Kat
The dark grey lioness had been lazying around in the wading pool. The stones formed a half moon shape, creating the perfect little place to sit and do nothing. The night sky allowed the moon to shine off the water, and for a moment, it was like heaven. Or what she assumed Heaven would be like.
Brilliant blue orbs were closed as she relaxed. She had her head resting on one of the smaller stones and she sighed. This was a beautiful night, and she was thankful for it. It had been many many moons since she had seen Dvaji, but it had also been that many moons since she had been out seeking a sire for her cubs. She had invested a good bit of time in the daughters she had been given already. They were older, adults now, but they still weren't quite ready to be completely self sufficient. She always tried to be there, though when she was training she didn't have much choice. The times to catch her, were times like now.
Brilliant blue orbs were closed as she relaxed. She had her head resting on one of the smaller stones and she sighed. This was a beautiful night, and she was thankful for it. It had been many many moons since she had seen Dvaji, but it had also been that many moons since she had been out seeking a sire for her cubs. She had invested a good bit of time in the daughters she had been given already. They were older, adults now, but they still weren't quite ready to be completely self sufficient. She always tried to be there, though when she was training she didn't have much choice. The times to catch her, were times like now.
Lys
Lysende was hesitant to approach her mother about this matter. It was really pretty embarrassing for the lioness, who had been trained to be better. How was she to know that it was different away from the pride, with strange and unpredictable males. Her mother had told her that they were all more or less the same and could be relied upon to do certain things, but all of Lysende's efforts so far had not supported her mother's teachings. Perhaps this was why she ought to stay a huntress instead of trying to bring back new blood for the pride.
"Mother?" she said, coming up on Katerina. "Do you have a few minutes? There are some things I'd like to get your advice on."
"Mother?" she said, coming up on Katerina. "Do you have a few minutes? There are some things I'd like to get your advice on."
Kat
Her daughter's voice hit her ears, and she opened her eyes slowly with a 'Hmmm.' Stretching out her body languidly, the water dancing around her as she moved, she looked up at Lysende.
"Of course, my dear." She said, and stood from the water to get to the stones. She wasn't sure that her daughter wanted to wade in the pool, and so she was okay moving to a more dry place to chat. The water dripped off her, and she smiled a little.
"What can I help you with?" She asked.
"Of course, my dear." She said, and stood from the water to get to the stones. She wasn't sure that her daughter wanted to wade in the pool, and so she was okay moving to a more dry place to chat. The water dripped off her, and she smiled a little.
"What can I help you with?" She asked.
Lys
"Well," Lys began, coming closer. She was perfectly content to get wet. She was a huntress for the pride, most of the time, and that meant that she got wet quite a lot. In her opinion, she looked good wet.
"I'm pretty, right?" she asked. "I mean, know I'm not as beautiful as you or some of my sisters, but I am pretty."
It wasn't a question she had ever asked. In this pride full of beautiful lionesses, it had never occurred to her that she might not be at least pretty, but her failures in the rogue lands had given her cause to wonder. Oh, Sukurys had obviously found her attractive, but he had also said he believed that they were meant to be together because they were both marked with fish. That didn't mean he thought she was pretty.
"I'm pretty, right?" she asked. "I mean, know I'm not as beautiful as you or some of my sisters, but I am pretty."
It wasn't a question she had ever asked. In this pride full of beautiful lionesses, it had never occurred to her that she might not be at least pretty, but her failures in the rogue lands had given her cause to wonder. Oh, Sukurys had obviously found her attractive, but he had also said he believed that they were meant to be together because they were both marked with fish. That didn't mean he thought she was pretty.
Kat
Katerina was caught off guard by the question, and her face took a quizical look. If there was one thing she hadn't expected, was one of her daughters to think that she wasn't as pretty as her sisters.
"You are beautiful, Lysende. Just as beautiful, if not more than I am." She said, her voice soft. Her voice was as anyone would expect from a female. Sing-song, lovely, and full of mystery.
"Why would you ask such a silly question?" She asked, sitting and cocking her head. Katerina was infinitely proud of her daughters. She loved them a great deal, and thought the best of them. None had shown her reason not to feel that way.
"You are beautiful, Lysende. Just as beautiful, if not more than I am." She said, her voice soft. Her voice was as anyone would expect from a female. Sing-song, lovely, and full of mystery.
"Why would you ask such a silly question?" She asked, sitting and cocking her head. Katerina was infinitely proud of her daughters. She loved them a great deal, and thought the best of them. None had shown her reason not to feel that way.
Lys
"I went out into the rogue lands to see if I could find a few males to bring home as sort of...presents for my sisters, but the ones I found that looked likely I wasn't able to bring back. I thought maybe I was doing something wrong, but I did everything you said to do, so it can't have been that."
It was so embarrassing to admit this to her mother, who Lys was convinced had never failed to get her way with a male since she hit puberty, and probably before then, too. Still, if she was doing something wrong, or if there was something wrong with her, it would be better to know than to go on in ignorance.
"So I thought maybe it was that I'm just not pretty enough. But..." But her mother had just said she was beautiful, and her mother ought to know.
It was so embarrassing to admit this to her mother, who Lys was convinced had never failed to get her way with a male since she hit puberty, and probably before then, too. Still, if she was doing something wrong, or if there was something wrong with her, it would be better to know than to go on in ignorance.
