Gentleness had never come easily to Vanya. She was not a mare given to tenderness or kindness without purpose, and certainly not for the sake of someone else's feelings. Even when her children had been born, Vanya had not magically become more maternal. Her softness with Drogon stemmed from a deep well of pride that came with having such a perfect child, and that well had largely dried up by the time that Vivienne slipped into the world. The two women were far too alike to ever be fully comfortable in one another's presence, even when Vivi was just a tiny, suckling filly.

Her relationship with Rougaru was built on a foundation of passion - not love. And for Vanya, passion was a wild thing. One that was alive and dynamic and rough. It had its own needs, and took what it wanted from who it wanted. It left no room for compassion or kindness, let alone the sweetness he might reserve for his more passive mares. It bit and kicked and scratched its way to completion, regardless of who it harmed in the process, even if the one being harmed was herself. Her passion taunted the wolf in him - teased and taunted and drove him to the edge until it found the ferocity that it needed.

When she had arrived on the islands, her entire world had been wrapped up in making men bow to her will… but she'd lacked the fire necessary to make such things happen. She'd thought that by allowing the silver-haired brute to take her that she'd awaken enough of his passion to ensure that the rest of her plans would unfold without a problem… and instead, he'd tucked the pretty ballerina on a shelf and forgotten about her. So she learned from his wolf and instead simply took her future for herself.

Now she had her chocolate lover right where she wanted him, and she couldn't be more pleased with herself.

His lips trail along the swell of her hip and she purrs beneath his touch, leaning into the caress despite the lack of bite. At his taunt, she smiles wickedly and tosses the length of her dark tail against him again. "I have to keep your life exciting somehow. Wouldn't want you going tame on me," she teased as they walked, tilting one fluted ear back to him. She may not have any immediate plans to lead him on another merry chase, but now that she knew how well it had worked once, it would always linger in the back of her mind if he grew too complacent.

As she voices her request, they stare at each other, and she can feel the question that hangs in the air. She doesn't blame him. They both know that she has never been a doting mother, save for those first precious moments of Drogon's life when the newness had not yet worn off. Vanya knew that he would see the request for what it was and did not bother to pretend it was anything other than a challenge. Not only to see if he really did have her children sequestered somewhere within Paradise's depths, but to see if he would follow her instruction. To see if her crown had weight, or if it was merely a platitude to get her back home.

He passes the first test, yielding to her request without pushing back, and she favors him with another pleased smile. Vanya watches smugly as he lifts his head to call out, and reaches forward to trace her muzzle along the indent of his throat, her breath hot against his ocean-wet skin. "We have all the time in the world for each other now," she promises with a Cheshire grin. As they waited, she stayed glued to his side, her lips trailing absently along the contours of his skin.

---

They didn't wait long. Drawn by the sound of the man he considered his sire, Drogon made short work of answering with a call of his own. He didn't know why Rougaru would be calling both of them, but he wasn't about to ignore a direct summons. The older he got, the more eager he became to go out and make something of himself - an ambition that was hampered by the fact that he wasn't even sure how to go about starting that journey. He had started seeking out practice battles in preparation, but he hadn't had much luck. The ghost-mare from the Shore had beaten him handily and his pride still smarted from the result. He had intended to seek his father out for advice, but he also knew that Rougaru was often busiest during the autumn.

Not that Drogon could blame him. He hadn't really noticed as much last year, but this year it was like the whole world was alive with temptation. Even that speckle-faced red mare had drawn his eye, even though he knew that taking her would lead to tension with his father. He couldn't wait to be in a position to start making his own legacy the same way that Rougaru did, and he was jealous of the way that Annubis had managed it before him.

Drogon moved directly to his sister and was not surprised to find her dawdling. She seemed more or less content in Paradise, but it became more and more obvious to Drogon as the day's passed that Vivienne was more her mother than her father, and his patience with her antics began to wane. The last thing that his father needed was to be dealing with a disobedient daughter. Lunging at her with teeth bared, he finally managed to get her moving, and was even able to dodge her sassy kick of protest.

Together, brother and sister emerged from the dense foliage and hesitated at the edge, their gazes locking directly on their mother. There was no mistaking the coy way that she curled around their father and they shared a glance between each other before moving in tandem to the edge of the water.

Vivienne smirked as she looked at her mother, but her eyes burned with anger at the sight of her. For months they'd wandered the Crossing as homeless vagabonds - with no reliable place to rest their heads or anyone to protect them while they slept. She'd been told that her father was unreliable and dangerous, that he would take advantage of her and leave her out to dry. All the things a bitter, frustrated harpy would say of a man that didn't give her everything that she wanted. And yet she'd come to know him for herself and he was none of those things. To see her mother wrapped around him now also settled the debate of whether Vanya had ever believed those things herself… and the answer was obviously no.

To see her mother wrapped around him now, clearly pleased with herself, left a sour taste in the yearling's mouth and she wished - not for the first time - that she could take her own teeth to her mother and give her a taste of her own medicine. But she did not. She had been schooled by the painted vixen and so only offered a smile that sat unwaveringly on her lips and said nothing.

"Welcome home, mother." Drogon says blandly, his gaze cutting to his father for an explanation.

---

Vanya's smile broadened as her children appeared from the gloom, although she didn't miss their reactions and resolved to speak to them later. They may not appreciate all that she had done for them, but in one single swoop, she had raised all of their fortunes an entire tier higher. There was little else she could do to raise them higher in rank until their father took his rightful place as king of Atlantis.

"Yes," She said smoothly, accepting his greeting and slipping past his obvious snub of her before sauntering forward from Rougaru's side. Extending her muzzle to each of them in turn, she reacquainted herself with her lost offspring while she waited for Rougaru to join them. "It is good to have us all together again as a family, but I won't keep you much longer." She curled away from them to touch her muzzle to Rougaru again, presuming that he had taken his place at her side. Raising her gaze up to him from beneath her lashes, she offered one last test to her Wolf King. "Your father has some news to share," she glanced back at her absent children. "And then you may go."

And one by one, all three pairs of eyes lift to rest squarely on the chocolate stallion's face.