Zee lay just beyond the mouth of their den, patiently awaiting Sirius' return. Her tail thumped against the ground, the only sign of anticipation she'd give. He was due to be back any moment, and she had a plan to get him back for all the times he called her 'wife' to the Klein masters that lived alongside them. It was damn near impossible to get the stubborn male to change his mind, but Zee would get something out of it if he'd insist on their official relationship. If he truly insisted on naming himself her husband, then the small slave was going to get a damn adventure out of it. "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

Sirius yawned as he made his way back to the den, splitting his maw wide and flashing pearly teeth. With the young pups in Deathbelles care, she wondered about less than usual, so his post often consisted of lying on a vantage point near her den, keeping an eye on things between border patrols, and the occasional training lesson. It was less physical activity then he was accustomed to, and he felt his mind wandering more easily then it had in a while. He was glad when his den came into view, and his stunning wife, who seated herself on the porch near their entrance. He made a mental note of doing up the outside a little, and finding something that would last the elements and serve as a seat if she wished to spend much time waiting there for him. He grinned, liking the idea, the image, of her waiting for him to come home. His snow-leopard in training stuck its head out of the den as he approached, and quietly walked up to Zee, settling in beside her, with its small head landing on her paw, and its wide eyes looking up at her. It knew exactly which of the two wolves took buttering, and which did not. He ignored the fluffy hanger-on and instead made to kiss Zee’s cheek and sit before her. ‘Yes, Zee?” he asked. He knew an impatient waiting-to-drag-agreement-from-him expression when he saw it. "Speech"

It's scattered storms!

The weather of the day may change from sunny to rainy unexpectedly. Though the storms aren't very severe, the speed at which they come and go is alarming. Even worse, the temperature seems to rise with each passing storm, making for a muggy and hot day in the otherwise cool fall.

Sirius approached and Zee stood a little taller to prepare herself. Though she wanted to simply enjoy his company and be happy to have him home, there was the elephant in the room needing addressing. Sirius was parading around the pack calling her his wife, Harbringr called her Mrs Sirius. Something had to be done. His little leopard came for her first, and she cracked the smallest of smiles at it as her paw was used as a headrest. "Quit it, I'm trying to be mad." She whispered to the cub, nudging it's nose with her own before looking back up to her so called husband with a straight face. He came close and gave her a kiss before pulling back to speak. "Oh, I'm Zee now? Not wife?" She raised a brow towards him, trying hard to remain deadpan. Clouds rushed overhead, darkening the sky in mere moments. Zee's stern expression became exceptionally concerned as she looked up to the brewing storm. She leaned down to grasp the cub in her mouth so she could stand without displacing him, gesturing to Sirius with her muzzle to come inside. Blue-tinted fur stood on end as her anxiety began to build, and she hurried inside the den. The cub was placed gently upon Sirius' blanket, and then she turned back to wait for him to follow. "As I was saying..." She tried to retain her even tone but her voice couldn't contain the small distracted shaking at the weather's instantaneous change. More thunderstorms? Great, how was she going to stay mad at him when he was her comfort during the storms? "I don't remember us ever having a wedding." She eyed him carefully, gaze cautiously moving back occasionally to the darkened skies out the front door. "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

