the side of Briar's neck. If she showed him no resistance, he would proceed across her throat, moving slowly down her lithe, supple body, covering every inch of her with his mouth in either kisses, licks, or nibbles, arriving at her chest moments later. All the while his paw continued to work her over, bringing her constant pleasure to keep her making those sounds he loved and squirming on the bed beneath him.

"Artorias Carpathius"

It didn't really occur to her that he hadn't seen her tail fully down and flowing yet until she saw his astounded expression. It made her grin all the wider, adoring the way he looked at her as she walked away with her long, silky tail swaying one way and the other with her hips. She always felt her most beautiful when she was with Artorias. The way he looked at her was like nothing else and it made her feel like the single most gorgeous wolf in the world. She giggled at how he nearly tripped over himself to get to the bed she was now laying across, her tail draped over the end of the bed and trailing over the edge while her slender form stretched out comfortably across the plush bedding and pillows. He leaped up onto the bed and she shifted to roll onto her back as he climbed over her, her heavy lidded gaze finding his with a sly grin on her face. He had grown and matured so much since the day he left the Armada after spending a season training there and seeing him like this in all of his toned, handsome glory made her all the more grateful that she got to call him hers. She already knew he was taller than before, but as her turquoise gaze followed his body down his muscled chest and stomach to certain parts of him that currently drew the most of her attention at the moment she realized that wasn't the only part of him that had grown as well.

Her gaze was pulled back up to his face as he commented on her newly elongated tail, grinning as she felt his paw comb through the silken fur. "I'm glad you like it," she replied, her voice equally breathy and showing just how much that fire and need was heating her from the inside out, coiling up that spring that was dying to be released. "And you're so handsome, Artorias," she added when he complimented her just moments before his muzzle claimed her own again, drawing a soft moan against his lips while his tongue brushed against her own. Her forelegs slipped up around behind his neck while they made out, kissing him with a hungry passion while his paw wandered through her tail, over her hip, setting her ablaze with her own need, her core tight and desperate for him. As soon as his paw found the source of all this desperate need her paws flexed and gripped onto his scruff, her back arching off the bed as the pleasure he gave her shot through her like lightning. Everything felt even more sensitive and tightened than usual and she didn't know how much of that was because of her heat and how much was simply from how long it had been since they had been like this. Either way, even the littlest amount of pleasure felt amazing and almost immediately she was moaning into this mouth.

When he broke away from her lips she blinked open her eyes to look at him, panting lightly between gasps and sounds of pleasure. She grinned at his words, the growl in his tone making her tremble lightly under him. There was absolutely no resistance as he started to work his way down her body with kisses and nibbles at her neck and throat, one of her paws moving from his scruff to the back go his head, her claws scratching lightly behind his ears, encouraging him on. His paw working on her most sensitive spots had her filling their room with her gasps and moans, a grin on her lips while she tipped her head back and let her eyes flutter closed, savoring every little thing Artorias was doing to her and drinking in every bit of pleasure that both satisfied her desires and made them even more desperate at the same time.

"Briar Fatalis"

The sounds that Briar made while they made out and he pleasured her were like a perfect chorus of ecstasy, and Artorias reveled in being able to coax those noises from her. Every moan, every gasp, every soft breathy sound that fell from her lips made his heart beat faster and faster, pumping fire and adrenaline through his veins. His nerves felt electrified, energized by their close contact and the way the pheromones spilling from her set off some instinctive chemical reaction in his brain. He needed Briar in this moment. Not wanted—needed. Needed her the way he needed air, food, water. She was a requirement for his survival, a necessity to stay alive. And every cry of pleasure she uttered made the young alpha more and more hungry for his queen. By now, the Carpathian brute was ravenous.

Artorias watched the way Briar's body writhed and danced beneath his on the bed while his paw worked her over, loving the way her hips squirmed and back arched for him, enjoying how her paws flexed and gripped at his scruff so her sharp feline claws could grab ahold of his skin. He'd never seen Briar in such a heightened state of sensitivity, but if this was what her heat season was doing to her, then he was going to have a ton of fun taking advantage of that and loving her senseless all season long. Still grinning at his own delight to her enjoyment, Artorias continued his way down her body with a constant trail of kisses, licks, and nibbles to her fur and skin. She was so soft, so warm, so perfectly Briar. Her natural scent flooded his nose; vanilla and florals took over his sense of smell. As he made his way down her slim body, Artorias felt one of Briar's paws slide up to rest on top of his head, urging him downward with gentle pressure. He shot a salacious grin back up at his girlfriend from halfway down her body, amber eyes ablaze with desire while he enjoyed how eager and needy she was for him.

Making sure she was watching, Artorias made a display of pressing his tongue flat to Briar's taut stomach and ever so slowly dragging it down through her coat and against her warm skin until he'd reached her waist—then paused just an inch or two above where she wanted him to be. Artorias took his time, letting his lips spread love across Briar's waist from hip to hip, then over the insides of her thighs, all the while making slow, precise motions with his paw against her most sensitive spots he'd come to know so well. Quiet growls and rumbles of adoration continued to escape the young brute while he loved his fae, trying to work her up into a frenzy before he gave her the relief she so desperately craved. Her scent was overwhelming him now from his position between her hind legs, and when he gazed back up at her with lust-glazed eyes, there would be no doubt that he was about to give in.

And give in he did, as Artorias leisurely withdrew his paw from Briar, then looped his forelegs around her waist and finally brought his muzzle down until he tasted her on his tongue. Artorias worked Briar over with his tongue in the ways he knew she loved, not stopping for even a moment until he was done satisfying his beloved's every single need, no matter how blissfully long it took.

- fade -

"Artorias Carpathius"