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[attr="class","sinbody2"]Jalitza had spent the morning sunbathing in the clearing outside her den, where an area of short grass was open to the sky and the branches of the forest trees did not disturb her patch of sun. Then she had hunted. A lean hare; she had spent more time spitting out tufts of fur than she had actually eating the creature. As noon drew near, the young woman had drawn the last swipe of a paw over her ears, finishing her bath. Days were usually as peaceful and uneventful as this, save times where she'd feel compelled to stroll outside of Gryphus and explore new lands.

As she walked through the familiar woods of the land she'd accepted as home, Jalitza would not notice that she was heading for the king's den. A scowl had fallen across her features as the horribly failed attack has crossed her mind. Hazel gaze fell to her foreleg where the grossly scabbed flesh of her previous laceration was. It hurt sometimes if she stretched the healing tissue, and she'd broken pieces of the scabs several times - otherwise, it was healing. Hopefully as it was supposed to. She'd wondered if the wound would scar. She was indifferent to having scars; didn't think anything of them. The mere curiosity that the wound would remain upon her leg forever was simply a thought she pondered with light interest. However, Azad's injuries were more worth her worry. She couldn't help but fret that their healer was perhaps wrong, and that the man had truly cracked his skull. He was extremely disoriented upon awaking, and it was frightening to see the usually stoic and regal-held man in such a weak, uncertain position.

For the days that had passed after the incident that'd occurred in Divine Fields, Jalitza had felt compelled to visit the king to see how he was healing. Which was a very confusing thing to her. Worrying over someone? She'd never had a reason to do that before. Azad was a blunt spoken man who didn't bullshit around and could still manage to be polite and considerate. Perhaps that was why she felt anxiousness over his well being - he was one of the few people she agreed with and was comfortable being around (at least when Lucius wasn't there to glare at her for existing.) -company she actually enjoyed. Had she found a friend in the king? Friends cared for each other, didn't they? She figured that's how it worked. So she tried to not feel embarrassed when she realized she was approaching the outside of his den. When had she gotten here?

Brows furrowed and she halted in her tracks, looking around the forest as if she'd teleported. Odd. Though, perhaps not. She'd worried since the hunt long enough, and it only made sense that she finally confronted the issue plaguing the back of her mind. Exhaling, her ears flickered nervously as she stepped forward to stand outside the entrance. She gave an uncertain meow, pelt prickling as she felt awkward just standing outside the king's den. It was a private area owned by creatures that should not be intruded by strangers. However, her scent would be all around if she just up and left, and that would be suspicious. And probably weird? So she announced herself carefully, vocals soft. "Azad?" The woman said. Her disuse of the king's title was not something she chose to disregard. She simply never thought it was something you were supposed to do. She had never lived in an organized group previously, after all, and the respect hierarchies were meant to earn was not fully understood by the she-cat. She looked around while she waited in silence. Her mew had been soft in case the man was perhaps sleeping, and she wouldn't have to feel so weird for leaving her scent if he was not roused.

However, that would not be the case. A voice, smooth like the calm waters of a pond, spoke from deep within the den's bramble archway.

"Come inside." Jalitza exhaled the breath she hadn't realized she was holding, and carefully tiptoed her way into the darkness of Azad's den. She tried to control the anxious pounding of her heart as her hazel gaze swept around the neatly alcove. She spied the tabby tom's nest pushed to a corner, a mesh of fabrics and blankets he'd been gifted and acquired from twolegplace.

In the center sat the king himself, whom hardly flickered an ear at her presence, his icy gaze dropped attentively to the potion he was brewing. Jalitza ducked her head as she cautiously came closer, nose wriggling at the pungent scents coming from Azad's herbs.

"What ails you, Jalitza?" The lean tom finally asked after the calm silence between them. He glanced up from his work to steady his unwavering gaze into her own yellow pools.

Jalitza thought quickly, gesturing to her injured limb with a dip of her muzzle. "Uh, my leg." She mewed monotonly. Azad blinked at her. Realizing she was probably required to explain, she added, "I... wanted to make sure it was healing properly." That should suffice.