The cub looked up at her, and seemed to smile, but withdrew a little, leaving the girl some space. The Snow Leopard did after all strive to be well behaved, and listen to the teachings of her strange and new adopted family. Sirius on the other hand, looked to Zee with a smile crinkling the corners of his eyes. “Wife. he agreed easily, although there was seriousness in his eyes, and he did not laugh. She knew what she was getting into, picking him, agreeing to be something more with him. He was a possessive bastard, and stubborn to boot. He wasn’t going to give ground easily. The sky, which had seemed relatively clear moments before, suddenly filled with darkness. The clouds that had rolled in unbeknownst to the titan only darkened, and he could tell they were heavy with rain. There was the taste of electricity in the air, even if the sudden change was almost bewildering. However, he had passed through places that experienced sudden changes in weather, so he did not look too heavily into an explanation. The cub allowed Zee to pick her up without protest, and Sirius gave a soft whistle, encouraging his vulture to come in out of the weather. He had a feeling the wind was about to pick up, and there was no point endangering his battle hardened soldier. Feeling Zee’s growing anxiety, and with a heavy bird on his back, Sirius would push past the sheep skin doorway. After entering, he secured the sides of his makeshift door, not trusting they would sit tightly in the wind without assistance. He knew how much storms bothered Zee, and he had worked hard to ensure he could windproof the den in a heartbeat. “Are you requesting one?” he asked of her, Marshall hopping from his back, flaring his wings as he flew to a perch that hung in the corner of the room for him. Already he could hear the howling outside, and the first pitter-patter of rain, which he had strong suspicions would grow heavily by the minute. "Speech"

Zee's brows furrowed and she prepared to give him a proper retort before a crack boomed in the sky. The servant's body stiffened and she clenched her jaw hard, trying to keep the fear at bay. This was not the time to curl into her titan and enjoy his quiet, looming comfort. She was trying to have a serious conversation here, and first the leopard cub and now mother nature herself was trying to lessen the impact. She huffed quietly, gaze flitting cautiously out the open door before settling back upon his face. "No- well, mmm." Zee grumbled the end of her reply, sighing. "It's not fair to ask Deathbelle to allow us to have a wedding, Sirius." She told him honestly, voice softening. Couldn't he see? That their Empress had given them a gift that hurt her so badly? Zee did not want to shove it in her face further. "Although.. I do wish to be with you, just, maybe we could take it slower? Officially, at least?" As she spoke, the harsh pattering of rain began to slow and the skies outside began to lighten. Zee's head tilted as she observed the weather over Sirius' shoulder for a moment before she shook her head dismissively and returned to the conversation at hand. "You can call me what you want while we're alone." She allowed carefully, understanding the protective and possessive drive of his that she'd fallen in love with. "But, if you'd like me to consider myself your wife... I need something of you first." A small smile touched her lips and she paused, searching his eyes. "We can skip the wedding for now- until things in Ashen settle -and go straight to the honeymoon." "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

He moved closer to her, breathing in her scent as the titan stood before the smaller wolf, looking down upon her form with a crooked smile, and smouldering eyes. He came closer yet, close enough that he could touch his muzzle to her cheek with just a faint tilt of his head. “I don’t need a big event” he told her softly, voice growing a little husky. “Just you, and me, and a promise” he clarified. The mention of Deathbelle not lessoning his intensity as he took her in. He was going to call her his no matter what, but it would be nice to have some validity to the words. Her soft voice, and imploring eyes brought a sigh from the man, as she told him she wished to take it slow. Call her what he wished well alone? She realised that wasn’t going to happen, right? That he was going to shout his possession of her from the rooftops of Ashen, until everyone understood that messing with her, meant messing with the Warlord of Ashen. His name would be her shield, enforced by his blood, if need be. Voice still husky, with a rough of rumble, and clear possession he would answer. “I won't deny you a honeymoon” he promised her, even if he wasn’t settled on the other things she had said. “What and where do you wish me to take you?” she could ask for the most outlandish request, and he would find a way to accomplish it. He would do anything for his Zee. Anything except tone down his possessive assertance of claiming her. "Speech"

