Chapter 42: Sage's POV

Sorry for the wait! This one was super hard to write and uh...it ended up being super long, so just a quick warning lmao. Be prepared for a lot of dialogue as well.

Anyways, here it is guys! Hope you enjoy it!!

Disclaimer: Dark themes of depression and suicide are mentioned.

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The last thing I remember is the feeling of his forehead pressed against mine, his warm hand at the back of my neck, his presence a comforting hug against mine. And then he was gone.

My eyes fling open in a panicky haze, it's dark, and there are figures all around me. It's wet, why am I wet? It's cold. So cold. Hands are grabbing me, I fling them off. Where is he? What happened? Why can't I feel him?

"My Queen! Your Majesty, you must calm yourself!" An oddly familiar voice says. I blink rapidly, trying to get my bearings. I open my mouth to speak, to call out to him, but nothing comes out. My throat is raw and just breathing hurts.

Everything is so dark, I can't see anything. Where'd the white landscape go? Where am I? What's happening?

"Sage!" My name makes me pause, my eyes zeroing in on the face looming over me. "My Queen, you have just woken from a coma, you need to calm down." My physician tells me.

My breathing slows. That's right, the poison, Ivar, Lance, Kyra, Lance's dad. It all comes rushing back to me. I glance around, blinking rapidly to try and get my sore eyes to adjust to the sudden lack of light. It's wet, and cold. Is it raining? Yes, that's what it is. We seem to be in a forest, thick trees towering above us.

A ring of people surrounds me and the physician, all staring with wide eyes. I'm confused when I see tears running down some faces, other faces a mask of unbridled joy. They seem to be mostly elderly and children, all looking at me like if they breathed I would blow away.

I was in a coma because of the poison, right? I know that much. So...how long was I out? It felt like at least a week in the In-Between but there's no telling how time works between the two worlds.

"H-ho...lo-g" I try to ask, but my painful voice stops and screeches, croaking out unnaturally, but the physician seems to understand.

"You were asleep for almost two months." No....It can't be. She must have seen the panic in my eyes because she put a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry, Liam took care of everyone. Well...at least I hope so." Her eyes get a shadow to them that I have trouble deciphering.

"Whe-" Where is he? Where is Liam? Please. I just need a hug, to look at him and know for myself that he's ok.

"Liam is...south. That way. He's with most of the other- woah!" I try to stand but quickly realize that my muscles are not quite ready for that yet as I collapse back down, my limbs not being able to hold my weight. "You can not move yet, your body is still very weak. You must take it easy."

I try again despite her arms trying to hold me down, the crowd around me bristling with unease.

"Li-" Liam. I need to see him. Bring me to him, now. That's an order. Please. Just listen to me! Why won't my stupid voice work?!

"Physcian!" We both look up as a young boy comes running up, the crowd parting for him. "Your presence is requested at the battlefield. They desperately need more healers, and the battle has almost come to an end. The casualties are piling up and we need more people helping the injured. We need all the hands we can get." He huffs out between heaving breaths, obviously having sprinted here from...wherever.

Battlefield? Casualties? Injured? What in the world...

Ivar was talking about taking over...his troops storming my city...the evil glint in his eye. The physician was talking about Liam...

Oh goddesses, no.

Liam's leading an attack.

No. No, no, no, no.

I lean forward despite my achingly weak muscles, grabbing onto the shirt of the physician and pulling her down to me, staring directly in her eyes. My eyes are intense, full of all of my queenly command and authority. I feel the fire of sisterhood burning inside me, an irresistible impulse to get to my brother taking over my mind. Despite the excruciating ache in my throat, I force myself to say, "Take me."

She only hesitates a moment.

It takes a long time for me to start limping to where the battle is apparently taking place. I lean heavily on the physician, my legs basically needing to be dragged forward. It hurts even to pick them up, and then there's no hope for them holding my weight. The physician ends up mostly holding me up, letting me struggle to get my legs to listen to me. The people around us patiently go at my pace, letting us lead, despite being the slowest among us. I grit my teeth and force my aching, shaking legs to move faster.

