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Asper was often dragged into situations by his foolhardy brother, and usually these situations required a gilded tongue when all was said and done. There were countless times that Atheris dragged Asper into this situation or that, and while Asper did not appreciate it, he did love his brother dearly. Quite obviously, this was another of these situations, and Asper's face was pinched. He'd forced himself to listen patiently as Atheris explained about the females that took other females as mates, females that required males only for breeding - and while Asper thought Atheris quite foolish, he was not one to deny his brother an audience.

He balked when his brother spoke of Asper joining Atheris to meet the queen of said pride, and while Atheris was not going to overtly pressure his brother to join him, Asper had to admit that he was curious.

And so he found himself drawn in to the area that Atheris led him, curious more than anything, and when his younger brother parted to speak with a rather fetching lioness, Asper found himself faced with a dark female. When she dipped her head, he did the same, and cleared his throat as he listened to Hippolyta speak.

"I am Asper. My brother, Atheris... he ah.." Asper cleared his throat. How to breech such a delicate topic?

"He speaks fondly of your mate."

In all honesty, if Hippolyta was worried about one of the brothers acting unsavory, it would undoubtedly come from Atheris. More straight-laced and duty-bound than his brother, Asper was not want to make unwanted advances or place himself in a situation that would cause him more harm than good. No, Asper was the more intelligent of the two brothers, and it was a brand he took lightly. While he might be the first to call his brother stupid, nobody else was permitted to act in such a way.

"I do hope you understand that my brother - and myself - we mean no harm. That is a solemn promise, I assure you, my Queen." Polite, always polite, even when the female he spoke to was not his Queen. It did not matter. There was no need for bad blood; it was obvious by Hippolyta's words that she was not going to take chances with her mate - or herself, for that matter.

"Atheris has only given vague descriptions of the things he spoke of with Ebere. He is ... a kind lion, to be certain, but he lacks common sense." Asper cleared his throat and watched the dark lioness warily.

Asper's muzzle lifted in a wry smile. It was all so strange, really.

"My brother and I were born and raised in a pride called the Ongozona'Ke. Our pride was much like your own, though there are males that call it home. The leader of the pride is female, as are most of the huntresses and guards. Females hold all of the council seats, as well - in fact, my own mother, Sebae, is one of the founding members."

He chuckled softly, shaking his head and peering at his feet.

"Males are not hated in my home pride, either. It is just that... Atheris and I, we wanted to see more of what the world had to offer. My brother has a wanderer's spirit, and I myself love him far too much to simply stand idly by while he finds various ways to get himself in trouble. In all honesty if he were less adventuresome, it is unlikely that we would have ever left the pride at all."

With a shake of his head, he lifted his gaze to boldly meet Hippolyta's once more.

"Females are to be respected," he said quietly, a sudden seriousness in his gaze, "and I hope you find that you can trust my brother and myself enough to ah.. assist yourself and your mate with this ... delicate situation."

Somehow he'd turned the topic back to the original one, and it was obvious he felt foolish in doing so. It was also obvious that he felt it very important that this proud Queen understood that he was not planning on taking advantage of this situation.

Asper narrowed his eyes briefly as he lowered his gaze to his feet, an ear flicking at the question. He knew the basics, had flirted with females plenty of times before but...

"No," he said suddenly, lifting his gaze to meet hers. His eyes were bright and clear - he'd decided that there was no shame in what he was about to admit. Asper was not one to feel awkward over such an admittance, though he couldn't help but feel like a foppish juvenile.

"I have never ah.. been in a situation where cubs might arise," he continued. "There has never been a reason to engage in such acts, with all honesty, my Queen." Whether or not she would find his softly spoken words charming or even endearing, well, that remained to be seen. "And to be truthful, if this will help your pride strengthen and grow... there is no way that I can deny any assistance I might be able to offer."

Asper fell very silent as Hippolyta spoke, his gaze slipping once more to land upon the ground beneath his feet. Only when she asked him a question did he clench his jaw slightly, swinging his gaze back up to meet hers. He did not waver as he opened his mouth to speak. This was not something that the lion took lightly, and it was not a decision that he was making rashly.

"I cannot say where my brother and I will end up after we leave this place, but... I would rather be a father to any sons that might come to be." He narrowed his eyes slightly as his vivid gaze met hers. Was this a condition that he was placing on the situation he found himself in? It sounded very much like one.

"I will find a way to make my way here when the males are of an age to leave their mothers. I do not relish the thought of having any son of mine to be left to his own devices... as I'm sure you can understand, Hippolyta." Asper cleared his throat and fell silent once more though he continued to watch her closely. "This decision has not come easy to me, and I.. I would come back for my sons. And those of Atheris," he added on, almost as an afterthought.