Recluse had no delusions about her children being fully nocturnal like she was, she knew they often snuck out while she slept and that Eraithus did his best to keep his eye on them when he could but she knew it was impossible to fully force it. Today she was up before dark, though not by choice. She'd had another nightmare, the loss of her children flashing before her eyes. And when her panicked mind had finally woken her up the sun was still peeking above the horizon, though not by much. Sighing the woman pulled herself from her nest and got up to sit at the mouth of her family's den. Recluse sighed, blinking against the last vestiges of the sun's light.

Recluse rolled her shoulders, trying to work out the stress from her body.



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Akhlut loved the sun as much as she adored the moon and no matter her mother’s efforts the girl had not come to adopt a specific sleeping schedule. She did regret her daytime adventures on nights when there were long lessons, but she felt like every moment in the daylight was worth the sleepy nights. She was young and it didn’t nearly affect her like it might an adult wolf. The tiredness didn’t show in the way she bubbled and bounced around no matter the time of day.

The princess was actually sleeping when her mother began to stir far earlier than she might, and as she lifted herself from the bed Akh began to wake. She blinked open blue and lavender eyes as Recluse moved to the entrance of the den. The girl stretched and opened her mouth wide in a huge yawn before she shook herself and got to her own delicate paws.

She padded over to her mother as the woman watched the sun begin to set, and tiredly the girl leaned into Recluse’s leg. A soft sign of the unconditional love the pup had in her heart.

Recluse almost didn't notice the girl at first, her mind was elsewhere still struggling to shrug off her exhaustion and she jumped slightly when her daughter pushed into her leg. The second litter born with only one daughter... They were precious few now with Kali's death as well and some part of her felt deeply saddened by this, she knew her adult daughters were strong women in their own rights but some part of her couldn't help but wish for her empire's legacy to be women in power, and her princesses were few. Still, she smiled down at the sweet little girl, finding herself constantly charmed by the little heart shape on the girl's head and enamored with her little princess.

"You're up early." Recluse said softly, leaning down to nose at Akhlut, she didn't want to wake any of her other children and so her words were quiet but still full of so much love for her daughter.



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Ahk enjoyed the sun, she tried to wake up early enough to feel its light before her family went into their routine when it dipped below the horizon. Still, this was an unusual hour, and she hadn’t made a habit of sneaking out to play in the daylight. Still, she felt her mother flinch when she touched her, a sign of the stress that rested heavily on Recluse’s shoulders. The girl watched as her mother’s expression softened as she looked down at her. Adoration evident in her expression as Akh’s blue and lavender gaze looked up into her mother’s peach pink eyes. There was a sadness there that never quite left, no matter how happy she was to see the little pup.

Recluse leaned down and the princess leaned into her mother’s affection as she noticed how early the girl was up. ”I like to see the sun,” but her tiredness wasn’t hidden so well as her jaws stretched open in the largest of yawns. She leaned into her mother as the yawn left her as she reached up to nuzzle her nose to her mother’s chin.

Recluse chuckled as she watched her little girl struggle to hide her exhaustion and a yawn pulled her jaws apart. She couldn't help a little flair of guilt though at her daughter's words. "Have you ever asked dad to take you out during the day?" She asked softly. She wished she could take her children out under the sun, wished she didn't have to keep them hidden away in the dark. "When you're older you'll be able to chose when you want to sleep and when you want to play." Were her children missing out on something by her using her own nocturnal schedule for them? She knew there were things she'd never get to have under the light of the moon, colors were more muted and many animals went into hiding at night but it was a sacrifice she'd made for herself, for her own health... Was it fair to ask that of her children?



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The young princess’s yawn subsided as she leaned happily into her mother’s side. She didn’t feel like she was being held back, yes she loved the sun, but this was her life. They were creatures of the night and she didn’t have any internal aversion to that. Recluse spoke again, asking if she had her father take her out during the daytime. Akhlut shook her head in answer, she honestly hadn’t thought about having the man she knew as her dad take her out in the sunlight. Not really comprehending that Recluse stayed away from it because she was forced to.

