I've Never Done This Before (Leander/open)

[Hud]

Antonella couldn't seem to catch herself and relax. How could she? She had a foal now. Her pregnancy had been riddled with issues. She'd grown unusually large, hot flashes plagued every single day, her muscles ached, her back pierced... Every pain she'd ever felt seemed to be crammed into one 11 month period of time. An outwardly kind and caring mare, Antonella found herself cursing Angelus under her breath almost daily. Even now with her figure back and few of her previous ailments, she found herself struggling.


'Leander' was the name she'd given her admittedly stunning young colt. The little soft, white foal was mottled with spots of bright red bay, leaving him stark against the desert sand. Antonella had decided to remain in the oasis during this delicate time in his development... Her worry hadn't ended at his birth.


The colt was sickly... His eyes were baggy and his nose seeming to always run. Leander struggled to pick himself up more than other foals... She'd never seen him run. Antonella feared for his life.


The mare stood today, her head lowered all the way down to the clear oasis waters to relax for a single moment. For the past week or so, she'd been tending to her foal's every need with a very high level of diligence. How she hoped she was doing everything right by him... She was all he had. And he was all she had.


OOC: If you think my third paragraph is power playing, I'll fix it. It's just there for effect. xD

[Silver]

The little foal sneezed once, little droplets of snot hurling themselves from his nostrils to land on the ground in front of his tiny hooves. He was tired, and the struggle to lift himself onto his wobbly legs proved to be a much bigger ordeal than he thought. With a wheezy breath, the sleepy looking colt staggered into a standing position before looking around for his mama. He was a thin little thing, mostly bones with enough meat to still be healthy, but it didn’t help that his sickliness caused him to expend far too much energy as was good for a newborn. Because of this, he tended to sleep far more often than others, or at least his mama. With a faint little mewl, Leander wobbled his way towards his mother who drank from the oasis. He’d tried doing the same thing, valiantly attempting to copy his mother, whom he already adored. Unfortunately he’d merely fallen in and had spent a good half-hour half dragging and half wobbling his way back out. Warily the colt watched the edge of the water as he slowly made his way to his mama’s side. Happy, but still very tired, he squeaked and nuzzled his wet nose into her warm side.

These were the times that Leander loved the most at his newborn stage; his love for his mama was above everything, and his little heart nearly burst with happiness every time she smiled at him. His mama was happiness and love, and for the tired little foal who had so much against him, she would be a spot of light in a very dark world. Leander smacked his lips and gazed up at his mama with wide eyes framed with dark circles and bags before nosing his way under her belly to search for milk.

ooc: d'aww :3
word count: 300+
tag: antonella
muse: ---

[Hud]

Antonella raised her head when Leander reached for his lunch. Pulling her head around her to look back at him, she watched his tiny motions - his tail, his shifting, and his ears. They all seemed so fragile. They seemed just as delicate as the day he'd been born.

The mare had always been frightened of taking care of a foal. She couldn't help but imagine him getting hurt on every little thing. She knew she had to simply accept that he was going to make mistakes, and he might fall down sometimes. It was her job to help him get back up. Antonella smiled for a moment. Soon he'd be able to meet his half-siblings. Surely that would put a smile on his face. Not yet though... He had to get stronger still.

Antonella hadn't seen Angelus in a long time - not since Leander's conception. He knew where to find her, though. The mare had a deep aversion to the dunes around the large oasis. It was atop those that the black beast had saved her. She owed her life to him, and as such, she stayed in his herd. She would not be leaving the oasis, though. The mother hated to think of Leander ever growing up and wanting to leave the oasis. She didn't know how she would say no. Eventually he would be his own stallion, and she would have to let go. That time was not now, though.

For now, she could enjoy every little sound and motion he made. Antonella couldn't be prouder of him.

"Leander, I love you. You know that?"

[Silver]

The little colt was busy suckling, his eyes closed and his tongue savoring every last drop of the warm milk. His little tail lifted contentedly, and he kept on with his meal. Each one of his spots was a fiery orange-red, framed by white that covered his entire body. His mane was a mixture of white and black, giving him a distinct look that would carry on through his childhood and still as a stallion. Finally the stream dwindled and he pulled back. His stomach was full and swollen with sustenance, giving him a rather strange pot-bellied look due to his meager frame. A drop of milk ran down his chin and quavered before plummeting down to land on the ground beneath his hooves. Leander squeaked with the happiness that could only be found in a foal, and sneezed twice, nearly knocking himself backwards with the sheer force. He quivered a little, his thin muscles working overtime to keep himself upright. And just as it always did, sleepiness hit him like a force of nature. Leander yawned widely and blinked slowly at his mother before wobbling over towards her. He lowered himself down and settled against one of her front legs before letting his head fall and his eyelids droop.

