Qiturah loved her father and her uncle, along with the rest of her family, but she still was having difficulty coming to terms with the new ‘normal’ for her existence. When Zawyne brought up the wedding, Qi had shrugged, but really she was happy her parents despite her inability to show it. The love shared between her parents was quite obvious, but that almost made it worse. What if what they shared was forever something she could not obtain. If she and her soulmate hated each other… or what if she fell in love… and then met her soulmate? Would her heart break after she realized that what she initially felt was not love as it could be? It was jealousy and envy slipping in at what may come to pass… but it was quickly replaced with a difference emotion. Annoyance began to set in when her father began to spout out the private issues that she was dealing with. Why was it any of her father’s business, or any of her uncle’s business for that matter? Briefly, she considered giving them all the slip and running away… but she knew that they were only trying to help her. Especially Zawyne – Qi was still very thankful for the Arcus Irae princess who had saved her from the dark demon in the cave. Losa had tried… but had had little effect on the beast. Still, that had been a time before Qiturah had transformed, and she had found herself comforted by the elder princess as well, seeing as she had hidden behind Losa’s limb for the majority of the interaction. “I know I can find my own path… but my concern is whether or not I will be able to choose my own path.” Qiturah scuffed one of her paws at the ground – no one else seemed to understand her concern… but her attention was pulled away as a sound caught all of their attention. Qi turned, only to see a rainbow approaching them.

‘Sorry, I was not meaning to intrude… I was napping and your voices woke me. I simply was trying to leave without bothering you.’

Qiturah felt a sudden pull toward this stranger, a need to protect the blue hued titan despite the fact that she had never met him before in her life. A sudden rush of bile rose in the back of her throat as she realized that this was one of the many things that she would have no choice in – who she bonded with. But even as she hated the lack of free will, she could not help the almost maternal feeling that swept over her - despite the lack of knowledge of this wolf, she felt a kinship for him, she cared for him, she worried about his well being. As for the maternal instinct? It was odd, really, considering that he was older than she was. Swallowing, she turned toward Zawyne. “Do you… know him?” Previously, or at least up until how, Qiturah had assumed that all of the remaining Arcus Irae lived in Dierne Hrof… but this wolf did not even smell of their pack. Nor was he familiar to her in the slightest.

Without waiting for her father to respond, she turned toward the stranger. “Whelp, I guess I am your… Oferweder. Is there a special term to describe our bond? I guess… I don’t really know. I’m Qiturah, this is my dad Vladimir and my uncle Aindreas. I… I guess I assume you know Zawyne since she is one of the last two royals of your kind… but then again…” Qiturah peered at Zawyne who looked a bit complexed. “Zaffy doesn’t… seem to recognize you. Did you … were you… when did you get here? Where have you been living? What.. I guess I should start by asking ‘what’s your name’ but that just seems so… cliché…” The fae’s voice had slowed and then faded as she realized that she had been rambling on without so much as a breath’s width of time for the stranger to respond. “I’m sorry… I have not… I have not met many strangers recently. I guess. I will stop talking and actually give you a chance to respond… and yet… I am still talking…” Qiturah blushed through her thick winter coat and finally fell silent.

WC: 722