Zee's smile widened further as he came close to her and her cheek flushed at his touch. He wasn't normally like this, his husky tones and deep eyes drew her in and Zee was finding it was very difficult to manipulate her titan in this moment. "Anywhere." She whispered. "I want to go somewhere where I am not a servant, and you are not a guard." She leaned against him, turning her head so that she could brush her cheek against his own. Zee didn't miss the fact that he'd not agreed to her terms, skipping over them to offer her the honeymoon she'd wanted but she was struggling to care. Could that be something she'd be okay with? A small ceremony? Realistically there wasn't really an alternative - while Sirius had gained favor with some of his former slavers, Zee was nearly entirely disliked within Ashen. Deathbelle she could consider a friend - a sister even - but the other Klein's would not look kindly upon a slave marriage. She murmured a thoughtful noise into his fur. There was still one pressing issue, however. Even if she gave Sirius the promise he'd asked for, that would not stop her possessive titan from announcing to all of Ashen who it was Zee belonged to. That could most definitely cause issues for them - and if Deathbelle caught wind of his words then what would she think? Zee pulled away from his embrace to look up at his face, head tilting slightly as she considered. "Is it not enough to know that I'm yours?" She asked softly. "Why does all of Ashen need to know, too? Don't you worry about what retribution the Kleins may seek if they learn their Daimyo is wed to a servant?" She knew his position was rocky as it was, and there were whispers of dissent among the pack. Zee worried not only for her own sake but for her potential husband, who would have to live down this choice to his peers. "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

She responded to his touch, and he grinned at her, leaving no space between them. Her voice was just a soft whisper, when she told him her desires. “Granted.” he agreed. He would find a way, even if he had to bribe Deathbelle… not that the Alpha had minded them leaving the pack on pack business. Still, he would have to ask for a leave of absence, he did not know how long they would be gone. Long enough for her to explore places other than Ashen, to feel her worth as so much more than a slave. He thought things were decided, and was surprised when she pulled away from him to further her earlier point. He sighed softly, a grumbling noise in his chest. “They will understand that the Warlord of Ashen has claimed you, and that you are under my protection. I have no issue with pummeling each and every one of them to ground if they hurt you, and the sooner they realise that, the safer everyone will be.” he pointed out to her. “I tell them for their protection as much as yours.” he offered her a sly grin. The Titan knew that his frame was larger than all in the Klein family, that he was bred for war, and had spent so much of his life learning the trait. He believed himself worthy of winning a fight, one on one or otherwise. “I will do so as easily as I did the Alpha of WInterfell and his best man. Let them come at me in ones or twos, and I will teach them fear.” his voice rose above a whisper and he pulled her closer to him, tucking her head below his chin in a possessive, protective grip. He was being intense, and he knew that, but the sooner she understood the lengths he would go to for her, the better. "Speech"

Zee returned his embrace, nuzzling her head against the underside of his chin with a pleased murmur. His possessive streak was intense and overwhelming, though Zee did not feel suffocated by it. After spending time in Ashen as a slave and then servant, having her head pushed into the ground by Sirius himself controlled by the Kleins who all seemed to hate her. It felt good to know that this man was in her back pocket for a change, and that for someone to harm her they'd need to go through his mountainous strength. She enjoyed being close to him, letting her body lean into his soft fur heavily and breathing in his comforting scent. Suddenly, it occurred to her what it was he said. "Wait, what?" She stammered, pulling back to fix him with an inquisitive stare. "You did what with the Alpha of Winterfell?" Oh no, what the hell had her titan gotten himself into now? Zee looked closer at him, nose twitching as she examined his body for blood. He'd made it back in one piece which was one good thing. Though how did this even happen? "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

Finally, she seemed to offer no further protests, as he pulled her close and told her just how far he would go to keep her safe. His ties to his previous masters wasn’t strong enough to keep them safe. Indeed, his ties had always been to Deathbelle, and it was for her that he had extended respect to the family he had served. He still respected Deathbelle, and would do much for her, but even she understood that he would protect Zee. He brushed a fang against her ear, keeping her close to him for as long as she allowed. The sound of the storm could be heard from the den, raging beyond the safety of his cave. The thick rock walls did much to dim the sound, and the doorway he had created and then tightened before the storm, held steady. He would have happily kept himself in this position for a long time, or perhaps even pulled her onto the Buffalo pelt, to hold her close for a sleepless night well the storm raged on. Instead, Zee pulled away from him suddenly, and he blinked, thoughts pulled off course. Was it the storm? But no, her words, confused and surprised, questioned him. “Ahh” he said softly. He hadn’t intended to tell her that, had he? It involved a slave he had precured for Deathbelle. Something that had gotten him into trouble in the past. “We had… a disagreement. Well, one of his wolves doubted my ability to fight. We had a quick, easy battle that showed me the victor. His Alpha took offense, and decided to face me with a minion of his in uneven numbers.” Sirius gave a dark chuckle. “I got my fangs around both their throats and they backed off. I didn’t even rub their noses in it, and believe me, I was tempted.” he looked at her impatiently, stretching out a paw, as through to welcome her back into the circle of his arms. He wanted to distract her, bring her attention back to them. He didn't want her to think too heavily on what he had been doing outside the pack borders. Motif was with Luce being checked over, and he wanted to dress that up as a rescue not a purchase when he showed her the girl. Did he feel guilty about this... No, this was a fact of life. he tried not to let the not-guilt show on his face. "Speech"

