I realized that I hadn't made a drawing of just the two of them, and of course I had to remedy that immediately ^^^ Ladies and gents, the king and queen of Valeria

Footsteps landed on the soft green grass. The wind blew through her hair and wove the strands before her visage. She took in a deep gulp of the Valerian air, smelling of a warm summer's day and the sweet scent of the flowers that grew there in the meadow.

In the light of the late afternoon sun the bright red of her hair coloured a golden glow, almost obscuring the sight of the city of Eagle's fall that was sprawled out in front of her. From on top of the highest mountain surrounding the capital one could see the entire city stretched on to the horizon, the water of the rivers reflecting the light. It had almost blinded her eyes had she not shielded them with the palm of her hand until her eyes had grown accustomed.

There, on top of the hill, she spotted a familiar figure. Lyanna smiled broadly as she walked to her brother's side who was already laying on a soft blanket with his armour discarded beside him. He was dressed in only a grey tunic and loose work pants, his golden hair falling out of the small ponytail he'd tied it in.

His face was pointed to the sky, his eyes closed while a contented smile painted his lips, bathing in the warm sunlight. Judging by the tone of his skin, it was something he enjoyed regularly. Propped up on his elbows, the muscles of his arms showed through the thin fabric of his shirt.

Gone was the armour, the crown and the weapons. The storm he commanded was nowhere to be seen for the sky was devoid of any clouds. There was no hint of the king in the picture he now presented, only that of the boy she had grown up next to.

It'd been some time since the queen had seen him this relaxed. Her heart eased, some of the longing falling off it. "Careful, brother, before they start to think you're neglecting your kingly duties." Lyanna drawled as she walked up to his side and plumbed down, groaning as she leaned back against the soft blanket. It greeted her into a warm embrace, the softness enveloping her like a cushion.

The king's eyes opened as he glanced aside, not startled in the least. It was as if he thought that no harm could come to him there. He was safe, and there was no danger on the horizon. The queen mirrored his position, leaning back against the soft material of the blanket and letting out a deep breath.

It'd been some time since she had felt the safety he had grown so used to. In the past few months, it was either blaster fire or the alarm of another battle going off. There had rarely been a moment of pure peace to enjoy, let alone a moment to bathe in the sun with only her mind to occupy her.

The stormy grey in his eyes lightened up and a grin played on his lips. "What's the point in ruling a kingdom when you can't enjoy its beauty?" Aidan questioned as he settled back down, letting his gaze wander over the buildings in the distance. Every now and then a Valar'jar would fly from its streets, their wings carrying them through the calm sky. "And, let's not forget the irony of you pointing that out, when you've only returned for two days."

Lyanna scoffed and slowly opened her eyes, taking in the sights before her. It was as if nothing had changed. The people remained the same, the city still blinking in the light, the buildings just as she left them. At the same time, everything had changed, for she wasn't the same person she was when she had departed almost a year ago.

"I must say, you've done a great job holding all this together." She motioned towards the teeming streets, the shouts from the marketplace reaching them even miles away. "No civil wars, no murdering, no protests. Not even a single brawl, I've heard. Makes me think you might not have need of me in the first place."

Aidan chuckled lightly as he sat up, reaching to the side and grasping the flask of ale he'd brought with him. He procured some grapes and bread from the basket and laid it between them, handing another flask to his sister. "It's not gone without any effort, you know. I've had enough sleepless nights and midnight breakdowns to last me a lifetime."

Lyanna smiled as she glanced up at him, noting the absence of dark spots beneath his eyes. She folded her arms beneath her head and cocked her head to the side. "Then how are you still this pretty?"

Aidan choked on the sip he'd just taken, coughing and spurting as he pounded his fist on his chest. The queen laughed out loud, taking a few seconds of enjoying his embarrassment before slapping him gently on the back. "All right, all right. Don't choke on me now."

Aidan managed another few deep breaths, glaring to the side when he'd regained the ability to do so. "Me, pretty?" He scoffed and put the flask to his lips. "I thought you were more into bearded, old men. Preferably unavailable devoted monks."

Lyanna chuckled, staring at the sky above her and wondering if her gaze was now pointed his way. Obi Wan could've been anywhere in the galaxy, and all she'd know was if he was still alive. She still felt his presence through the bond, a calm and peaceful ocean. "You know we're like, 40 years older than him?" Her green eyes darted to her brother's. "They don't have our expanded life span."

"That makes it even worse!' Aidan complained, throwing his hands in the air. He shook his head in disbelief and sighed, brows drawing together. "Gods, I can't believe you're bringing him here."

"Yes, well..." Lyanna sat up alongside him and fidgeted with her fingers, her eyebrows furrowing as she plucked a flower from the grass. "It will take time. First he'll have to finish the war and make sure he gets out of it in one piece. After, we'll see if the council allows him to leave."

