What were the odds that my own brother-in-law would end up taking over the very same kingdom I had longed for since puphood? It just proved to me, quite rightly so, that I had made a good decision in choosing my princely mate. When royal blood ran through a wolf it was sure to shine eventually once more. I never expected Viserys to become a king, it wasn't really in his nature. I would have been a bold leader, I think, paving the way for whatever I wanted to achieve, but my fire was now kept busy maintaining life with three children. That was a chore in and of itself. They were a constant in my life, their cries interrupting my sleep, their teeth biting into my teats and their squeaks of satisfaction as they piled up next to me.

At first I was too weak to do much care taking and Viserys helped splendidly but as I regained some strength I began to turn my attentions on them. It was my duty to make them presentable at all times and THAT was a hassle. My figure had thinned considerably and my coat was duller than usual, a byproduct of the hard pregnancy and birth I went through. I grew tired much quicker and it was unusual that instead of racing forward as we traveled, I stayed by Viserys the whole time, sometimes even lagged behind. Part of that was the ache in my limbs and part was to hurry the pups along. They were tiny creatures, prone to tripping and bumping into each other, but I found my eyes on them were filled with love.

Finally we arrived and I sat down rather quickly, jaw agape as I panted, ears back and closing my eyes with a deep sigh. It smelled like home here; not the dusty scent of Diveen but the fresh scent of wildflower. The scent of my birthplace. Where my parents had been buried. Viserys assures me we will rest and I press into his touch with a groan of happiness (and part a groan so he would know I WAS tired, because I liked to complain at times). "I would go anywhere with you," I answer resolutely with a wry grin, glancing down as the pups milled about our feet. Xerxes grumbles and a chuckle rumbles in response from me as I lean down and lick his crown, much like Natu used to do to me. "If you walk into the wind, Xerxes, you will learn that it is an easy way to comb your fur out perfectly. Then you must just find a knoll that blocks it and lay there to better show your figure."

Okay so I was vain but my mate knew that and Xerxes certainly seemed to take after me.

What was the purpose of all this? I didn't like the den in Diveen because it was too crowded and I hated being stuck with Xerxes and my sister most of the time, even if Tikal was nice. It bothered me that she was so sweet because I could see the proud way Visery's looked at her and the way mother doted upon her. Even the way she now turns to lick my brother and assuage him of his vanity. Even as a pup I understood it was... weird. The obsession with being clean. My paws were stained in mud as I had made sure to walk in it on the way here, planning already to siddle up to Xerxes when dad and mom got too busy 'den' hunting so I could rub it in him. I shoot him a glare now and when mother's eyes slide towards me it turns into an expression of adoration, my tail wagging so hard my hind end went with it, but the moment she smiled and looked away I fell back into my hateful one.