Finally, we break through the trees and I would have collapsed if not for the physician taking my weight.

Before us is a bustling camp, dozens upon dozens of bodies lying motionless, double that number getting emergency treatment and even more limping around, trying to find one another. People sob over the covered bodies, the elderly from my group breaking off to run and find their family and friends. Warriors in golden armor, most likely from Willow Isle, mingle with the common folk, helping here and there.

Down in the valley lies what's left of the battle —bodies upon bodies, discarded weapons, blood and rainwater, and grieving families. A dark blanket of pain and sorrow seems to lay over the landscape, the dark clouds casting a shadow that weighs on my shoulders just by looking at it. The air stinks with the sharp smell of sweat and blood and the musk of smoke from the fires the dragons blew.

I'm frozen. Speechless. My people...my kingdom. The devastation is too much for me to bear.

My vision blurs with tears, my hand coming to clutch my heart as the organ pangs with the hurt I see all around.

Slowly, one by one, people catch sight of me. It's just one at first, who then gets the attention of a friend. And then another, and another and another until the entire valley pauses, all eyes on me. I suddenly feel self-conscious, realizing how bad I must look. Weak and dirty and disheveled. Nothing like the strong queen they had gotten used to.

They look like deer in headlights, all activity having been stopped. They stare at me with wide eyes, disbelieving looks on their faces. I take a labored breath, trying to turn my attention away from the ache in my legs as I stand upright. I let out a cough, the only sound breaking the thick silence.

"She's alive..." Someone says, and that's all that is needed to open the floodgates.

My citizens surge forward, crowding around me. Arms appear around me, pulling me into tight embraces. Half of the population breaks into sobs, crying into my shoulder. People stroke my hair, others fall to their knees and start kissing my boots, and if it hadn't been an incredibly taxing job to do so I would have kicked them off. I humor them for a few minutes, trying my best to listen to their voices and comfort the grieving families, but I have other things on my mind. I need to know. I need to see him.

"Li-" I try but my dry throat cracks painfully. The physician seems to understand and starts pushing through the crowd.

We break through and ask the nearest medic where to find him. The distracted girl has to take a double-take but then she stares, wide-eyed, and points vaguely to her right. We limp there painfully slowly, a kind man appearing at my other side to take some of my weight off of my doctor.

I try to push the intrusive thoughts out, but they attach to my mind, unshakable. Did he fight? What if he got hurt? Will he be the same as how I left him? What if...what if he isn't even here anymore...

I push myself faster, commanding my sluggish legs to work despite the pain.

I have to see him. I have to. There's no telling what could have happened to him. This battlefield is brutal, and he has no training at all. He doesn't even know how to hold a sword correctly. He couldn't have defended himself. He could have gotten hurt. Wounded. Maimed. Wounded...mortally. I wasn't there. I wasn't there to protect him. I wasn't there. How could I have just left him to-

We maneuver around a group of people and for the second time that day I would have collapsed had I been holding my own weight.

My stomach drops to the floor, my head suddenly feeling light and bile rising up my throat. Tears spring into my eyes and I feel like sobbing and screaming and ripping someone's head off. All because he looks so...broken. Something...someone broke my little brother.

Terrona, who looks worse for wear herself, saw me first, her eyes going wide. My servant, the woman who had become a surrogate mother to me, falls back from her kneeling position, her hands coming to shakily cover her mouth. Liam doesn't turn.

"Li- '' I cough hoarsely before trying again. "Liam?"

He whips his head around and my heart cracks open at seeing him. His clothes are soaked with rainwater and blood and mud, his clothes ripped in multiple places where swords had sliced through. His hands, bicep, and leg are bandaged, his lip busted and swollen. His hair hangs in dirty strands, looking wild and disheveled. But the worst is his eyes. His red, swollen eyes that previously had held so much life now look so...dull.

