I’ve become a simple souvenir of someone’s kill

The Thief's last encounter with Calstron had been a bit less than what she was expecting if she had managed to cross paths with him again. This time, it was even more of a unique encounter. She couldn't wrap her mind around it - how calm and gentle he seemed. She could've fallen in love with the facade all over again, remembering the Prince as how he was and not who he had became. Of course, the mask would break, splintering pieces all over the ground in the hopes of something that could have been yet never was. It was all the same with Cal. The hope for something more, crushed beneath the weight of insanity. This time was no different. She was mentally beaten up by him, time and time again. She was physically exhausted as she made her escape from the Blood Prince. She had gotten away, again but at what cost?

Her legs were sore and bore scratches where little pits of red beaded up and threatened to fall. Her neck and chest carried the slight purple hues of bruises as she did her best to protect herself against his mood swings. And still, she managed to run from the scene. Marembo had followed suit, regretful and angry at himself for not being able to do more to prevent this all from happening. She felt his regret, but pushed it off as even more pain ensued. Not caused from the Prince, but from the life within her. She had grown big. A lot larger than she had previously. But she had also never tried to birth a child from a man the size of the Elephant King. And that's what she was riding on. That there weren't going to be any problems, that Cal wasn't going to cause the same issue to her offspring that he had to theirs.

And so she ran further into the Blood Falls where she couldn't run anymore, legs trailing across the earth as blood slipped from their cuts and ran down her legs. She couldn't run further, not with the familiar pang of pain that reverberated through her - now merely minutes apart. Marembo helped her in finding a decently hidden place, a place where Calstron wouldn't be able to find her. A place where his bonded could give birth and hopefully live through it. His frustration with being unable to save her was now replaced by determination to make sure that he could right his wrongs. And so, Rexanna followed the polecat's guides. Letting him guide her to the small clearing surrounded by thick black and scarlet brambles. Perhaps a sign of what was to come. This was the worst place to give birth, the more she thought about it. It was like she was surrounded by blood and bad omens (of course meeting Cal here didn't help matters any) but she hoped that she could get it over with and get her and her family home without any trouble.

It would prove more difficult than before, as she stumbled to the ground clenching her teeth. She laid herself down, as gracefully as she could with the mammoth sized belly she carried. Marembo was close to her, using his little paws to pull her forelock from her eyes, pulling the golden chains of Tembovu's gift from shielding her gaze. It took a lot of work, but this time at least Rexanna had Marembo with her to help her through it. She refused to use the firework magic she held, she refused to draw more attention to herself. She didn't want anyone to find her, out of all honesty. And Marembo was going to make sure that nobody disturbed her in this very critical moment.

Yet, time passed and Rexanna was doing her best to keep up. Her coat was damp with sweat, her normal cream and golden pelt now carried an orange hue from the shade of the leaves as the sun set. She was hidden in the shadows, best she could - but she was still surrounded by red. But finally, after dealing with the grueling pain of childbirth, it was finally successful. The child was born, a little filly from what Rexanna could see. Marembo, quickly checking to make sure everything was alright looked to care for the little filly. As Rexanna pulled herself to look upon her little girl - the only girl she ever had - she noticed the ebony face with the stump of a horn ready to grow from the center of her forehead. There, among the black, white stripes slid across her face. Her body itself was a beautiful golden color - a mix of Rexanna's own and Tembovu's. There was no denying that this little girl was the Elephant King's own child. A small smile crossed the Thief's face of pride as the little girl began to move - doing her best to view the world around her (though mostly Marembo as he jumped around between his bonded and her child). Finally, as Rexanna did her best to catch her breath, she dubbed the name that Adaeze had let her have. "Kiada." Her voice was breathless, a soft whisper only for the filly's ears.

Until more pain struck the Thief. She didn't know what was happening to her, but the pain should have been gone by now - she was sure. It always had been previously. But instead, it continued on and on. Kiada did her best to huddle closest to her mother, Marembo doing his best to be there for the both of them and finding it more difficult than before. While Rexanna proved to herself that she would be fine, Marembo wasn't so sure. He emitted loud squeaks of encouragement and worry to the Thief as she birthed yet another child. The amount of surprise that billowed through the tiny polecat was alarming. Rexanna, screaming at herself internally, was just as surprised. But when she forced herself to look back upon the second child born, the pride from before billowed even more. Kiada, watching the events with wide beautiful blue eyes took in her brother with a kind of attachment that Rexanna didn't know could exist. The colt, a beautiful golden color bearing stripes unlike his sister but just like his father, the exotic black markings that accentuated his face - unlike Rexanna's and Reins but identical to Kiada's almost made the Thief need to double take. They were so similar and yet so different. And then, she realized she needed a name for him as well. "Kianzo..." She breathed, softer this time, but letting her blue gaze watch the two of them as her lids grew heavy of her adrenaline loss and probable blood loss. She knew she had to clean and feed her twins but she was just SO exhausted and worried that if she were to try and get up and care for them, she might do more harm than good.

Marembo, did his best to try and clean them up with his little paws. It didn't work well, but at least he tried. So he searched the lines of the trees for someone that wasn't the Blood Prince. Scouring Rexanna's memories in the hopes of finding a familiar trustworthy face for the secret the Thief had been carrying for so long now.

All the Thief needed to do now was stay awake - if not for herself but for her children.

"Talk."

And like the sea—

I’m constantly changing from calm to ill.

Rexanna