~Serana⚜️

Light was piercing through my eyelids trying to force me out of bed. Screwing my eyes shut tighter I tried rolling over only to find my path blocked by a heavy weight on top of me. Mira. I internally sigh without bothering to open my eyes.

I tried to shimmy down so that I could at least hide my face in her neck where the sun's rays couldn't get to my eyes. She apparently didn't like that idea.

The other woman groaned and nipped my collarbone. "Stop moving." She grumbled before settling back down.

"Then get off of me so I can hide under the covers." I shoot back. "You have an entire bed, an overly large one might I add, that you could sleep on and you choose to sleep on top of me." I point out giving up on trying to move her and just throwing my arm over my eyes.

I could feel her smile against my chest as she made a point to snuggle in deeper. "You're warmer." She mumbles against my skin. "And you smell like my bath oils." She grins rubbing her slightly cold nose against the underside of my collarbone.

"Gee I wonder why." I deadpan forcing the smile that wants to pull at my lips to stay firmly off my face.

There was a slight ruckus outside followed by a very angry sounding male voice. "Someone's not happy with you." I mutter to the woman still comfortably laying on top of me.

"Don't worry, he'll get over it, considering he doesn't have much of a choice to the contrary." She mumbles still only half awake.

"Isn't that sort of an abuse of power?" I question. I wasn't quite sure what she was talks about but I was pretty confident it had something to do with Fyko.

"Probably." She admits without the slightest hint of remorse just as the bedroom door flys open to reveal a very unhappy and disheveled looking Fyko with mussed hair and wild feathers complete with a thick shackle around his neck.

"You actually chained me to her?!" He bellows marching into the room dragging a reluctant green winged woman behind him.

I groaned at the volume of his voice but Mira appeared completely unfazed. I lifted my arm and put it behind my head to help me look over Mira's back as it moved up and down with her steady breathing. Blinking a few times to clear the sleep from my eyes I take a good look at the pair and spot the other end of Fyko's chain around Myka's neck. Turning my gaze down toward the woman purring softly on my chest. "You chained them together?" I stated it more than asked but confusion made it come out as more of a question.

Before Mira can answer Fyko is yelling again. "Yes she did! Instead of putting her in a cell to be interrogated like a sensible person, she has her chained to me in some inane hope that my constant presence will somehow get the woman to talk!" His chest was heaving by the end of his short rant and spittle was flecking his bottom lip.

"I thought it was a rather brilliant idea." Mira speaks up from her still prone position on top of me.

I rolled my eyes at the queen's logic. "You would." I mutter with just the hint of a smile pulling at my lips.

My comment earns me a sharp nip to the collarbone. "Go back to sleep." She half grumbles, tucking her hands between our stomachs and somehow settling down further on top of me.

Shifting underneath her I push the knuckles of her hand out of my diaphragm. "You're gonna have to get up at some point." I point out, belaying my words by wrapping my arms around her.

She hums in acknowledgement but predictably makes no effort to actually get up.

"Wha'?! Ovah!" Fyko yells, startling the gryph into full awareness. The gryph squawks unhappily before the sound of a loud snap rings out across the room followed by someone's shadow flickering over my eyelids.

Mira and I groan at the sound of the chair shifting and taloned feet hitting the floor. The gryph made short work of the distance between the chair and my side of the bed.

Peaking one eye open I see his large black beak and brownish gold eyes staring at me expectantly. Closing my eye again I pretend not to have seen him.

A displeased click sounds from my side followed by the tugging of the covers off of us.

As the blankets inched their way off of us Mira finally lifted herself up enough to turn a glare on the insistent animal. "Bloody bird." She grumbles under her breath.

My brows quirk up in confusion at the odd term. "Did you just use bloody as a curse word?" I ask shooting her a bemused look.

She didn't answer, instead opting to roll off of me to sit on her side of the bed.

A sharp gasp from the foot of the bed makes my head shoot up to see Myka staring at the both of us with wide eyes and crimson cheeks. "Is she alright?" I asked turning my gaze to Fyko.

The man gave the rebel an appraising look before turning back to face the bed. "She probably just realized you two took a bath last night." He deadpans.

That seemed to break Myka from her daze as she shot a glare at the back of the man's head that could kill a vyx. Speaking of vyx. I looked around the room for Etria but couldn't find a trace of the young carnivore. What I did notice was a still wide open door leading to the hallway.

Frowning I throw my legs over the side of the bed and stand up.

"Where are you going?" Mira called from her spot on the bed as I started shuffling trough the wardrobe to find something to wear.

"Etria." Is the only thing I say as way of explanation.