"He'll be fine." Aidan noticed the shift in her mood and moved with her, laying his hand on her shoulder gently. "As far as I know the jedi, he's stubborn as hell. He won't let anyone stop him from coming back to you." Lyanna merely nodded, remaining deadly silent as his eyes scanned her expression. Aidan was desperate to summon her goofy smile back on her face. "If he can survive both our punches, he'll surely survive a meagre sith lord."

Lyanna scoffed and glanced his way, some of the joy back in her eyes. "What was yours for, anyway?"

"Oh, that? He received the milder variant of my fury." Aidan clarified as he glanced at his own fists, examining his knuckles for the small scar that punch had left behind. Suddenly, his own smile slowly vanished as his mind went to the origin of that anger.

"I wanted to go to war when I heard what they'd done to you; making you give up your crown, your freedom, making you into a weapon. I was ready to storm into Coruscant and take you back." Aidan dropped his fist and looked at his sister. "I was ready to start a war for you."

Lyanna took her time to examine him, noting the unbridled fury that broke through the cracks of his carefully sculpted mask. She laid her hand on top of his and squeezed. "But you didn't."

"I didn't." Aidan confirmed. "You made me promise I wouldn't, made me promise to trust you. Despite my better instincts, I did. Because a man is only as good, -"

"- as the promises he keeps." Lyanna finished, smiling softly. "Father taught us a lot, but that one was one of his favourites."

Aidan nodded and sighed. "It is also one of the hardest to hold on to." He muttered. "Every passing day I had to resist the urge to get you back. You didn't belong out there, you didn't deserve to be wielded. You're more than the weapon they made you into. You're a symbol to those that need it. You are the heart of Valeria, and every day without was more waning than the last. It was draining, in a way. This place, it's... it's not the same without you."

Lyanna's heart broke when she felt the sorrow and loss in his voice. All this time she'd thought hers was the worst, but she had never stopped to truly think what it meant to him. She sat up and inched closer to him, wrapping her arm around his middle and laying her head down on his shoulder. "I'm here now, brother. And I'm not going anywhere." She looked up into his eyes, watching the sadness in those stormy clouds. "I promise."

He managed a smile as he wrapped his own arm around her, pulling her closer against his side. "You better not, or I'll have to chain you to your damned throne." He sighed, contented, enjoying the embrace for a few moments.

"You belong here, Lyanna. Not out there." Aidan nodded towards the sky, to the stars and the galaxy that existed behind the blue curtain. "You belong with me." He ended with a sigh and squeezed with the hand he'd laid on her waist.

Lyanna's brows furrowed together as she glanced upwards, scanning his eyes for whatever message he was trying to send. "We are the last Valar'jar." He clarified when he noticed her glance. "Only we can protect Valeria from whatever is to come."

Valeria will fall beneath thunder and ashes. The words went unspoken between them, but they both knew the meaning. They let their eyes glide over the city, watching the life unfold. If they truly were the only people that could save that city, would it be enough?

It was a question Lyanna didn't dare answer. She could only hope that the preparations they had made would be enough, and that the prophesized end of the world would only be a cautionary tale of her mother. But no matter what she told herself, that nagging feeling kept tearing at her relentlessly.

"Do you ever feel like everything you do means nothing in the end?" Lyanna muttered softly. Aidan looked down at her, his gaze heavy on her face. "I've had this prophecy in my head for months, almost a year, and never once has it changed. I've tried everything in my power to keep Valeria from harm but it seems like all those efforts were in vain. Like nothing mattered, the suffering, the sacrifices." She sighed deeply. "What's the use in fighting when the ending stays the same?"

Aidan's gaze grew distant as he pondered. "I guess we will never know if what we do matters." He whispered and let his thumb rub soothing circles on her skin. "But are we ready to find out what happens when we do nothing at all?" His eyes darted towards the city. There was an undeniable love in them, in the way the corner of his lip tilted upward.

"All I know is that that city, its people, it's worth sacrificing for. If an entire life of torment means giving them one more day of peace, I would say it's worth it. If there's but a small chance that our fighting gives them happiness, then I say fuck it, I'll suffer for them if that's what it takes."

Lyanna smiled sadly as she processed his words. "There's beauty in the fight, Lyanna." Aidan whispered and hugged her figure tighter against his body. "If it turns out we've been fighting fate all this time, then I would say that it's a glorious tale to tell in the halls of Valhalla when we're done. At least we would be able to say that we tried. I would rather tell that than to say I'd given up."

The queen nodded and leaned into him, her thoughts going distant. "Fighting fate is no humble feat." She smiled. "Almost fit enough for us, don't you think?" She glanced upwards and was met with a toothy grin.