"Sage?!"

I pull away from my support and try to run towards him but forget that my legs don't quite work yet, and instead fall to the ground. Before I can try to get up again there's arms around me. He squeezes me so tight I can barely breathe, but I don't care. I hug him back as hard as my weakened arms will allow, tears flowing down my face. He begins to sob, clutching my back as if he lets go I'll vanish. I stroke the back of his head, shushing him under my breath.

"Sage-" His voice is hoarse and gravely too. "I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry." He says between his cries.

"No, muffin," I whisper. "Don't be sorry. It's ok. It's all ok now." He sobs like a baby into my shoulder, his forehead pressing into the crook of my neck. I drop my head against his and let my tears flow, letting myself finally process everything that's happened.

Liam's safe. Battered, broken, but alive. I can work with the rest.

My people...at least half of them are no doubt gone. All because of my naivety. If I hadn't been so trusting they would all be alive. But at least it seems Willow Isle is for sure a strong ally.

Lance...my beloved Lance. I'll never see him again. Well, at least not the version of him I fell in love with. He promised to find me once he reincarnates, but how can that be possible? He won't remember me. He'll be a new man with fake memories and a whole new family. I have to accept he's gone. The love of my life is gone, and I only got to call him that for a few months. Perhaps we were like the brightest of stars, we burned bright and brilliant and full of love, but we burned our fuel too quickly, and ended with a spectacular finish. Our love was too strong to ever last long, and I'm okay with that. I have to be.

Finally, Liam pulls back and simply stares at me, a look of disbelief on his face. I reach up and wipe his tears away, cradling his cheek in my hand.

"We didn't want this to happen." He chokes out. "But they were hunting us and...I even took a vote but..." A defeated sigh escapes him.

"You're such an idiot, you know that?" I say fondly.

"Oh yeah? I am? Well, you're one heck of a jerk, yourself." Something resembling a smile plays on his mouth. "You made me think you were-" Dead. He tries to choke out the word but he falls short. A faint smirk pulls at my lips and I place my other hand on the other side of his face.

"Never again," I whisper into the still air between us.

"Never again." He repeats.

"King Li- uh" A messenger arrives and falters when I look up at him. His eyebrows shoot up and he glances between us for many moments before he clears his throat and tries again. I can't help but stifle a laugh. "Queen Sage, you might want to see this." He reports.

I nod and struggle to get up, Liam assisting me. I lean on him as he follows the man. We come across a crowd encircling something, and with a quick announcement of who I am a path is quickly made for us to get through.

As soon as we break through to the middle of the circle my breath catches in my throat. My heart seems to stop and my blood runs cold.

Kneeling on the ground in the mud and rainwater is none other than Griselda, Lance's killer.

My fists clench at my sides as I stare down at her, all of my bottled-up emotions breaking through. I'm suddenly back on that island that night. The battle, the glint of a sword, the surety of death, the shock when the blade didn't pierce me, Lance's blood hot on my hands, the kiss, leaving his body there to rot. The anger, the sorrow, the betrayal, it all comes rushing at me.

"We didn't know what to do with her, and since you're awake now I guess it's your decision." One of my few remaining knights comments.

"Give me a sword," I say to no one in particular. Some people turn away, understanding the situation. Mothers herd their children away, others stepping back to make space. A sword appears in my hand. It isn't mine, but it'll have to do.

I break away from Liam and awkwardly limp forward, my limbs screaming. The girl in question looks up at me, her eyes tired.

"Sage." She says without a hint of surprise or contempt. She says it simply, as if stating a known fact.

"Griselda." I spit her name with venom. Her eyes trail down to the sword in my hand. I notice at that moment the blood caking her body. Is it hers or someone else's? Does it matter?

"You're going to kill me." She says it with a curious certainty as if it's simply a fact. I clench my fist around the sword, staring at her for many long moments. I think of Lance, and what he would say. He wouldn't want this. But Lance is gone. And it's because of her.

