Deathbelle walked slowly over the red rocks that made up Ashen’s temporary home. She could feel the call of change and new the pack would not reside here much longer. This was the birthplace of many fond and difficult memories. Lilac gaze swept over the curving corridor of the stone resembling a river. This was where she had said her vows to her late husband, and also where she’d met the woman to help heal her broken heart.

Archon’s loss was easier to deal with, knowing that she could never have him back hurt her heart but she was persevering. She thought about him often, but saying goodbye was becoming easier. Leaving Iolaire wasn’t quite as difficult, but her care of the Empress was what helped her to be able to accept what was thrown at her. She wasn’t saying goodbye to Io like she was forced to give up her husband. The pair would remain friends, and knowing the woman was there to lean on was a comfort in itself.

Her children were growing like weeds, they were going to be yearlings before she knew it. It seemed like just yesterday they were tiny little beans at her side and Archon was on her other beaming down at the miracle the two of them created. So much had happened since that precious moment. She was a very different wolf from when she’d given birth. A soft sigh trickled from dark lips as she moved forward through the early bits of night. Her paws were restless this evening and she made her way on a patrol to alleviate the nervous energy.

It was time to tell Deathbelle. As much as she would have liked to keep her private life separate from the matters of the pack, she knew it was her duty as a ranked member and Belle's sister to loop her in. Even on matters of her own heart. Some time had passed since her and Bourbon had consummated her relationship and she could tell now from the changes in her body that the testing she'd done to create Belle's concoction had backfired on her. She was pregnant ahead of her own season. Luce felt strange and delicate. Knowing that she was a vessel for other creatures had made her stilted affect even more obvious. The shamyn went nowhere without looking both ways six or seven times, she rarely left the den for more than a few hours, and she had become even more obsessive over the food that she ate. Everything she consumed would go to nurture her children and so it had to be... perfect. Unspoiled. Delectable, even.  She came upon Deathbelle on patrol. The empress seemed to let her feet move her without thinking - Lucretia could no longer relate to that kind of nervous energy. Even if her actions were strange and calculated, an uncommon peace surrounded her. Luce had settled into herself a little bit more. With Bourbon's help, this pregnancy wouldn't be the insurmountable body horror she had once thought while treating Deathbelle as her stomach distended and grew. Hopefully her litter would be smaller. If their respective sizes were to be given consideration, Luce expected much smaller children than Belle had birthed. They would small, manageable, healthy, and perfect. Her mind wouldn't allow for any alternatives. "belle... how are you?" she asked, offering her sister a gentle nudge on the shoulder. Like most emotional talks, she was finding it difficult to cut to the chase. She wasn't showing any obvious signs of pregnancy but anyone with half a nose might be able to discern the change in her scent.  "lucretia mutters..."

The Empress was trying to see more of Lucretia after their meeting recently. She wanted to be close to her sister, as she wanted to be close to her. She spent enough time that she hadn’t noticed the subtle changes in Lucretia’s body either. Not that she was looking for them, of all their siblings she was the last one Deathbelle expected to tell her she was pregnant. She also didn’t expect her sister to suddenly be at her side. She smiled lovingly as Luce reached over to nudge her shoulder and greet her softly.

She hadn’t told anyone of her acceptance of Hannibal’s courtship, Belle wanted to be sure of herself before she spread the news. Not that she could deny the excitement that built inside of her when she thought about him and the words they exchanged. The love she saw in his dual toned eyes… She could ignore the ache of the change in her and Io’s relationship.

”Hello, Lucretia.” She returned warmly, nuzzling her sister’s cheek. For a brief moment she thought she smelled pregnancy but her mind quickly shuffled the thought off as nonsense. ”I am healthy.” She decided to reply, she was restless and unsure of herself, that seemed the best way to answer. ”How are you?” She raised a brow curiously and wondered if her sister stopped her for affection or if she had business.

Luce smiled peacefully as Belle announced her good health. Of course she was! Everyone in Ashen was healthy under Lucretia's care. She wouldn't have it any other way. "I'm well," she replied, twitching her tail nervously. The Klein healer was naturally flighty and her paranoia told her that Belle knew exactly what was going on... and she wouldn't be pleased. Luce tried to bolster herself by thinking of the strength Bourbon provided her. They would hold each other up, no matter the circumstances.  "I have something to tell you." Belle's children were coming into their own now. Before long they would be yearlings and nearly self-sufficient. It was an exciting time. Would she be receptive to another Ashen litter? "And I'd like Bourbon to help me." Luce looked over her shoulder and motioned to the collie. If they were able to stand side-by-side they could accomplish anything.    "lucretia mutters..."

Bourbon felt oddly nervous but he refused to show it for Lucretia’s sake. As always, the dog was at the Shamyn’s heels, he was here if she needed to lean on him and he would offer her whatever he could. Eventually they happened upon Deathbelle. They needed to speak to her sooner rather than later when she could more easily tell her sister was pregnant. Questions would come up and they'd be forced to admit eventually.

Luce sought his presence and the dog moved up both obediently and voluntarily. He wanted to be beside his love. He wanted to support her and wanted to show how much he cared for the woman. There would be no reason to think she wouldn’t be taken care of completely, and he knew her happiness was blossoming with their relationship. He stood proudly beside her, his long furred tail wagging softly at their hips.

