When Lucaya commanded himself and Ruax to be the soldiers guarding the hostage princess, all Styxx could think was why me. Why did he have to be the one doing the dirty work, holding a hostage? The last time they’d had a prisoner in these lands, Drevis had been guarding. Look how well that turned out - his sister kidnapped, Phobus freed.. He really hoped that Drevis was doing alright in Tarben lands, he only just wished he could see her. Sure, Styxx had never really been close to his family, but he still loved them immensely. He loved their bond, their framework, how tight-knit Hawthorne was in general. After the war, seeing his sister and nephew pass - Aya and Helheim - Styxx couldn’t help but think if it was all worth it. Was it worth the Hawthorne deaths? Did it even out with Tarben? It was something that Styxx had been thinking from even before the war began. Good ol talking couldn’t settle anything nowadays. Now it had to be fighting. It was the last resort that they had gone too. Nibris and Lucaya had always steered the pack correctly.. And he recognized that.

He gave a deep sigh as the sat outside of the den where the Princess of Tarben was being kept. She’d holed herself in there, barely making a noise. He had poked his head in every so often just to make absolute sure that she was still in there, not escaping like their previous prisoner had. Hawthorne had a 0-1 ratio with prisoners. Not a good reputation. But he wouldn’t let his sister down. He couldn’t fail at this, otherwise.. What would become of him? He was also paired up with Ruax, his nephew. Guarding the same woman.

The Demon perked his audits immediately when he heard soft shuffling coming from inside the den. He wondered if the Princess would finally make an appearance in front of them. She wasn’t confined to the den - she could go about as she pleased, just with her escorts. They couldn’t let her out of their sight if she wasn’t in her den. That’s when the lady sauntered out of her den, plume curled over her back and.. Effectively exposing herself to Styxx. The man felt heat rush to his face, ears pinning down upon his cranium as he glanced away. “Oh boyyyys.” The Princess’s voice cooed out gently to him, causing Styxx and his emerald gaze to reach her once again. “I’m so bored. Entertain me a bit?”

The man had to clear his throat, shaking his head and perking his ears once again as he looked to the lass. Her brown hued pelt contrasted deeply against her ice blue orbs. He had to admit, she was gorgeous to look at. Styxx had to stick to his duties though - she was a prisoner of his lands. Her flirtatious smirk was beginning to make him smile though, but he cut that off really quick. The one thing he did notice was the pink string floating from his chest.. Directly to the girl. He’d heard of soulmate ties before, yet never experienced it. Surprisingly, the man didn’t say anything about it. Instead he stood, his onyx colored fur blending in with the shadows of the rocks. “Aethelflaed.” He greeted her, turning his gaze away from her and looking farther into the Hawthorne territory. “We should wait for Ruax if we are to go anyplace. You seem like a handful - it’s best to have two.” He spoke, his gruff voice attempting to come off as just that - guarded. As if she wasn’t making him nervous. He’d never guarded a prisoner before, much less a lass who hadn’t done any wrong directly to Hawthorne. She was only a token. “You’re done hiding away for the day?” He questioned, raising his eyebrow quickly before glancing back to her. “You make guarding decently easy.”