"Yes," I tell her. She nods, averting her eyes to the ground.

"Good." Is all she offers. All emotion bleeds away until I'm simply numb, staring down at this girl not much younger than me who took everything.

"Why?" I ask. "Why are you here?"

"Ivar's dad worked with my uncle, Tempus. I owed him, and so he hired me to help out here. Hold his son accountable and be a witness to account for the fact that Ivar actually killed your brother." She sighs. I say nothing. She looks back up at me.

"Please, make it quick. And please, for the love of the goddesses just do it." Her shoulders sag greatly. "I can't take it anymore. The guilt. I've done so much wrong in this life. I just want it to be over." Her eyes find mine and I can see the emptiness behind them. "If you won't do it, here and now, I will do it myself."

I furrow my eyebrows, testing the weight of the sword in my hand. It feels so natural to have one back in my palm, yet so unnatural to be wielding it against a person in this way.

"I am going to kill you, Griselda. I deserve that closure. I deserve to no longer lie awake wondering if you will ever receive justice." I tell her.

"I know. I know you do." She draws herself up, presenting her chest forward, the perfect position for me to stab through it. "I hope to at least get to Enid's kingdom. Doing labor for the rest of eternity doesn't sound that bad. It sounds peaceful. But if I end up in Cato's country...well, I suppose that's truly what I deserve, yes?" She smiles without humor, and that's when I run her through.

She falls backwards, staring up at the pouring sky. Choking on her own blood, she grins. "Thank you." She whispers, her tormented eyes igniting with glee right before life drains from them.

I take a deep breath, staring down at her with something close to pity, remembering all of the things she did and all of the things she went through. Eventually, I turn away from her and limp back to Liam. I don't look him in the eye, not yet, but he puts a strong arm around me and holds me up to take some of the weight off of my aching legs.

We turn away and move to stand a couple of paces away, staring at the remains of the battlefield as medics come to take Griselda's body away. I'll make sure she is honored just as all the other dead will be.

"Where are Kate and Reid?" I ask, spotting a familiar red dragon flying overhead with some of Willow Isle's dragons. I can feel him sag next to me.

With perfect timing, the girl in question trots up to us. She has a surprised look for a moment before her grimy face flashes into a smile.

"My queen! You live!" She says with a chuckle. I smile at her.

"It seems so." Her gaze moves over to Liam.

"Liam...um..." Her face drops into a mask of sorrow.

"I know about Reid." He says bluntly. "I saw her when I was down there." It's quiet for a few long minutes. "Were you with her when it happened?" His voice is emotionless yet his eyes house the bottomless grief and sadness I know he harbors. I'll need to talk to him about that later.

"Yes. Both me and Terrona." I'm confused for a moment before I put two and two together. Poor Liam...

"Good. At least she wasn't alone." He sighs. "I hope Kismed treats her well."

"She will. Reid died a hero." Kate's voice wobbles a bit when she speaks. I squeeze Liam's hand, leaning my head on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.

"I should get back, I'm helping account for everyone so we can get an idea of how many we lost. I'll talk to you later?" Her words hold more weight than usual, suggesting this talk will be a hard and personal one. She puts a hand on his shoulder, never one for much physical contact, and gives him a small, sad smile.

"Of course," Liam responds and we both watch her retreat back into the busy crowd. We're silent for many moments, processing the damage this war caused. It's then that something catches my eye.

"Look, Sage, there's something you should know-" He starts but I cut him off.

"What's that?" I ask, leaning forward and squinting through the thinning rain. There's a dark mass on the battlefield, much bigger than any human could be. It's not a cart or catapult, and it's much too big to be a tent or box. It almost looks like...it can't be. "No."

"Sage- Wait!" I'm already stumbling towards the form, pushing my wobbly legs to hold me up.

It can't be. It just can't be. Please don't let it be. Oh please, goddesses it just can't be Viserion. Don't make me go through this, not again. Oh please, please, please.