As Bourbon moved to stand beside her, Lucretia sat down to brace herself. His tail wagging at her lower back was just the reassurance she needed. "belle, you know how much I've appreciated bourbon's company and help with managing the health of our growing pack," she began, her voice wavering only slightly. "he has brought me so much happiness... and our relationship has changed. we habe chosen each other as partners." Luce turned to Bourbon and offered him a shy smile. Their relationship was still so new. It had the kind of fragile excitement that all new love had. Lucretia was always worried she was going to ruin it. "and I'm pregnant."   "lucretia mutters..."

Deathbelle watched as the dog appeared beside her sister, he was always a happy face and she wondered if anything negatively affected him. She didn’t miss the nervous hint of Lucretia’s voice as she started with her appreciation of the git given. Deathbelle felt suspicion creep in, and she questioned internally why her sister would be so averse with speaking to her.

The Empress felt her heart stop as Luce confessed to her, they were together and pregnant. She was quiet for a long moment, unsure what to say or think. Her feelings inside certainly warring. Deathbelle wasn’t blind, she saw how much the dog helped her sister, made her happy, and helped her excel in her duties. Belle felt herself get hung up on the fact that he was not a wolf but a dog. Her nieces and nephews would be half breeds.

She remembered how she was looked down on for being essentially the same. She had the wrong mother, now these pups would have the wrong father. Deathbelle knew she couldn’t do the same thing to these children. She heaved a sigh as she looked at the couple, not quite feeling the excitement her sister deserved. ”Congratulations, both of you.” Maybe it was a little forced, but she was trying. She let herself smile, it really was good to see Lucretia so happy. Deathbelle forced herself past her initial reaction. ”How far along?” She asked as she moved to embrace her sibling. Ashen would be growing, new life would be coming forth after the cold death of volcanic winter.

Luce could tell that her sister's approval faltered. There was an emotional distance in her eyes that belied her forced happiness. Lucretia may not have been good at deciphering her own feelings, but when it came to others, she was a calculating observer. She shifted her yellow eyes away from Belle and towards Bourbon, trying to seek some warmth there. At least her sister wasn't angry. Anything else she could deal with. "Thank you for your congratulations... and I'm sorry that I didn't come to you for approval," Luce admitted. "It happened quite fast. And unexpectedly. The side effects from the concoction I made for you caused me to come into season far earlier than expected," she tried to explain. Maybe if she could articulate how unexpected this had all been for her, Belle would find her sympathy.

"Only about a month or so. Just beginning to show. Bourbon has kept me well fed, so it may not be as noticeable as it may have been otherwise." Her stomach was filled out in a healthy way with only the slightest hint of pregnancy pooch. The weight looked good on her. She was no longer emaciated and the panic that always lurked in her eyes had begun to calm.

Deathbelle really couldn’t deny how good her sister looked, her fur was sleek, her demeanor more relaxed than she’d been in a long time. Lucretia had filled back out, and pregnancy seemed to suit her. The Empress did ease into the news better as Luce spoke about the events leading up to the unplanned additions. Luce hadn’t expected the results anymore than Deathbelle had. Of course she hadn’t even seen the two of them becoming.. romantically involved. She felt herself hung up on the dog’s species again.

No matter what he was Belle could clearly see that he was good for her sister. She might not have been thrilled with the Klein name being mixed with his genes, but if Luce had found her happiness… She wouldn’t dare begrudge them that. The Empire would welcome new life, and she would be content in its growth.

”You’ll want.. me there with you?” She asked curiously knowing her reaction wasn’t the most graceful. Would Luce want her help?

"I want you by my side, no matter what," Lucretia said earnestly. The smaller Klein stepped forward to touch her cheek gently, almost reverently, against her sister and Empress' face. They had walked side by side through the journey of Belle's pregnancy. Truly, their family had come so far since the destruction of their homeland and original way of life. It had taken determination, hard work, and perhaps a bit of luck to get where they were today. Luce didn't want to tread on any of the progress they had made by making Deathbelle feel any less than what she was: her Queen and beloved older sister. "After all, you've done it all before," she added with a nervous laugh. Watching someone go through pregnancy didn't quite compare to experiencing the changes in your own body. As a healer and a woman, Lucretia knew this all too well. The journey ahead would certainly be... interesting.

Deathbelle wore a blissful smile as her sister didn’t hesitate to dispel any of her doubts about hurting Lucretia. Bourbon’s devotion was clear, and even if he wasn’t a wolf she knew her sister and future nieces and nephews would be well cared for. The Empress leaned into Luce’s affection as she offered it. ”I will be.” She promised, after her sibling stood so strongly beside her through everything. Belle owed it to her sister to stand beside her through her trials as well. The thoughts brought on a regret as she wondered how their siblings would react to these children. Would they be treated like her litter had been, like they were lesser Kleins?

”I did. I’ll bet your brood turns out much smaller too.” Belle chuckled softly, raising a brow to Bourbon. Archon was 10 inches taller than she was, the dog was much smaller than even Lucretia.