A/N: I haven't really been up to date with this couple lately but I managed to salvage a few old scraps together. These were actually ideas from a story I wish I had the mindset and attention to start and finish but... unfortunately all I got around to were these very few samples. I just tell myself at least it's something, right? Maybe not? Anyways I know there's probably a lot of inconsistencies and whatnot but they were just simple ideas I had to get out at the time.
"Sire, there appears to be a… guest who wishes to speak with you."
"Tell them that I apologize but there is much for me to work on right now and I have not the time to deal with guests."
She had little patience to wait and be tossed aside like she was nothing more than a mild visitor; it was not the best first impression but she decided to give them another chance. She welcomed herself into the wide-area room at the words; pushing her way past the guard who had lead her here. The small crowd of people who had gathered at the far end of the throne room gave little notice to her presence and seemed far more interested in the piles and stacks of books and papers they held. It didn't take long for her to pick out which of the many people standing around was actually the King- the massive brute size of his built was enough of a context clue. "If you are the one they call King Caineghis, then I believe that you have no choice but to speak with me; if you think I made such travel from my world and into this one just to be denied… then you are heavily mistaken."
The heavy muscles in his back seemed to stiffen slightly before he turned around at the voice. A majority of his height seemed to come from the massive, red mane that encircled his head; thick, heavy features were carved into his chiseled yet aging face, which seemed to speak of too many years of experience. A long, royal-blue cape seemed to drape itself down half of his body and pool onto the floor around his feet; the cream-beige color of his robes held tight to his muscular status and seemed to threaten any and all who dared pose a challenge or threat. How intriguing.
Those broad features that had once been heavily stitched together, slowly seemed to fall apart. His nose seemed to wrinkle at first glance before everything seemed to take its place together. The grave frown on his face deepened before it seemed to lighten up in just the slightest sense. One hand slowly rose and touched at the dull red hairs that decorated his chin and slowly slid downward. Of all the time he took, he only said six words:
"By the love of the Goddess…"
"As much as I disregard conversation, I believe there is much for us to discuss instead." she started as she seemingly strolled her way along the carpeted path that lead her up to him; never-minding the numerous stares that were directed towards her. "I must admit, you are far more different than I had imagined and how you had been described to me and yet… I suppose you fit the characteristics of a 'Lion King.'"
The closer she walked toward him, the longer he took to examine her; almost as if he was unable to believe what species she was. Slowly, he pushed himself away from the table behind him and walked towards her to close several more feet of space between them; he gave a simple wave to dismiss the council he had gathered for war plans- they seemed reluctant to leave, however, as though they too were intrigued just as much as he.
"You are… a Wolf?" he questioned as he turned his solid attention to her.
"A white Wolf." she corrected. "And Wolf Queen as well."
The words seemed to play with themselves inside of his head as his dark eyes narrowed and seemed to disappear underneath his thick eyebrows. "If you weren't standing before me, I would thought you to be an imposter… Where are you from?"
"The great Hatari. Must we run through this?" she answered stiffly.
"I apologize if that question is rather abundant around you, however I find it rude that you know my name but I have not the honor of knowing your own, Queen of the Hatari." he remarked.
"You may refer to me as Queen Nailah." she commented before her hands planted themselves tightly on her hips. "Now then… I have one thing I want to speak to you about for the moment."
"As the King of Gallia, I am all ears to hear what it is you wish to rely to me… Queen Nailah."
She narrowed her eye at the King and tested herself on whether or not she was willing to withstand the upcoming reaction. "You are… in line with the Bird Tribes, is that correct?"
He seemed to sense her almost unwillingness in the question and pulled his body up a little straighter. "Yes, the relationships between our two kingdoms have been mended-"
"I believe you need to contact them immediately."
"And the reason being?"
She supposed he had a right to question her- although she didn't appreciate the motion in the least bit; but again… perhaps he had the right to know. Half-turning away from the King, she looked back down the corridor she had emerged from moments before; the guard from before had dismissed himself but had left the door open enough for her to spot the only other figure outside. "Rafiel, come to me."
Slowly, the white-dressed Heron seemed to cautiously push aside the door and enter; his eyes moving to examine the environment around him first before they turned back to her own. "What is it, My Queen?"
"I want you to meet someone." she replied; watching as he seemed to pick up his steps to quickly close the space between them. "Rafiel, this is King Caineghis, King of Gallia; King Caineghis, this is Rafiel, first Prince of the former Heron family."
Again, those thick features seemed to give away to the sudden appearance; she watched as his thoughts seemed to be running together as though he almost seemed skeptical of the unfamiliar Heron in his presence.
"Another one survived…"
"Twenty years is a long time." she started. "Hatari hasn't always been kind to him but he finds safety in my shadow."
"You have only been in my presence for five minutes at the most and yet… you have disproven two concrete facts." Caineghis spoke. "You have disproven that all of the Wolves died in the Great Flood and… you have disproven that there are only three Herons remaining."
"Now then, about contacting those birds."
X
"I've never seen him so happy before; he's so weak-hearted with his emotions."
A light chuckle seemed to rumble from the Lion skinned King beside her. "Like you said before, twenty years is a long time and during those years, they all thought one another had perished in that massacre. It seems only reasonable-"
"Nothing but weight to hold him down." she interrupted as she brought her arms up to cross underneath her breasts. "I hope he does not plan on getting comfortable here."
"Why do you say that?"
"Twenty years he spent with me, not them; if you believe I'm going to allow for him to leave my side because of a few life-changing minutes… then you are wrong."
The King seemed almost confused at her words before his tense expression softened. "… Tell me how did you two meet?"
"In order to do so, I must explain what happened to him first." she answered. "He was captured by several slave traders a few days before the massacre and was put up for auction as some kind of decorative piece. Because Herons are so rare to see and are connected to the Goddess herself, only Begnion Senators were able to place bids. The auction went on for days before one senator placed almost more than half of his estate on the bid and won. He got lucky… that senator was one of the more… 'sane' ones and did not wish to use him for physical or ornamental means. The captivity cursed him with a sickness that rendered him far too weak to even move. The night of the massacre… it only got worse despite help from the best healers in Begnion. Somehow, he managed to escape, even with his illness, and somehow managed to find himself lost in the sands of Hatari. That is where we met. I pulled him from the harsh sun and sands and brought him back to health. That is how those twenty years began."
A low hum seemed to leave the King as he took in the story word for word before he slowly nodded. "Then I can see why you are reluctant to-"
"Not reluctant. I am telling you, he will not leave my side regardless." she reinforced. "There is also one thing I should mention. That illness took something from him."
"What was it?"
"He cannot fly."
X
"Just think of how Tibarn will react to this."
"Tibarn? Think of what Father will say."
He chuckled as he felt a tug on his sleeve and listened to the ancient language that spilled from his sister; barely able to understand the words through her enthusiasm. "Yes, yes Leanne, I know that I must visit father the first chance I can- and yes, Tibarn as well. I must thank him for keeping the two of you safe for so long."
"Speaking of… how did you manage to survive for all these years?" Janaff questioned.
The question stuck with him for a moment before he graciously smiled once more. "Where you had King Tibarn of the Hawks, I had Queen Nailah of the Hatari and of the Wolves."
"Wolves?" Reyson repeated. "I thought they perished in the Floods?"
"Everyone does, even I did myself… but there's a whole pack and many families of them out in the far reaches of the Hatari." Rafiel explained.
"Who is this Queen Nailah?"
"She is the one who rescued me and has kept me for all these years." he started. "She… she is very close to me."