R equiem had grown deeply content with how his life had been shaping up since his return to Lurid's side. In the aftermath of her victory in the west and the claiming of the ancient ship as the new palace for Mirovis, the crimson brindled brute's days were filled with assisting his Blodreina to firmly establish and secure her hold on the land, preparing the rise of the new Mirovis empire and the resurrection of the Amarix dynasty. Day after day, more of her family returned to join her, falling into the fold of her reign with pride and enthusiasm. Requiem was now thoroughly enjoying all of the pleasures, perks, and luxuries that came with romancing the heir to the Amarix throne, pleasures he had once thought only attainable in his wildest dreams. Now he woke up every morning in Lurid's bed, the ethereal queen sleeping soundly in his arms, spent his time at her side assessing and during up their defenses, making preparations and plans with her for the inevitable expansion of their lands, and then ending their days with long nights of heated passion. Yeah, he could really get used to this...

O n this particular morning, Requiem had gotten up early, well before the sun broke over the eastern horizon. Extricating himself from Lurid's side while she slept warm and snug was not an easy thing to do, but he had plans on his mind. The assassin slipped out of the ship like a wraith, silently disappearing into the darkness. Where had he gone in the middle of the night? Hunting. But not just for any kind of prey. Requiem was hunting Lurid's favorite prey. He eventually found his quarry in the form of two wolves—young and in their primes—sound asleep in a makeshift den just west of the Antiox in the Red Forest. They could have been lovers or mates themselves, perhaps just friends out traveling together. That mattered little to the red devil as he stalked inside and ended their lives. He killed the brute first, crushing his windpipe in his jaws until the male stopped kicking and thrashing.

T he gurgling death rattle he let out through the gaping wound in his throat alerted his partner however, and Requiem had to be swift to snuff the panicking fae before she fled. To her credit, she had tried to fight back, but he easily overpowered her with his greater size and strength. She made it tricky for him to kill her with a quick bite to the neck, so instead he had to settle for the slower method of choking her to death, giant paws pressing down hard on her neck while she struggled and fought for air, gasping and gagging beneath him. There was little emotion beyond manic delight in the red brute's eyes while he watched the life leave hers. When both wolves were dead, he removed his hunting knife from his bandolier and proceeded to carve out the hearts of his victims, using his seasoned medical and anatomical knowledge to perfectly extract both organs without damage. He collapsed the den in on his way out, burying the bodies and hiding the evidence before making his way back to the ship with his prizes.

R equiem snuck back into the Antiox before dawn, stashed away the two lupine hearts in the old fridges in ship's galley, and then cleaned himself up before slipping back into bed with Lurid. The devil snuggled right up to his goddess, wrapping her up in his forelegs once more and settling back into sleep as if he had never been gone. Lurid would be in for quite the surprise treat later that night.

- time skip -

E vening descended over Boreas. Though the days grew longer and milder with the turning of spring, the north was still chilly enough to require fires for additional warmth during the nights. Requiem was making the final preparations for his evening with Lurid. Another productive day of getting Mirovis set up had come and gone, and while his beloved was seeing to some final things with her family, the future Haihefa was putting the finishing touches on a surprise of his own. Tonight he had a very important matter he wished to discuss with his Blodreina and he wanted everything to be just right for when they did. This was his way of showing his devotion to Lurid, showcasing just how well he knew her from the years he'd been graced with her in his life.

T heir quarters were warm and lit by a gentle flickering glow from the fireplace. The bed had fresh and luxurious furs spread out across it, many of them pelts from wolves that had been past meals for the Amarix queen. A bottle of the same bittersweet red Bordeaux that had been the key to his and Lurid's first time making love sat beside the pelts in front of the glowing fireplace, and with it on a silver plate sat the two raw wolf hearts. He might have been a cold and vicious assassin, but for Lurid he was a hopeless romantic. With the last of his preparations in place, Requiem lay down across the furs in front of the fire and waited for the love of his life to come join him.


"Requiem" | "Latin"

You should see me in a crown;
Watch me make 'em bow, one by one!

The cold woke her, while it was spring, the north still held no heated mornings. So when Requiem left her side, it did not take long for her to notice his absence. The ivory queen curled around herself to keep warm, but when he did not return after what she assumed was a bathroom break, Lurid rose to her paws to go search for him. The longer he stayed gone, the more agitated she became. Searching for him through the halls of the ship, the Bloodreina only grew angry at him for leaving. It brought up bad memories in her mind, but she would cope. Unable to find her Haihefa, Lurid went back to their quarters to wait him out. She couldn't keep her eyes open any longer and drifted to sleep waiting for her beloved to return to her. The pale demon queen didn't have to wait too long as he came into bed shortly after she laid back down.

- Time skip -

Lurid kept herself busy most of the day, building her bonds back with her family mostly. She had just left Atropos' room, after playing a game with her sister. It was time to retire back to the room she shared with Requiem, the captain's cabin. When she walked into the room the first thing she noticed was the fire, then spread out in front of the flames was the most delectable sight. Her pupils dilated, her mouth watered and she was suddenly very hungry. Requiem looked very delicious on his bed of pelts, before him lay two plates and a bottle of their wine. Lurid recognized the hearts on silver platters and smiled wide, it was a calling card of his. "Miraris me, Requiem." Her dual vocals rang with a tone that said she was very pleased. Moving over to him she kissed him softly and lay beside him, smiling but her eyes were full of wonder. No one had ever shown her this kind of devotion before. "This is beautiful, my love." Holographic lavender eyes nearly welled up with tears as she looked over the spread, he even remembered their wine!

