Waiting had never been Solomon's best skill. Especially not in a circumstance such as this, with his heart an ocean away, longing to be there for Feray and the others. He longed to hold his glass-faced girl to him, to curl his neck around her freckled shoulders and apologize for the way that he had failed her.

But he could not abandon Vihar.

Not with the threat of Rougaru and his kin still lingering. He could hear the sounds of Vihar's labor progressing, but was hesitant to linger too close to her. It still felt strange to acknowledge that this was her second child, and that he and Nadja were going to be grandparents again, and he was certain that their independent daughter did not want her father poking his nose in too early.

He smelled Wasp long before he saw her, and his face darkened with the familiar tumult of emotions that she inspired in him. Solomon knew he had been a fool to hope that she would hold true to her end of the bargain, but he had done his best to assume that life had somehow waylaid her. He had told himself that she was too honorable to have changed teams after listening to his pleas, that at the very least, she would betray him to Rougaru and then move on. Not that she would linger, as hardstuck to this place as the other sad remnants of Rougaru's herd.

Solomon knew that this was an unfair assessment for him to make. He couldn't possibly know why Wasp lingered, nor whether for sure Rougaru had even been here when she arrived. For all that he knew, Wasp's arrival was what had sent Rougaru away in the first place. But given the context of their previous relationship and the long period of no news from her, Solomon was not particularly willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.

At least... not in that regard. He distrusted a great many things about Wasp, but had never gotten the impression that she would harm a newborn; so when she crept closer, he did not immediately move to cut her off, only stepped forward on the far opposite side of Vihar, making his presence known just as she began to speak.

As much as he wanted to keep his gaze locked on Wasp in challenge, he could not keep from hurriedly sweeping his eyes over Vihar to make sure that she was alright. He could just see the tangle of reddish limbs beneath his daughter's belly, and reassured himself that if the child was upright, things were likely okay. Solomon released the worried breath he'd been holding, and with a terse glance toward where Wasp stood, shifted toward Vihar's forehand so she wouldn't have to awkwardly twist between the two of them for conversation.

"Congratulations, Vi, she's beautiful." Solomon's voice was warm, pitched low for his daughter although he made no effort to conceal what he was saying. From his new angle, he could just barely see his granddaughter's face, and the sight of it still fresh and new made his heart crow with pride and adoration. She was perfect, just like her mother. "What did you name her?"

After a moment, Solomon lifted his head again to turn his gaze back toward Wasp. He was angry with her, that was true, but not so much that he wanted to spoil this moment. Vihar's precious little daughter deserved the warmest of welcomes into this world, free of the hostility that had saturated this forsaken jungle for years. Pitching his voice high enough for Wasp to feel included, Solomon made introductions. "Wasp, meet my daughter Vihar. And her daughter...?" The Cove King's smile grew warmer as he turned his attention back to his daughter and her precious filly, his gaze searching hers for any hint of unease.

Solomon