Fumbling to get my feet into the shorts I start stumbling for the platform. "Etria!" I call out trying to find the vyx.

I heard muttered cursing followed by quite a bit of fumbling coming from the room. Ignoring it I search around the garden trying to find any hint of pale green fur.

"Damn it." I curse under my breath. Turning around I half sprint back into the room. "She's not out there." I state while making a beeline for the door.

A now fully clothed Mira was quicker and slid through the door before I even passed the bed. Glancing over at the wardrobe I see quite a bit of clothing laying on the ground. That explains the fumbling.

"Did either of you see Etria come out of the room?" Mira questioned the guards. I quickly dodged around Fyko and Myka to see the guards giving each other looks hoping the other had seen the vyx.

"Uh, n-no your majesty." One stammered.

"We were distracted by your guest." The other admits with a clear tone of shame.

A snarl pulled at the queen's lips. "She's giant and green how could you miss her?!" Mira shouts.

Slipping out of the room to join the queen in the hall. "You two stay here incase she comes back." I order the guards. "Fyko help Mira sweep the tower, I'll go to the bottom to cut her off. We have to find her before she scares one of the lycans into attacking." I order before turning back around and shoving Fyko and the rebel still chained to him out the door.

Before anyone can argue or offer an alternative plan I sprint for the garden platform and leap off of the edge.

~💠~

A good hour and a half was spent scouring the eastern tower while I paced restlessly around the main bottom entrance with guards watching the others. My heart leapt in my throat every time I heard someone's footsteps coming down the tower but quickly sank back down when I realized who they were and the absence of a certain green fuzzball.

Under normal circumstances I wouldn't be worried, but since the lycans arrival we've taken great care to ensure that Etria was always with someone to make her look less threatening. I'd been in the wild with vyx' that were dead set on eating me and that gave me a pretty healthy fear and respect for the creatures, but I didn't live amongst those beast like the lycans so I could only imagine the amount of terror even a young one could instill within them. If Etria came around a corner too fast or even barked at one of the lycans it could scare them into killing her out of reflex. Even if the lycans were unarmed they were still plenty dangerous with their eight foot tall frames packing three to four hundred pounds of muscle apiece. Add terror and adrenaline to the mix and they were down right lethal.

More than one set of feet were coming down the bottommost flight of stairs that lead into the eastern tower followed closely by the clicking of claws on marble.

My heart twisted in my chest as I dashed toward the steps only to be met halfway to the bottom by an overly excited vyx. The vyx already stood at around chest level so it wasn't hard for her to reach up and try to lick my face.

Jerking back to avoid the wide pink tongue, I wrap my arms around the vyx' neck and keep her head pinned to my chest. Grinning from ear to ear I turn to the nearest guard standing by the stairwell. "Go find the queen and tell her to come here please." I ordered without a second thought.

The guard saluted and turned to head up the tower and follow-out my orders as quickly as possible.

Turning back to Etria I playfully shake her head back and forth, running my hands through her thick green fur. Making a happy noise she opens her mouth in a grin and tries to get even closer. The vyx sits down as she lays her head on my chest and whooshes her spiked tail back and forth across the floor.

"Is there a reason we just spent the last two hours hunting down an adolescent vyx that looks like it was set out in the sun too long?" Myka questions, clearly displeased at her predicament.

On one hand she wasn't in a cell, but on the other she was being forced to interact with the castle personnel and inhabitants without actually fighting them. She couldn't very well kill Fyko and try to fight her way out because his dead weight would make it all but impossible. And she couldn't get away with him alive and chained to her because he'd stop her at almost any cost. I could understand her frustration all too well, but that didn't mean I had to like her attitude. Or the woman in general.

Shooting a half hearted glare at her. "The lycans live outside of walls where full grown, wild, vyx continually try to eat them. It stands to reason that if startled badly enough they'd try to kill Etria out of instinct." I scratched between the vyx ears as I finished causing her to happily pin ears back and stretch up in an effort to lick my face.

Pushing the vyx away with a playful scowl I push her muzzle down and wrap my arms around her neck, pinning her head under my chin and against my chest. Etria held still for all of a second before she started squirming.

Hearing two sets of feet rushing down the stairs, I place a quick kiss to the back of Etria's head before letting her go. The vyx whirled around at the sound of approaching steps, watching the staircase with an almost comical intensity.

Looking up I spot Mira coming into view with the guard I sent after her close behind.

The moment Etria spotted the queen she took off in a bout of excitement. The woman barely had enough time to reach the bottom of the stairs before Etria was on her. Rearing up on her hind legs, Etria put her paws over Mira's shoulders in her best imitation of a hug.

