Boartusk Heights mercy kiss

@Paloma maybe?

the queen sits troubled. the only reason she isn't pacing is because of her pregnancy.

she instead lays on the softest hide possible, staring outwards. her kingdom is puny. her husband is far away from here, from her. she has yet to hear from the little family, and soon she'll have to give birth.

of course, her main source of migraines is gone. but now she wonders, how many prospecting wolves had they costed her? how many subjects could be at her side now if it weren't for the little family trying to block off what they couldn't. shouldn't. perhaps it shielded her from a couple of cowards too, but how many capable wolves had she lost?

reyna turns to paloma. how do you like it here, my dove?

Paloma sits at the ready, as faithful a servant she were to the woman who saved her life. Time flew by, her cousin's sides swelling. Paloma did all she could when not near Reyna, collecting herbs which would be of use for Reyna's pregnancy and later, for her birth. 

Black tipped ears perk then and a 'hmmm' passes her lips when her Mistress questions. I feel as though the mountains suit you. What better a place to look down upon your empire and the subjects within. 

Then, on a more survivalist aspect. The lands below, between the forest, ravine and swamp, can provide a wide range of prey and herbs, but... She frowns deeply, Our neighbors prove a problem. Any loners traveling, if they stay clear of pack territory, will never know of us. Any of those already seeking a home, will find them instead.

from the comfort of her nest, she looks on beyond the little nook in the mountainside the queen has claimed as her quarters. her maid considers her question, before speaking what was already festering in reyna's mind.

they do, don't they? shaped in god's eye. reyna chuckles, but hardens at the mention of the pests.

yes. but i've seen that they've left.. malice curls the vampiress' lips, before a cackle bursts from within.
hhah! serves them right! good riddance!
her laughter ends with a gentle sigh, the queen's pale shoulders sinking as her head loosens ever so slightly and hangs from her neck.

..i'm sure it's costed us plenty. but we've chased out the vermin without needing to do much. all we have to do now is wait...

..nivis will return to his senses soon, or else i'll make him. the little family will come, too. if not them, then others surely will. la muerte will rise, she just needs a bit more time..

Oh? Paloma peeps, her ears perking at her Mistress' words. It is wonderful news! Paloma had not been certain, yet perhaps an investigation was warranted. Now, with so much land around, no one blocking their path, Paloma felt far more at ease. When proper guards had been collected, they may have the necessary force to keep put any others who might think to get in their way. Anyone who got to close to her Mistress always made her uneasy. Even @Nivis, who not at all treated her the way Paloma thought she should be treated. 

Then, speaking of the devil... Paloma's head turned down, to hide the tension in her jaw, playing as though she were looking st Reyna's footing to make sure that her nails did not need trimmed or re-dyed with red. It looked so beautiful with her coat completion! 

Of this I have no doubt. Even if it means us small for a time, only those worthy should be in your court. Of course, there would be peasants, slaves ...really, Paloma felt she was fully capable and the only one fitting enough as Reyna's Mistress so any of lowblood need not be anywhere near around her. That, and if they stayed small, well, that only meant more one-on-one time with her Mistress.

tags for ref!

mmn.. yes, only the most deserving. fetch me a bit of wine, could you? anyways — @Klara seems promising as a fighter, perhaps even a commander if she can prove herself. the exhiled king.. @Flaithrí too would make a fine nobleman. i would even entertain the thought of king if nivis were ever to pass. reyna hums to herself.

i have yet to see what the family is like, but there.. their offspring, they'll be the most useful. i could care less about their parents, i just need to make sure the children learn mostly from me.. the father wishes for them to learn our tongue. fufu.. she trails off for moment, basking in the glory of the future. i can teach them our ways. that alone should give me the strongest soldiers, and the loyalest servants.

Oh course! Paloma flutters off without skipping a beat. Gathering a rounded off bowl in her jaws. Scrapped and smoothed and many splinters later (she would leave the lessers to do that from here on), to mash berries in and mix with the rain water high on the alpine. She settles it down, bending her body into a lay as she does so, so not to spill a drop. She would like to see some newcomer do that! 

Since Paloma is already laying, she remained so, content to be at her Mistresses feet while she speaks on. How wild, that Paloma and her shared the same blood- were cousins! Paloma could hardly believe it to be so! Paloma nearly missed at least half of what Reyna said, if only due to admiring her beauty. It simply never got old for Paloma. 

I will make sure the pups will want for nothing and remind them each day it is due to the blessing of their Matriarca. Now all she had to do was warp some little baby minds. Simple enough.

thank you. her enthusiasm wasn't lost on reyna, but she held no interest in it. she lapped at the drink in between breaths.

we'll have to be careful — both are quite wary. we may have to care for them as if they were one of mine, for now.
which would not be too much of a hassle in this season, but what about in the fall and winter? perhaps not even that — the hinterlands were rich and fertile down to their very core. the queen felt it in each step she took.

Yes, Matriarca. Her words murmur from her lips as she watches her cousin drink, speak, plan and plot and ploy... Paloma smiles, falling into quietness until she is dismissed for the day. She would stay all night even, if it was wished.