To have a child returned, to have one more part of Eris returned to myself is more than ever I was willing to hope for after the night the sky had fallen. I am not so young anymore and perhaps I am not so bold as I once believed myself to be, for indeed in that moment I clung to the child as if she were my last breath of air, pride curling and swelling within my chest in the pleasure of seeing Amir felled once more. The blood is strong, her heritage is stronger and never did I truly believe such a vile creature could ever poison her mind against us, though indeed, that he had tried already caused lashings of anger to coil within my chest. Yet, to have to shatter her world, her perfect little world that hung so temptingly before her once more was hardly a task I relished. For just those few moments even one so, perhaps...jaded as I, could see that she indeed hoped once more, that she truly believed the world was a fair place and that her parents both still lived. How do you tell a child who has lost and gained everything that they have lost again? That her brother and mother and father would not return to her. I was to old for this and yet I have never yet turned from the duty that is my own and indeed I would rather be the one to tell her such a thing, then allow another to fracture her existence. It is better they say, to hear of love from love and indeed with Eris and Castor gone, with Ava as she was...perhaps I was the only one left to love the small one who clung so desperately to my chest. How long had it been since she had been held? She would be near three years old and yet she seemed so....young.

Perhaps that did not help the words come, though truly I spoke to her as if she were an adult, I spoke to her as an equal, as one deserving to know the truth though even I will admit to feeling...something when her eyes grew dull. She was not the only one who had lost her family, her pack and yet perhaps it was better now, that anything she cared for should be taken from her. It would only make her stronger in what was to come, it would only take weakness from her. It was hard, yes and yet....I had had all taken from me, younger then she was now and I had overcome it and I had learned indeed of the folly of allowing myself to care.

“You will come home with me, Baby Girl. You will live with me and I will raise you as my own, as I raised your Mother. You will be whatever you want to be in this life and I will make you great. Come, let us go home, there are many who will want to see you Micteca. You are an Angel, after all.”

I allowed a smile to tease my lips a moment, seeking to draw her thoughts away from the death of her parents and brother, moving to brush against her, to guide her forward and back towards the pack land and eliminate this memory from my own mind. What had I done so wrong in this life that I was doomed to continue to be punished by those I had allowed myself to love? I had retired, I had stepped down and it seemed Fate had attempted to take control once more. Pity that, we had gotten on for so long. The child’s words however brought me to a stop once, violet gaze turning back to find her gaze with me own, frown touching my features as my tail flicked in agitation. Tell Amir? If I had any say she would have nothing to do with him ever again! I snorted, attempting to maintain some sense of gentleness however. She was still young, I hardly wished to upset her any further.

“Why do you wish to go to Amir? He has told you nothing but lies, your safety is not his concern- he does not deserve to know. He is a traitor to his Pack and his own honour and I disapprove of this. Tell me Micteca....why do you need to tell him?”



h e y e l
The King