"Almost." He confirmed and bent down, laying his head on top of hers. "It's moments like these that make it all worth it." The king continued on a softer note.

On that one, she agreed. This light feeling, this warmth she felt, she would fight a thousand years to obtain it. And if it meant that her struggle would bring this feeling to her people, thousands of them, then every single moment of torment would be more than worth it.

"Did Stefan introduce you to his new son?" Aidan asked after some time, tearing her from her mind.

"Your namesake, you mean?" Lyanna scoffed and she turned to lean her back against his side, fiddling with a flower she had picked. "He's just as... self-absorbed as the man he was named after was around his age."

"I wasn't that bad!" Aidan laughed out loud, the motions making his chest shake with the sound.

"Oh, you definitely were!" Lyanna sat up and faced him, her hair falling over her shoulders. "You were undoubtedly the most dreadful brother, a nightmare to grow up next to, and you know it!"

The king huffed as he chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. "Says the perfect little princess, who didn't only master her powers within mere years after arriving in the castle but also perfected the skills of healing, becoming a Valkyrie in record time and winning over the hearts of everyone at court." Aidan rolled his eyes as he leaned back, folding his hands beneath his head. "No, I was definitely the worst."

Lyanna watched his expression for a few seconds to figure out what he was feeling. "I didn't realize you were jealous." A sinister grin slowly made its way onto her face.

"Jealous, me?" Aidan scowled towards the sky. "I have much better things to do than being jealous."

"Ah yes, like lounging in the sun, showing off your lightning and sword fighting skills at every opportunity and making all the girls at court swoon over your luscious golden hair." She mockingly wove her hair over her shoulder.

Aidan blurted out another laugh. "Oh, you're taking it too far, sister." He grinned. "Maybe we should take this to your younger years, to that girl you were after? What was her name again... Oh, yes!" The king laughed before he continued. "Frida. Oh, with her beautiful brown curls and big brown doe eyes, our young princess was in the clouds, not knowing that the poor girl was out for something else entirely, -"

Aidan glanced aside to gauge her reaction, only to fall silent at the sight before him. "Lyanna?" He sat up straight and reached out for her within seconds. The queen was bowed over, her hands grasping and tearing at the part of her tunic covering the left side of her chest. "Lyanna, what's going on?"

"It's..." The queen groaned, her nails clawing at the fabric in agony. Her other hand went up to her head as she hissed. "Something is wrong." She whined. "Something is very wrong, Aidan. It's, -"

"What?!" Aidan looked around in panic, searching for anything that was causing his sister this much pain. There was nothing but clear blue skies and green grass for miles, nothing to explain what was happening. "What is happening, sister?" He looked back at her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Tell me!"

"I don't know." The pain seemed to have lessened as she looked up at him with tear filled eyes. "It's like thousands of souls just screamed out in agony, and I felt them all fading away." Her voice shook with each word she spoke.

"What?" Aidan's brows furrowed while his eyes darted between the two of hers. "What does that mean?" His questioning gaze only deepened.

"I don't know." Her eyes were widening in panic. "I have to... make a call, I need to make sure that Obi, -" When she'd tried to stand her legs caved in and she fell back down to the ground. There, her arms were shaking from the way they had to keep her body from collapsing entirely.

"All right, slow down." Aidan stood up and grasped her arms to steady her. "Tell me what you need."

"We need to set up a call with the jedi council." Lyanna groaned out while she let her brother pull her to her feet. Sweat was beading on her forehead by the effort, her chest still feeling like it was caving in. "They have to know what is happening."

Aidan nodded solemnly. "Of course. I'll take you there."

~

"Stefan!" Aidan shouted as they entered the palace. Lyanna's arm had been wrapped around his shoulders, his arm around her middle to steady her. The queen's condition was getting worse by the minute. Something was draining her energy, seemingly sucking the life out of her.

The commander looked up from the table he was sat at, his eyes widening with worry at the display before him. He stood up abruptly while his husband glanced up at him in bewilderment. "Your majesty!" He ran towards their side, hands grasping for Lyanna's face when he was near to examine her. "What's going on?!"

"We need you to set up communication with the Republic, now." Aidan hissed under his breath, eyes darting around the palace halls to the people that were looking at them. He pulled his sister tighter against him to try and hide her weakened state. It would do no good to raise a panic now.

Stefan's confused expression only deepened as he glanced between the urgent look on his king's face to the sick one on the queen's. "Stefan, please." Lyanna muttered. "Something is wrong, I can feel it."

The commander didn't need more than that. "Come with me, quickly." Stefan ordered and pulled them with him. He guided them through the halls to the communication centre, his pace hurried and frantic. Aidan had trouble keeping up with him along the way, thinking about lifting Lyanna into his arms every now and then even though he knew she would hate him for it.