The Queen went on to mention that Akh could decide for herself when she wished to sleep and when she desired to wake once she was older. ”How much older, Momma?” The princess asked with a tilt of her head as impatience filtered through her voice. How long was she going to be too young? Not that the girl had a great grasp of the passing of time as it was, but looking so far ahead in the future wasn’t easy for the youthful princess.

Recluse hummed lightly as her daughter shook her head and she tipped her head down slightly to whisper for her. "You can ask him about it later if you want." She wanted her children to have that opportunity if they wanted. "But make sure if you're tired you take naps alright?" There was a slight teasting tone for that scentence, knowing how hard it could be to get pups to settle down for a nap even when she could tell well enough that they needed it.

The next question gave her a wave of melancholy and she paused for a minute to compose herself. "One day you'll be big enough that you won't want to sleep here anymore, you'll want your own space. When you do you'll be able to choose when you want to go out and when you want to sleep. "



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Akh settled in happily, satisfied completely in that moment. The princess had a family that cared deeply about her, a mom who worried for her and a dad who was there to take her on adventures. Siblings to play, learn, and grow with. This was a perfect life, and her mother had nothing to feel guilt for. The girl was as happy as any pup, let alone a princess, could be. ”I will…” she cut herself off as her mother mentioned a nap in addition to the adventure and the pup couldn’t help the sad pout that took her features. ”Oh-kay.” She vowed reluctantly, never feeling any desire for her mom’s naps.

The girl took her turn to pause her mother as she questioned her own aging. Youth held her for now, but it was fleeting. She would be doing just as Recluse said she would, before she knew it they would be rounding her first birthday. ”I won't?!” She said in near disbelief, but it would make sense. None of her soldering siblings lived in their mother’s den. Akhlut would get big like them and make her own way. It was nearly incomprehensible right now. ”I guess growing up doesn’t sound too bad.” Just as she couldn’t comprehend being away from Recluse she didn’t fully understand the freedom she was offered, but time would teach her.

Recluse had long learned that sometimes it was easier to doubt the validity of a promise from a young child, but to keep it to herself. It was important to teach her children that she would trust them until they proved they weren't worthy of it. So while she could tell her daughter wasn't eager to promise to nap she would give a nod, maybe a bit bigger than she would for an adult but she wanted to make it clear to her daughter that she'd take even her reluctant words.

Recluse wasn't sure how her daughter would take the news that one day she'd move out of the den, one day sooner than Recluse wanted to admit but she would keep that specific thought to herself. For now, she would just enjoy getting to have them close. But she couldn't help the chuckle at her daughter's question. "Well you see you and your brothers are going to keep getting bigger and bigger, it's going to get crowded in there." She gave the girl a little wink, they were growing faster than they realized, it was hard to see it when you were a child but she'd watched two litters grow up right in front of her eyes and it was easy to realize just how quick it was from the outside. "And you may realize you want a space that's just for you, plus a space where you don't have to watch mom and dad kiss all the time." There was a teasing to her voice, of course, she meant more than just kissing but the girl was young enough still that that was probably close to the epitome of gross and she didn't need to say more for now. She hummed lightly as she let Akhlut's comment hang in the air, there was a melancholy to that notion for Recluse but she never wanted her children to fear getting older.


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Recluse tried to comfort her as she mentioned how much bigger she and her siblings would become. There wouldn’t hardly be enough room for all of them when they were big and grown. Akhlut pondered for a long moment, she supposed the five of them piling on top of each other and their parents wasn’t the best idea. ”Hmm.” The little princess conceded defeat, even if she didn’t like the sound of it now, one day she would be thankful that she wasn’t meant to live in the family den forever.

Akh was far less concerned about her own privacy now as she was for her parents. Her eyes grew wide in disbelief, but she realized her mom was right. She stuck out her tongue and made a gross face. ”No, Mom! Not kissing!” She reacted dramatically, pulling herself from Recluse’s side in a false sense of disgust. Really, she loved her parents, and loved having them both there to raise her. The little princess adored them, and wouldn’t wanted to have been anywhere else.