and in my dreams i've kissed your lips a thousand times // Raul

[Kagerus]

{ and in my dreams i've kissed your lips a thousand times }

Despite the moderate tension between Sabra and I upon that first night of her arrival to the Sanctuary as the thunder storm bit at her heels, I find myself often thinking of her and the people who are related to her. I distantly remember the first time the opalescent mare and I met upon a cliff in the northern kingdom of Nerine, and I remember looking over her shoulder and setting eyes upon the male twins cavorting not far off. For a year or two I forgot their names, lost as they were with the other names which did not immediately require my memorization; but in recent times, one name has been repeated a little too frequently for me to ignore.

Not that it's a bad thing; Warlight speaks of Raul the way that I always imagined I would speak of Solace, if I had known her when I was a young, spry mare. To think upon this makes me smile fondly, though I also ache for bearing the burden of knowing Solace's tentative plans for the upcoming years. Still, I shall not be without her, and in the same way, I hope that Will will not be without someone by her side, as she grows. Only time will tell whether that person will be Raul, but for now, he seems promising - he even went so far as to accompany my daughter on a kingdom visit as a guard, which is no small gesture.

Therefore, I hope that he shall not be startled by me returning the favour; I'm relatively terrible at being subtle, so that'll have to be the first thing the boy learns about his tentative mother in law.

In the morning hours, I track the lad's consciousness easily, smiling at his dreams or and politely blinding myself when the contents became of a personal nature. He drifts flickeringly between awake and asleep with lucid dreams that he may or may not remember come morning; but that is not what concerns me. Instead, when his dreamscape disappears entirely from my awareness, I think of a place not far from where he lay sleeping, and materialize there not long after, in the world of the awakened.

Panthera yawns beside me, having crept into my dream of her own accord and welcoming herself into this meeting. Brat, I think to her crossly, snapping her with the dark threads of my tail. The leopard growls playfully and grapples my hind leg, gnawing harmlessly on the bones there - until I kick her off with a sour snort, insisting that she behave.

Soothing my frazzled ends, I raise my antlered head and gently call for the male I know to be in the area, eager to make his acquaintance.

KAGERUS

Caretaker of The Sanctuary
Lover of Solace
Immortal, antlered Dreamweaver

"@[Raul]"

[Raul]

raul —

Raul found himself shrugging off sleep like a winter coat, comfortable and warm. Dreaming had been soft, a nice change from the nightmares that tormented him frequently. Instead, his subconscious mind had been rather more pleasantly occupied with better things. Feelings of warm friction and bodies ebbing and flowing together like the the ocean under a full moon. The most beautiful pair of midnight eyes he'd ever seen. 

Yes, when the young stallion awoke, it was with a happy heart, and a distracted mind. To find Warlight, that was his main intention in rising. This ambition was quickly pushed to the back of his mind when a voice chimed on the wind, calling him away from his fantasy. It didn't take long to find the caller, and when he did, warmth of an entirely different kind crept into his face. 

A beautiful woman, so very like the mare he'd just been dreaming of that it was unnerving. But there were some key differences. Different markings, for one. For two, the way she carried herself was clearly with a confidence borne of long practice. Crowned with her own, larger, set of antlers, she could be none other than Kagerus; Queen of Silver Cove, and mother of the girl he'd just been having a very impure fantasy about. Great. 

Mother had been keen on courtesy when he and his twin had been gawky young things. And so he bowed his head, heart fluttering behind the cage of his ribs and not quite daring eye contact. There was something about this mare that radiated power and the sense that she would always know just a bit more than one wanted her to. Something his own dam suggested as well. 

With a faint smile, he lifted his head to meet her gaze. "Good morning," the rasp of his voice broke the still morning air, mismatched eyes gleaming mildly the early light. "I think maybe we both know who the other is. But for politeness sake, let me introduce myself. My name is Raul, son of Sabra and Castile. I'd like to be of Silver Cove, if you and your family will have me."

He knew he was being a bit formal, and giving his parentage was perhaps excessive, but he wanted to show he had nothing to hide. Mostly nothing. If he could keep the details of his relationship with this lady's daughter a bit on the obscure side, he'd be alright with that. 

like the wind to a flame, I'll blow you higher

@[Kagerus]

[Kagerus]

{ and in my dreams i've kissed your lips a thousand times }

The first glimpse I catch of Warlight's paramour is heartwarming. The silver bay emerges from the woodwork with an expression of friendliness and respect, one which fails to convey any embarrassment on his part about any naughty dreams he might have been having. With any other mother in law, his well-kept face might have been enough to keep her the fool, but considering that I had just been monitoring his dreams...

A nearly undeniable urge to burst into a roguish grin comes over me, but I fend it off and remain queenly and collected. After all, it would a) be weird that I find his fantasies about my daughter so amusing, and b) totally ruin HIS composure if he knew that I know. So I don't let on that I know, but instead reflect privately on how I, too, have such impure thoughts about the love of my own life...

They are adults now, after all, and not subject to any over bearing motherliness.

Handsomely, the stallion bows his head and keeps his eyes minutely averted. A big, approachable smile widens my lips, my head just barely tilting so as to catch his gaze; but I do not press, and bow my own crowned head in return.

The formalities of greeting aside, our eyes meet and he takes the plunge of beginning the conversation himself; a bold man, I note, though incredibly well spoken and not at all rude in his mannerism or speech. At his closing statement, wherein he formally requests to join the Cove, I cannot help but to watch behumoured and glimmering eyes as his mouth clicked shut, handsome gaze holding mine steadily.

"Well met, Raul, son of Sabra and Castile. I am Kagerus, daughter of Kavi." I do not name a dam, having never had one. "By the smell of things, you have already become a member of Silver Cove," I say, meaning that I have smelt his scent now upon numerous occasions, and often intertwined with another very familiar scent. It's a good thing; I am glad that someone is watching out for my Will. "But of course, I must say that you are most welcome in this kingdom... And in this family." My supple lips curve upward, ears flicked forward benevolently. Raul has done the hard work of earning himself a position in this kingdom, and to say that he has not done the same in regard to this family would be a lie.

"But say, I do remember meeting you once some years back, at least from a distance. It was a morning in Nerine, while I spoke with your mother." I watch the stallion closely for any signs of recognition. "You have grown up a lot, since then; if you would feel obliged to share with me, I was wondering if you would like to tell me how it went, your childhood. After all, our blood families share some close relations." Though I leave out the "uncomfortably" party in regard to the closeness thereof, it is implicit in the tone of my voice and slight flick of my ear; after all, it would not do to overtly call out Castile for failing in the numerous ways he has, and continues to.

KAGERUS

Caretaker of The Sanctuary
Lover of Solace
Immortal, antlered Dreamweaver

"@[Raul]"