Word count: 355 words.
"Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: ---

ART

R equiem was not left waiting long before his phantasmal queen made her appearance in their bedchambers. The surprise that flittered across her features was his reward for his early morning efforts and he received them with a confident smirk. He knew what she liked and how to speak to her heart, but the red devil never grew tired of showing just how well he knew her. Caring for her felt right. Being her Haihefa felt right. Keeping his argent gaze on hers as she crossed the room towards him, Requiem couldn't deny just how much her positively ravenous look on her face turned him on. He was a carnal beast on the most normal of days, but tonight he was feeling those lecherous urges all the more strongly. Tonight was going to be so special for them, after all!

G iving a rippling flex of his muscles as he stretched out his long form, Req uttered a husky chuckle beneath his breath and gestured to the place on the furs beside him for Lurid to join him. "Intendo placere," he purred in response on silver tongue and gravely vocals. His muzzle tipped up to meet and return her tender kiss while she got settled in beside him, those dazzling holographic eyes eating up the spread that surrounded her. The luxurious furs, the fresh lupine hearts, the crackling fire, the crimson wine, and himself. "It was the least I could do to show you how much you mean to me—how much you've always meant to me," said the brute while he began to uncork the wine, allowing the fragrant scent of fermented grapes to fill the air in between the smell of raw flesh from their entrees. "It felt like how your Haihefa should treat you, darling."

W ith a wicked smile and a dark gleam in his bright eyes, Req slid one of the hearts in front of Lurid's paws, presenting her with her first gift. "This is where I was this morning." His explanation may not have been needed, but he knew Lurid had noticed his absence for a spell. Maybe it was his way of reassuring her that the only time he'd be gone was when it was in her interests. He tapped the edge of the plate with a sinister grin. "She screamed like hell as I carved it from her." For his own, he hefted the heart up in his paw like it were nothing more than a hare he had hunted. "Him... Well, he didn't wake up until my knife was already in his chest. By then, all he could do was watch." Another morbid chuckle rumbled in Requiem's chest as he lifted the heart in a grim toast, beaming at Lurid. "To your reign, regina mea. May your dynasty last a thousand lifetimes over." Bringing the heart to his muzzle, he held the glittering goddess' gaze as he sank his fangs into the fresh meat, tearing through chambers and ventricles as he feasted in her honor and glory. Once the first bite was taken, he spoke again, "I did have an ulterior motive to this beyond just seducing you, my Lurid. I have something I want to ask you. Something important."


"Requiem" | "Latin"

You should see me in a crown;
Watch me make 'em bow, one by one!

Listening to his words brought a smile to the Blodreina's face as he uncorked their wine, the smell of it wafting into the air as he moved one of the lupine hearts in front of her. He had been busy, after all. Lurid returned his dark smile, "I was wondering where you went." Her words were purred on dual vocals, adding a hint of whispers to her voice. Explaining his crime in detail brought a dark chuckle up from her chest, a proud smile on her face. "You always did like a challenge, I bet you had fun with them." When he lifted the heart meant for him, Lurid did the same with hers in a twisted toast, laughing under her breath so as not to interrupt him. This was the most touching way to begin her reign, and her hopes of leaving a legacy grew as she listened. "Thank you, amor meus. May our dynasty last a thousand lifetimes." With that Lurid took her first bite out of the female's heart, purring softly as her teeth cut through tissue and muscle. He spoke once more, confessing he had more than seduction in mind for her.

Her brows came together with her curiosity, one raised slightly to show her interest. "Quid est, mi rex?" A thousand possibilities crossed her mind, making her heart race with nervous energy. It wasn't very often that Blodreina got nervous, but here with him like this felt like it was going to change her life forever. Whatever he had to ask her was important to go through all the trouble of killing two wolves for their meal and finding a bottle of the same wine they had shared... Suddenly, her nerves ceased and her excitement grew, the brilliant woman putting two and two together finally. Was he going to ask her to marry him? Could this be it? She hid her excitement, nothing showed on her face other than gentle confusion and concern. She could be getting her hopes up for nothing.

Word count: 337 words.
"Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: homg so cute lol

ART

A dark almost grimly mocking laugh burst from the sinister wolf when Lurid commended him on his execution of the two innocent wolves that had become their meal for the evening. "I wouldn't call those two a challenge per se, more the equivalent to prey with sharper teeth. I've seen elk put up more of a fight than they did, haha!" The pair of monsters shared in their macabre toast and began to feast upon the hearts of their murdered victims, Requiem reveling in the sounds of purred delight that came from his beloved as she partook in her darker habits. Some may have shied away from the cannibalistic nature the Amarix family participated in, but Requiem was more than eager to partake of her dark delights with her. As he interrupted their meal with the subject he needed to discuss with her. Lurid gave him a quizzical look and asked in her tongue what he had in mind. Req suspected that Lurid probably had a suspicion of what he was going to talk to her about given the nature of their evening, but if she did, she was being a fine actress in pretending she was clueless.

S hifting to his side to face her better, Requiem laid one of his large dark paws over top of hers, staring deeply into the holographic silver pools of Lurid's eyes as if he could see into her very soul. There wasn't an ounce of detectable nervousness in the brute's posture, no anxiousness or worry in his expression. He had dreamed of this moment for years, mentally rehearsed it over and over in his fantasies. This was everything he had been wanting for as long as he could remember and he was ready to take what was his. "Lurid, my love, I couldn't be prouder of how far you've come now. Your dreams, your goals, they're finally coming true, and I cannot wait to spend the rest of my days by your side making each dream a reality for you." A knowing smirk touched the dire brute's lips as he continued. "But for me to be your king, your Haihefa, I have to do something for you first." Lifting Lurid's paw into his own, the crimson wolf said with assurance and resolution, "Lurid, tu me ducere et animas nostras in aeternum ligare?"


"Requiem" | "Latin"