"So I thought maybe it was that I'm just not pretty enough. But..." But her mother had just said she was beautiful, and her mother ought to know.
Kat
Katerina listened to her daughter's concerns. She felt sad that her attempts had gone so awry. Katerina had figured she had just been lucky in life, and she had hoped her daughters would carry that same luck. The fact that Lysende had been turned down, made her think. Was there something that she had trained her wrong in? Or had she forgotten something? Aquaria had a consort she had been seeing, so it couldn't have been something Katerina had failed to teach.. Right?
"Oh, dear." She said, and moved closer so that she was sitting next to her. She offered a touch of her muzzle and tried to comfort. Though comfort wasn't something she was inately good at. She never offered it before she had cubs. But having cubs had changed her a bit. Even if she had promised that it wouldn't affect her.
"I think you are running into the wrong males, my sweet. Such a shame too. Perhaps they had mates." She met her daughters eyes. "You know that if they are mated, or are in love, your charms won't work on them."
Perhaps that was it. They had something wrong in them to turn her down.
"Oh, dear." She said, and moved closer so that she was sitting next to her. She offered a touch of her muzzle and tried to comfort. Though comfort wasn't something she was inately good at. She never offered it before she had cubs. But having cubs had changed her a bit. Even if she had promised that it wouldn't affect her.
"I think you are running into the wrong males, my sweet. Such a shame too. Perhaps they had mates." She met her daughters eyes. "You know that if they are mated, or are in love, your charms won't work on them."
Perhaps that was it. They had something wrong in them to turn her down.
Lys
Lys leaned into her mother's comforting touch. It might not have been her mother's forte, but the gesture was still comforting. She was feeling insecure.
"One of them was traveling with this little girl. Well, practically little girl. She acted like one, anyway. I really didn't think they were mates. I figured maybe he was just babysitting or something, and I'd gotten really close to seducing him, he even sent her away, but then, I don't know. He just changed his mind and ran off after her."
That had been humiliating and infuriating, but all in all it wasn't as bad as the matter with Sukurys. She knew that one was all her fault though, and she didn't want to tell her mother about it.
"One of them was traveling with this little girl. Well, practically little girl. She acted like one, anyway. I really didn't think they were mates. I figured maybe he was just babysitting or something, and I'd gotten really close to seducing him, he even sent her away, but then, I don't know. He just changed his mind and ran off after her."
That had been humiliating and infuriating, but all in all it wasn't as bad as the matter with Sukurys. She knew that one was all her fault though, and she didn't want to tell her mother about it.
Kat
Ah. That explained it. A knowing smile crossed her features, and her eyes took on a very motherly gaze. She leaned in again, and groomed her mane tuft, before stopping and pulling away.
"Love doesn't always mean mates, my sweet. If someone tried to get between you and I, do you think I'd be swayed?" She asked, using a question to support her conclusion.
"Even babysitting.. Cubs are special." She said with a wink and chuckled. She was sure that's what it was. And if it wasn't, well.. She was sure someone would fall for Lysende sooner or later. She looked just like her of course.
"Love doesn't always mean mates, my sweet. If someone tried to get between you and I, do you think I'd be swayed?" She asked, using a question to support her conclusion.
"Even babysitting.. Cubs are special." She said with a wink and chuckled. She was sure that's what it was. And if it wasn't, well.. She was sure someone would fall for Lysende sooner or later. She looked just like her of course.
Lys
Lys wondered at her mother's knowing expression. The girl with Kerer hadn't exactly been a cub. She'd just been younger than Kerer and really immature. Not that Lys was a model of maturity, but she wasn't a whiny baby either. Most of the time.
"I...guess not. But that's different. You're my mother. Those two couldn't have been related. I just...I don't know. I feel stupid."
"I...guess not. But that's different. You're my mother. Those two couldn't have been related. I just...I don't know. I feel stupid."
Kat
"Confidence my dear. Once you feel stupid, you make others think you are less than what you are." She shouldered her daughter gently, a chuckle escaping her maw. She didn't want her children ever saying they were stupid, but since Lys had only said she felt stupid, Kat held back her temper.
"Don't feel stupid. Remember who you are. No man can deny you, not if you truly beleive in yourself."
"Don't feel stupid. Remember who you are. No man can deny you, not if you truly beleive in yourself."
Lys
"Yes, Mother," Lys agreed automatically. To her, Katerina was a bottomless fount of wisdom, and she took everything her mother said as gospel.
"I guess maybe I didn't want him badly enough," she mused. "I wasn't planning to keep him for myself, after all. I just wanted to seduce him so he'd agree to come back to the pride with me and stay as a consort for one of my sisters, if they wanted him."
She didn't mention that she'd assumed he would prefer one of her sisters to her because she knew the supposition would only anger her mother. The fact was, though, that she would have brought Sukurys home and claimed him as her consort if she hadn't been afraid he would fall for one of her sisters, fish markings or not.
"I guess maybe I didn't want him badly enough," she mused. "I wasn't planning to keep him for myself, after all. I just wanted to seduce him so he'd agree to come back to the pride with me and stay as a consort for one of my sisters, if they wanted him."
She didn't mention that she'd assumed he would prefer one of her sisters to her because she knew the supposition would only anger her mother. The fact was, though, that she would have brought Sukurys home and claimed him as her consort if she hadn't been afraid he would fall for one of her sisters, fish markings or not.