The news of Zee's diagnosis had come as a shock that rocked the very foundations of two noble families. Had he not heard the words directly from Briar and Gwynevere's lips, he would have staunchly denied the reality they were all now faced with. But Artorias could not ignore what was unfolding before him, even if he was powerless to offer any sort of aid. The Aegis prided himself on his pack's ability to render medical services greater than any other in the known lands, and if Gwyn and her team believed there was no salvation, then he had no reason to doubt her. It was just like the situation with Resin all over again—they were facing a terrible loss and all they could do was make the most of the time they had left. Artorias feared for Sirius and the other Fatalises, and as his caring nature demanded, he immediately began to make plans and preparations. When they had lost his mother, he had railed against reality, thrashed and fought the inevitable tooth and nail, and in the end it had left him with more heartache and scars than any of his siblings. He did not want to make that mistake again for Briar's sake.

Artorias had sent Corbin to find Zee while he waited on the golden shores, gazing out at the sun setting past the glistening western sea. He didn't want to pull her away from spending as much time with her family as she could, but he needed her blessing for what he was going to propose. Beyond that, a selfish part of himself rued the fact that he hadn't gotten to spend much real time with his mother-in-law, a regret he hoped to assuage with his plans, and perhaps with a little bit of comfort today. He did not know what facing one's own mortality was like, but he had to imagine it was likely a scary and lonely prospect. A final goodbye to all you'd ever known and loved. Who wouldn't balk at such a grave notion? He didn't know what, if any solace he could offer the former queen of the Armada, but he knew he had to try. At the very least, he had to let Zee know how grateful he was to her for what little time they'd shared, and for bringing Briar into his world.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Eira" | "Argent"

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
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Being called to the western shores was well beyond what Zee had expected when the Aegis' raven had found her with a message. Never would she deny his request to meet with her, though she did worry about making the trip there and back. Her body had weakened significantly over mere days and often she found even climbing the castle's stairs to be too exhausting an activity. Rather than risk the walk alone and collapse somewhere along the outside of the castle walls, she shared the message with her attentive husband and leaning upon his heavy shoulder, headed out to meet her son-in-law. As she neared she sent her husband away with a gentle kiss, thanking him breathlessly for his escort but knowing this was a conversation for her and Artorias alone. A small part of her did not want to appear weak, either, her focus set upon keeping a smooth and even step down to the shore and a head held high, reminiscent of the health and pride she'd once had. She did not offer the man a greeting, the beauty of the land surrounding them sending her into a contemplative silence. The repetitive crashing of waves upon the shore, the setting of the sun in the distance. It was a grand sight, and one she was glad to witness here today. With a soft groan she folded herself down onto the sand to rest, taking in the views for a moment longer before turning her attention toward the blue-furred man. "I can't thank you enough for what your pack has done to help us." She began softly. "There are no paws I'm more comfortable to leave them all in then yours, and those of your family." "Speech"

The sound of dainty paws crunching through golden sands made the male’s ear flick back to catch the sound, his head turning to greet Zee with a small smile. He did his best to hide the emotions seeing her brought with it, seeing her for the wolf she was and not for the condition that was killing her. It was what she deserved. Neither spoke a word—there were none that would befit the moment—and watched the world turn into twilight around them in beautiful rich shades of lavenders and indigos. It was Zee who broke the tranquil silence around them first, offering him gratitude she needn’t. Artorias smiled softly to his mother-in-law and shook his head gently, replying, "Nothing is too much for my family. I’m happy to help. But you’re welcome all the same, Zee." Her faith in him was inspiring, and he silently hoped he would continue to be worthy of that confidence.

After a moment of quiet contemplation, it was Artorias’ turn to speak his mind. "I don’t know what it’s like… being where you are now. I don’t know how it feels and I’m sorry beyond words that you do. I wish we weren’t here as we are right now. But I wanted to make sure I told you how grateful I was for you. You brought Briar into my life, you raised her into an incredible woman I’m fortunate to call my mate, you treated me like kin without hesitation, and for that I will always be thankful, to you and Sirius both." A little rueful smile touched his lips as he turned to glance over at Zee. "I wish I’d been a better son-in-law. After your win at our wedding tournament, I should’ve gotten to know you better." A low chuckle punctuated his statement. Zee’s impressive performance had surprised everyone, and it was one of his favorite memories from his wedding day.

Artorias moved on to the matter at hand, the reason he had asked to speak to Zee one on one. "When my mother passed, the biggest regret that we all shared was that we weren't able to spend one last moment with her before she was gone. Our first birthdays were spent with her in a cell. I wish I'd have had one more good memory before the end..." Artorias hesitated, gazing out at the sea while a paw lifted to subconsciously touch the scars on his right shoulder. He took a moment to compose his emotions before continuing. "I'd like to host a family dinner for us all to enjoy together. Fatalis and Carpathius, together under one roof for the first time." Artorias noticed the pointed glance from Zee out of his periphery. "Not for anything dour, not for farewells or last chances. Just to be a family together, where the pups can all play together and we can enjoy each other's company. So we can live for the now together." He looked back to Zee, trying to gauge her reaction to his offer.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Eira" | "Argent"

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
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