Azad nodded, beckoning her to raise the leg as he looked it over. Had his whiskers twitched just a second ago? Jalitza frowned indignantly, almost wanting to swipe the king over the ears. She was not a kit lost for words! The tom turned away from her scabbed limb with a quick glance to Jalitza's face before returning to his potion.

The russet she-cat lowered her leg and remained very still.

"It's healing just fine. You'll need none of my herbs." He replied calmly, emotionless. It was exactly how Jalitza spoke and it was one of the reasons why she was so much more comfortable around Azad than other cats who wore their hearts on their sleeves. Daring to come to a seat directly beside him, Jalitza watched the king labor. He was tearing small, white flowers off a stem and adding them to a mixture that smelled strongly of pine needles. Jalitza watched him work silently, not even twitching her tail so that she may never disturb the man's concentration.

After a short while, she murmured, "What are you making?"

Azad replied without taking his eyes off the herbs. "A potion for headaches."

Jalitza was silent once more. Her eyes flickered from the white flower petals and green stems to the king's face. Azad glanced at her and must have read her thoughts. "I'm fine, before you ask. These herbs take away what remains of the concussion. A few mere headaches."

Jalitza frowned. "I wasn't going to ask."

The corner of his lip twitched as he turned away. "But you were thinking it."

Scowling, the she-cat nodded to the herbs he was using. "What are they?"

Azad paused over the bowl of pulp and water he was stirring with a paw, briefly shaking off the excess drops before bending to nose one of the white flower stems over to her. "Hawthorn." He allowed her a moment to bend and sniff it's slightly sour smell that reminded her of mold. Then he pushed forward the herb she'd thought had smelled like pine. "Rosemary." She smelled it as well, much more pleasant but also very strong. She wrinkled her nose at the spiky plant and straightened her head. She watched as Azad carefully nosed the plants back into their proper piles and tipped the hollowed stone full of his potion, downing it. Jalitza swallowed, feeling something odd in her belly.

"What about those?" She gestured to a much smaller pile of herbs that the potion-master had previously sprinkled into the mixture. Azad glanced at her, swiping a pink tongue over his muzzle and encapturing her with his all-seeing gaze of ice blue. Jalitza was feeling unnaturally warm. They stared silently at each other for several heartbeats.

Azad turned away, pushing the stone bowl against the den wall where others alike it but in different sizes were lined up. "They're not so important. Mostly for taste." Was he teasing her?

Jalitza flicked her tail. "I could learn." She retorted in a quick clip.

Azad glanced back at her, amusement buried behind his gaze, but Jalitza was keen, she saw it. She narrowed her eyes in challenge.

The king hesitated, then broke their prolonged eye contact to pull back out the minor herbs used in the headache potion. He placed them directly in front of her, then came to her side, leaning close to her ear as he spoke so that his warm breath tickled the sensitive hairs.

"Chamomile.. for strength.." He murmured, not looking at Jalitza but staring intently at some small flowers with yellow centers. Jalitza had her brows furrowed, determinedly keeping her hazel hues focused on those alabaster petals. She was painfully aware of how close the two were.

Azad stretched forward a sturdy limb to pull forth another herb. His shoulder brushed very softly against her own, and Jalitza held her breath. It was a pretty violet wild flower.

"The nectar from heather. For sweetness.." Jalitza was far too aware of the lack of space between them that she was sure she'd never remember any of the things Azad was telling her. His smell wreathed around her and filled her nostrils, addicting. His whiskers brushed her cheek as he bent to bring forth another plant. She gasped audibly, much to her scorching embarrassment, but Azad made no acknowledgment that he had heard. Jalitza suddenly realized that she was a part of his game, and he was purposefully toying with her.

She could only think of how his breath smelled like rosemary when he next spoke.

"Mint... to taste..." He was so close that Jalitza had to shut her eyes to close off the force of his presence. His words sent a prickle of energy down her spine. Silence.

Movement and a small draft to her once heated side brought her to finally look at the king. Azad had moved to the side, looking at her with an unreadable expression. Jalitza felt suddenly very exposed. The tension between them crackled like lightning. She was held under the heavy weight of his heated gaze before realizing that the both of them were breathing unevenly. However, neither of them were willing to make a move upon the apparent arousal in the air.