---

It was true. Angelus hadn’t seen Antonella since the day that they’d mated. He’d been occupied with Nakita and Regina lately - their shared duties and importance took up much of his attention. The stallion sighed with a bone-deep weariness. His shoulders ached and his mind buzzed with the voices of his companions. He couldn’t show it though - he was the demon king, the infallible force of the desert. So when he smelled her, and smelled the newborn, he squared his shoulders and erased any form of weakness from his gait. Walking through the plants, the stallion recalled the last time that he had been with Antonella. She was a fragile thing, much like Nakita, but not broken. Either way he knew that he had to soften his words with her, in order to keep her loyal and partial to him. Other stallions would join the herd soon enough, and he wanted to make sure that his mares remained his, and that others would not vie for their attention.

The striking foal was what hit him right off the bat, but then he saw her - Antonella. She was still as pretty as she had been when he’d first discovered her, save for the fact that she looked healthier. “Antonella,” he said warmly, but with little indication of softness in his regal bearing.

ooc: kinda just stuck angelus in this too.
word count: 430+
tag: antonella
muse: ---

[Hud]

Antonella's tail flicked behind her as she watched her frail son come toward her. He leaned on her leg, and she barely felt anything at all. Leander was so special to her. He was her precious boy, and she would do anything to keep him safe. She would never think of herself again as long as she had her tiny red-speckled prince.

The mare lowered her head and tucked in it to reach to foal's small black and white forelock. He smelled so new and so familiar...

Her attention was caught when she heard a voice she knew well. "Angelus?" she asked with a bit of surprise. Her ears were perked and her expression was excited. In truth, she missed her king. She'd always enjoyed his company, and now she had something to show him. Weak or not, Leander was a son. None of his other mares had produced any sort of heir. Antonella wasn't completely sure how the system worked, but she knew the first son was a big deal, whether the mother was queen or not. She couldn't care less about being a herd mare rather than part of the royal family; what she did care about was who Leander would be groomed to be. What would his future be like? Angelus would let her know all about it, surely.

The mare wanted to turn and move to greet him, but she currently stood as a sleeping post. She looked from the black beast to their child and smiled. "How do you like him?" Her eyes glanced back up. She really was quite proud of him.

"I'm calling him Leander."

[Silver]

font face="georgia"]

His mane wafted over and tickled his ear. Angelus flicked it away absently, his eyes locked on the offspring that was to continue on his lineage. It was different this time - he had many daughters, enough to entice even the stoutest of kings. They each had their own unique personalities, and he was wary of how their own attitudes would clash in the future. Already Juno was advancing into marehood, and her proud, fiery passion exuded from every pore. She was also - much to his growing interest - obviously smitten with some stallion. He had an idea of who, as there were no other stallions in the desert (as far as his thorough surveillance had produced) for her to seek. That would have to stop, because her future lay outside the desert borders. Nakita would weep for her daughter, he was sure.

But this foal was different. It was a son. Holding his breath, Angelus studied the small form leaning against his mother’s leg. His bones showed through, and mucus dripped down from his nostrils. He was also flamboyantly spotted, but handsome nonetheless. “Leander.” The name was so fitting, so definitively regal, that the wraiths hissed eagerly in approval. A small mewling sound emerged from the colt, but he made no move to wake up, merely sinking back into slumber. The corner of Angelus’ mouth turned up, and ideas - plans - ricocheted inside of his head. He was the current crown prince - until that time when Regina had a son - and he was going to be groomed as such. Even when he had brothers, he would be second-in-line, after the Queen’s son. “He is crown prince, Antonella. Until such time as Regina bears a son, he wears the title.” Angelus looked up to face her. He could see her eyes shining with pride for her son, and he could not help but hope that this sickness did not continue through life. “At such time as the Queen has a son, he shall become second in line for the crown, but he will not want for anything. He will have his pick of a wife, and his family will be noble in their own right.” He said nothing more, but stepped forward to stroke her poll, a congratulations from a king without large shows of emotion. A piece of the heart of a demon.

ooc: ---
word count: 400+
tag: antonella, leander
muse: ---

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