The Queen of Sindri had reason to grieve, and reason to rejoice. At the pack meeting, Helene had attacked Soliel. She had needed to kill the girl. Helene had finally snapped . . . and attacked the zeta. Swallowtail still remembered Helene’s mad, angry shrieks as she attacked an unsuspecting Soliel. The sound that came from the alphess hammering a spear of water into her chest, slicing her heart clean through. The shocked look on Elise’s face - Swallowtail’s sister was nothing if not gentle - and the grieving look on Callie’s face. The delta had been always there for Athena the Fire Queen since long before Helene’s conception and birth.
Not too much later, who should drop directly into Sindri but Swallowtail’s cousins Gwydion and Castiel. They were twins, just like Elise and Swallowtail. They had been born less than a moon after Elise and Swallowtail themselves, to their aunt and her mate - a rare direwolf. Starfall had changed them. Gwydion was a vibrant Aves, and Castiel? Cas, like Elise, had been transformed into a rare Zodiac. Swallowtail had installed Cas as a beta alongside Elise, and made Gwydion Callie’s delta colleague. After all, Gwydion was a superb warrior - and Cas was going to serve the pack best as a beta.
The call from the Elder Tree did not surprise the Water Queen. She had heard the calls to battle. She supposed Tarben and Sabertooth had concluded their war, the one that would likely be very bloody. She made haste for the tree.
She had not ever seen this wolf before. As other alphas arrived, he began to speak of the turning of new leaves, of the broken treaty. “Sabertooth, in the end of our war, offered quite the arrangement - I feel we can all benefit from this.” This drew the attention of the Water Queen. “Sabertooth proposed an arranged marriage between Aeolus's family and Tarbens royal family. Most of my wifes brothers and sisters are already mated to another or no longer with us - except her brother Odin. This would leave mine and her children to be arranged into marriage potentially. What I think we should all do, to tie together as one, is arrange all our unpromised kin to one another. Bind together and agree to a truce, a binding in blood.
This made the queen raise a brow. This was a true leader, a clever one. She honestly could stand by this proposition. “There are ten packs, some of us are already tied in together somewhere. If I'm not mistaken, Sabertooth is tied already to Nightingale. Amberbjorne to Dawnshire, Hawthorne, and Nightingale. Hawthorne is allied to Amberbjorne, Dawnshire, Drekistone, and us - though we may need to revise given Wendigo is not of royal blood. Nightingale is tied to Sabertooth and Dawnshire. Dawnshire is tied to Amberbjorne, Hawthorne, Nightingale and Sabertooth. Sindri, Ranjord, and Amaya have no allies yet. Drekistone is tied to Hawthorne. Should we all purpose a son, daughter, sister or brother to another pack not already allied to us, we may just be able to find peace among one another. I know some have less numbers in the family, being Ranjord, Nightingale, and Sindri. But that will not be forever I'm sure. Seek to produce more children, and perhaps the realm can finally be at peace. Our children will no longer be feared for when they leave our sight. Does anyone object?”
“I agree wholly,” spoke the Water Queen. “Nearly all the packs in Starfall have been steeped in bloody conflict and bitter blood, turning us against one another and setting innocent children against innocent children. Sindri has certainly not remained unsullied, though several of the newer packs have.
“Personally, I think we should take this opportunity to try our best to set aside all grudges, great and small. This should not just affect the royal families - I know I would like a safer future for all across Starfall. We must try our very hardest to ensure that this vast realm remains peaceful. Starfall, though large and magical, has suffered through two bloody, devastating wars now. This will not do.
“For now, I can offer up my two newly arrived cousins in this marriage pact, as well as potentially my sister and myself. I support this proposition with all of my being.” Gwydion, stoic man that he was, would obediently enter into any arranged marriage that she bid him. Cas would grumble a bit, but almost immediately warm to his girl. And Elise, or Swallowtail herself? Elise would be scared, most likely moving out of Sindri. And whoever married Swallowtail, if anyone, would be King of Sindri. That was a bit terrifying. She had never thought of herself as a lover of children, or a royal. Or, really, this wise creature she had become since falling into Starfall.

“head down till the work is done.”