While the storm continued in it's odd fashion - growing then fading, building then vanishing - Zee found it hard to be afraid while in Sirius' arms. It didn't help that her concern for his physical and mental health grew each time he spoke, and finally she gave a disgruntled sigh followed by a pointed stare that she hoped properly got across her disapproval. "Sirius you can't just go randomly fighting other wolves." She told him, living up to her position as his moral compass. "Couldn't you have just walked away? What would Deathbelle say if you started something between another pack and Ashen?" The small woman shook her head in disbelief, eyeing his outstretched paws. Her eyes narrowed, pondering the option. It didn't take long for her to give in however, and she scooted back close to him with a grumble. "You're gonna get yourself killed one day, Vessel." Zee leaned against his chest and looked up at him as she teased him, nuzzling her head against his soft fur to show she was not entirely serious. "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

He couldn’t help the slight smirk that overtook his features at her words. “I did much for the reputation of Ashen. The king claimed to be a fighter, and couldn't beat me when the odds were in his favour. I walked away with a few scratches and a bite, he walked away with broken pride.” Sirius pointed out. The Warlord of Ashen wasn’t one to back away from a fight. The only one who could reign him in was Deathelle… and Zee, perhaps, if she caught wind of what he was doing. It didn’t take much convincing before she returned to the circle of his paws, and he pulled her in close. “That was always my roll, a disposable force to fight for the Klein’s.” he paused, kissing her gently on an ear, the easiest part of her that he could reach, with the way she had pushed her muzzle into his fur. “However, I endeavor to keep myself alive, now that I have so much to lose” he promised her. He gently pulled her onto the buffalo rug, not letting her escape as he moved their position until he could pull her into his side, and hold her close there as the storm raged on. "Speech"

Zee let him drag her onto the rug, falling into his warmth and leaning in close against him with a pleased sigh. There was nothing more comforting then relaxing in his protective arms, and Zee wished that the two of them could sleep together without him trying to maul her in his dreams. She was almost so happy that she missed his words, but they brought her attention back to the conversation abruptly. "Damn fucking right." She told him, turning her head to bite the closest part of him she could reach. "Don't ever call yourself disposable again." Her voice was low and cold, the remnants of a growl upon her lips as she dismissed the idea angrily. How could Deathbelle have loved him, but still allowed him to consider himself expendable? Living and dying at the Klein's whim. The disgust of it was plainly written on the servants face. "I hate them for letting you think that way." "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

He managed to bite back a snort of amusement, knowing it would not be received well in the moment. Her jaws latched onto his shoulder in reprimand for his words, and he could tell she was extremely displeased with him. He kissed her on the very muzzle that was latched onto him, and looked into the gentle blue of her eyes. “I no longer think that way. You’ve changed me, I never would have reached for Warlord if it wasn’t for you. I would have spent the remainder of my days a slave, and nothing more.” He was somewhat glad for the storm, it gave him an excuse to hold her close and not let go. To lie with her on the buffalo coat, despite the sleepless night that would leave him with. He wasn’t certain yet what they would do with his nightmares. She had chosen to stay in his den, despite them, but he lived in the fear that he would attack her again. He wished for some normality, for the ability to hold her close without becoming a threat to her. "Speech"