Mira hissed at the pressure put on her injured wing and shifted the young vyx' leg so that it wasn't hurting her. Quickly morphing her grimace into a grin she kissed the vyx snout and ruffled her mane.

Glancing to the side I study Myka's expression as she watches the 'tyrannical' queen she's sworn to give her life fighting against, embrace and love on a, mostly, tamed vyx.

I could very well remember the feeling I'd had when I realized how little I actually knew about the queen. Now anytime I looked at her all I noticed was the love she had for her pets and children, her unyielding devotion to her people and her kingdom, the churning anger of a righteous furry when people questioned that devotion or tried to go against what she saw as the best option for a desired outcome.

There was still a lot I didn't know about her, and there was probably just as much she didn't know about me. But I had given her a chance and she rewarded me with more than just glimpses into a kind soul. Just as she had done for Fyko, allowing him to spot the gentleness behind her clipped words and snarled orders. It would take quite a bit of convincing, but if we got Myka to put her hatred aside long enough she'd see the cracks in the facade that had been built around her by both consequence of life and the hidden truths of others.

"Where was she?" Mira's voice draws my attention back to her.

"With Evyo, don't know what for." Fyko answers, stepping forward he ruffled the vyx ears before walking past to head into the main part of the castle. He lifts the long chain dragging on the ground between him and Myka. "We're definitely talking about this later, but you might want to go brush your hair out first." He calls over his shoulder. "Both of you." And with that he disappeared around a corner half dragging the resisting rebel behind him.

Frowning I lifted a hand to my hair and started to run my fingers through it only to find them quickly tangled in knots. My frown turned into a grimace as I realized how right he was.

Turning back towards the staircase I see Mira giving me an amused smirk. I throw her playful glare as I pass by and flick her wing.

Before I could get too far Mira's hand shot out and seized my wrist. I was forcefully pulled back toward her with a gasp. A grin quickly spread across my face as soft lips pressed gently against my cheekbone.

Lifting my gaze to meet hers. "What was that for?" I ask, smile still firmly in place even as Etria whined and begged one of the guards for attention.

"A belated good morning." Mira replied before leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to the end of my nose.

I crinkled my nose at the action. "You're mushy." I accuse, standing on my tip toes to give her a proper kiss without so much of a hight advantage over me.

I felt more than heard her chuckle into the kiss as she shifted her hands onto my hips. She was the first to pull away but her hands didn't leave there perch. "We should probably get back to the room." Mira murmurs softly, her breath hitting my lips with every word.

Giving a light huff I let a smirk pull at my lips. "Of course. It just wouldn't do for people to see their esteemed queen with bed hair." I teased. Pulling away from her I start trotting up the stairs before she can catch me again to retaliate for making that comment.

"Etria." Mira's voice carried up the steps as she herded the vyx back up the tower.

I was a bit amazed with myself that I knew the way back to the room so well that I managed to stay ahead of Mira. Granted the towers had a significantly less complicated design than the rest of the castle, but I was learning.

The guards standing outside of the bedroom door visibly relax with relief when they see us approaching with the missing vyx in tow. They both wisely said nothing to either of us as we slipped into the room and closed the door to make sure the adventurous green fur ball didn't escape again.

I barely make it to the foot of the bed when I feel a warm arm wrap around me from behind. My hair gets swept to the side to make room for Mira to lean down put her head next to mine. "I happen to think we look a little too good with bed hair. I can't have half my staff dying of heart failure when you go striding down the halls just because you forgot to brush your hair." She growls softly into my ear.

I gasped as my heart leapt into my throat. Skies, that sounded way hotter than it should have. Groaning my dislike for her games I leaned my head back against her shoulder. "Now you're just being mean." I moaned as pitifully as I could. Rolling my head to the side in an effort to establish more contact.

I can feel her grin against my temple as she presses a lingering kiss there. "Who said I ever stopped." She teased, dropping her voice into a low tone that was far too close to being reserved for the bed sheets.

I was about to accuse her of inflicting cruel and unusual punishment when her teeth clamped around the shell of my ear followed by a gentle sucking sensation. I instinctively tilted my head into the touch and couldn't help when my eyes flew shut and my mouth gasped open.

A whimper left my mouth when she pulled away with one final kiss. "We should get ready. I'm eager to see how our little rebel fairs in the court." Mira announced, steering us toward a different subject.

I scowled at the other woman as she walked around me to head for the bathroom. "That was just evil." I called after her.

I'm answered by a loud laugh. "Which part?" She called back, no doubt grinning like a fool.

"Both." I declare following her to the bathroom while trying valiantly to keep a smile off my face and out of my voice.