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

The burning sensation in her gut only grew as she waited, ears flicking to her cave now and then as voices – though muffled in their distance – carried words of travel and plans for finding her son. A small frown found her features, creasing and etching itself upon her pale maw as a dup grew on the horizon. She tried to smile in view of the alpha to her beta, the sunrise to her sunset, the woman Rexanna called her friend, and yet her smile failed. It faltered and twitched until it died all together as the feeling in her gut only burned greater the longer her blue eyes watched the beautiful pink hues of Hotaru. And just as they approached, and Rexanna noticed the change in the way Hotaru held herself toward her – the tension and intensity of the aura surrounding the two of them – she opened her lips to speak until Hotaru’s voice cut her off.

“You’re leaving.” Her ears swayed, hanging low in a brief moment of sadness as it washed over her features, the mask she had carefully constructed slowly breaking away piece by piece until all she exposed to the woman before her was her pure raw self. “For him?” She wasn’t sure if it was supposed to be an insult to her – of how she should react if she wanted to keep face. Instead, she simply frowned and finally got the urge to look Hotaru in the eye. “I wanted to thank you for everything.” She began, shakily as she raked in a desperate breath. “But I have to do this for my children.” Her frown only grew, realizing that she only could really speak of one for the moment.

Hotaru’s voice reached her ears once again, a venomous sharp knife that felt as though it sunk into her breast. “Is being a King’s concubine so much more preferable than your position here?” Rexanna wanted to be angry at the words, but she couldn’t find it in her to be upset when the Basin Lady had every right to be upset. “Hotaru, you’re my friend, you always will be to me. But, I never got a chance to meet my parents. I grew up on my own, always wondering what a life of love would have been like. I owe that much at least for Kiada and Kianzo.” She began, purposefully leaving out Rein’s name. “And as of right now, Kianzo is missing. I need to find my son, and I’d feel better being able to go and search for him without being held to a title and duties here as well as caring for Kiada.” The gilded siren pushed the words out, her voice wavering and shaking as she spoke of her missing child.

“You’re my best friend. I don’t want to hurt you by doing this but I need you to understand, and I’m sorry. I hoped the Festival would prove helpful in filling ranks even though I’m leaving mine.” Her eyes sought the emerald jewels of the sunrise mare. “I love you Hotaru, I’m sorry” Perhaps Rexanna was different from Hotaru in the way she could express the words so easily. Yet, even still, only two people that weren’t her children had ever heard her say that to them. The man in the cave, packing up all her belongings, and her. That should account for something, right?

"Talk."

And like the sea—

I’m constantly changing from calm to ill.

Rexanna