"We received a transmission just this morning saying the attack on Coruscant has been repelled and count Dooku defeated." Stefan elaborated as he opened the doors to the vast, round council room with the communication device. Aidan aided Lyanna carefully and sat her down on one of the chairs while she listened closely. "If I remember correctly, general Kenobi was sent to Utapau to hunt down general Grievous."

Lyanna breathed out slowly, the sickness in her stomach growing worse. Either it were the nerves, or the foreign sensation pulling at her. "And Anakin?" She perked up, watching the face of her commander.

"General Skywalker was staying back to protect the Chancellor." Stefan mumbled as he continued to press a few buttons. The two siblings glanced at each other. "Anything you are especially worried about, my queen?" The commander looked at her through his eyelashes as the screen in front of him loaded.

"I had a vision, a prophecy in my head." She breathed out. "First before I collected my power back in the clearing before Arthas's defeat, secondly numerous times in my dreams afterwards. It was only when my mother repeated it back to me in Borovia that I realized it might be a true one."

Stefan rightened himself while Aidan nodded. She'd told him before leaving with the jedi again, explaining her worries. They'd planned their defences right after and had prepared accordingly. If all was right, Aidan had already given Valeria three extra lines of defences and escape plans to match it.

"Ragnarök might be coming, Stefan." Lyanna elaborated as she pushed herself upwards in her seat. "And it might be coming sooner than we expected."

The commander frowned, processing the information and glancing down towards the screen in front of him. "I didn't tell you because I didn't want to raise a panic. We were already preparing everything, and I didn't want you to worry." Aidan explained when Stefan remained silent. "I wanted you to stay with your son as long as you were able to without thinking that every moment might be the last."

Stefan nodded, biting his lip as his eyes filled with tears. His jaw was clenched so tightly Lyanna wondered if the muscles might snap by the tension. He righted himself and took in a deep breath, his eyes remaining focused on the display. When his brows furrowed and confusion overtook the sorrow, Lyanna leaned forward.

"Stefan?" She questioned while she read his expression. "What's going on?"

"There's a message from the Republic." His voice was weirdly stoic, devoid of any emotion. The queen and the king quickly glanced at each other before redirecting their gazes back towards their commander. "All jedi have been declared traitors."

Hearts stopped beating. Her breath halted in her throat as if something had taken a hold of it, choking the air right out of her. Ice prickled along her skin while a shiver ran up her spine. Traitor. It couldn't be, he would never, they would never.

Obi Wan. She spoke in her mind, reaching out desperately even though she knew he was galaxies away. Obi Wan! It became a chant, a frantic calling. Obi Wan Obi Wan, Obi Wan! She hoped for an answer, a sign at the least, to tell her what was happening.

Aidan stood perplexed; his hands placed firmly on the table. "What?" He gaped, frowning. "What in Odin's name, -"

An alarm halted his rambling, blaring through the entire palace. Even the queen was shaken from her trance, her eyes darting around the room to find the source. The commander, however, quickly sprinted towards the windows and let his gaze wander over the city and the landscape beyond. "No, no, no, no." He mumbled. "No!"

"Commander?" Aidan quickly followed him, racing towards his side and abruptly halting when the outside came into view. Lyanna only watched his reaction, afraid of seeing it for herself. The king's body froze while his fists clenched and unclenched at his side.

Slowly and reluctantly the queen stood up from her chair. Her legs were buckling, her knees threatening to cave in, but she kept her spine straight and her head held high. Calmly and slowly, she made her way towards the two men, trying to ignore the frantic beating of her heart and the rushing in her ears.

Aidan glanced at her as she neared. "It's Velen, there's smoke coming from the city, and there's something above it but I can barely see..."

The two men parted when she arrived, waiting for her reaction as her eyes scanned the horizon. On her right side, the commander was already barking orders into his commlink and making his way towards the command table. On the left, the king was cursing and unknowingly calling the storm to him. The clouds rumbled and roared overhead, but it was nothing compared to the roaring in the queen's head.

All she could do was stare at the sky in the distance, her body feeling numb and unanswering while her mind kept repeating the same words; it's here, it's here, they're here. She filled her lungs with a deep breath and blew it out slowly until her body felt lighter. It was never Arthas.

"Those are Republic cruisers." The moment she had spoken both men turned towards her, falling silent and watching closely while she stared out.

"They're here."

Daaaaaaaaaammnnnn

Omg I was so excited about this chapter and the coming few YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE.
This is like 4 years of planning all crammed into the coming chapters and I CANNOT even HANDLE.

AAAAH

Phew. Okay. Now that that's done, get your sabres and your shields and let's goooo, bitches. We've got an army to defeat.