"Sage! Sage can you just wait for a second!" Liam catches up to me but I shrug him off, my only goal is to reach it. Reach him.

And then I notice right in front of me is another person. A rat. Renate.

He's kneeling on the ground, his head hanging low, his ears pressed against the back of his skull. His fur is caked in dirt and blood and soot. I clumsily fall to my knees beside him, unable to look away from the sight in front of us. I see him look up in my peripherals, staring at me unblinking.

"No..." I whisper, the sound of Liam walking up behind me the only noise to accompany the pattering of the gentle rain. "Not him...anyone but him." Tears gather and tip over my eyelids, blurring my vision.

In front of me, the colossal form of Viserion lays still, his dark hide blending in with the falling night. Giant spears pierce his scaly body, covering him like a porcupine. Dozens of projectiles cover his thick body, all potentially harmless except for one. A single one stuck straight through his throat. His beautiful violet eyes stare, unblinking, straight at us, his heart had stopped beating not long ago. Faint warmth still radiates from him, a ghost of his usually heated body.

"Sage..." Renate chokes out beside me. He tries to say multiple things but all end up as false starts. Finally, I see him look away from me and place his head in his paws. "I'm so sorry. It's my fault. It's all my fault."

That's all it takes for a sob to escape me, and then the floodgates open. I cover my mouth to stifle my wails, doubling over with the physical pain I feel in my chest. I feel Renate's smaller body press up against me, clutching at my pants as he, too, cries. Liam's bandaged hand is placed on my shoulder as a silent comfort before he quietly retreats back up the hill, letting me and Ren mourn together.

Shakily, I crawl closer to the dragon. Placing a hand on his faintly warm shoulder, before tracing along the old scar running up his neck to his broken horn, I caress his still face. Ren comes over as well and presses his forehead into our friend's neck.

Carefully, I close his eyes, and if I look past the blood and the spears I can almost believe he was sleeping. Perhaps he stayed out too long on lookout, maybe he went for a fly and decided to rest in this field where he fell asleep. Maybe he simply needed a break from the kids. He would wake up any second now. He would wake up and everything would be back to normal. He will...he'll wake up...I just need to...he'll...

He'll never see the triplets grow up.

Oh, goddesses, what did we ever do to deserve this?

I collapse against him, curling against his dark figure like I had done countless times before, clutching at him as sobs rack my body. Renate drags himself over and curls into me, and there we lay for a long time. The rain slows to a drizzle and the moon peeks out over the horizon.

Viserion...my best friend, my confidant, my brother. He's always been there. Since the first day I arrived in this world, he's been by my side. He didn't need to follow me, and he didn't need to help me, yet he did. That terrified young dragon who had only been wronged by this world followed me without a second thought and fought for me through thick and thin. And then that same scared yongling grew into a brave, battle-hardened warrior and father. And still, he stayed beside me.

He always told me he would be with me until the end...but dragons live so much longer than humans so I never thought that I'd...I'd ever have to be in a world without him.

How will I live in Eladea without him?

Six years. I've spent every day with him for over six years.

Oh, goddesses...why?

It feels as if my world is closing in on me, guilt closing its vice grip around my neck and not letting go. I can't breathe, I can't think. All I can think about is one thing: I killed him. This entire battle is my fault. If I hadn't been so trusting then all of my people never would have been in the position. He died in a battle I caused.

Pain joins guilt's assault on my being, wrapping itself around my heart and squeezing.

"He saved me." Renate whispers into the fragile silence between us once our cries had died down. "I was stupid...so stupid, stupid, stupid. I tried to go after Ivar but he had a trap set up and I didn't see it, but he did and he...he protected me. The selfless bastard took the spears meant for me."

He pointlessly thumps a paw against the hide of the dragon. Again and again, he begins beating his fist against him. "Why? Why, why, why, why? It should be me! It was meant to be me, you daft, righteous, fool! You always had to be the bloody hero!" I carefully pull him away, cradling him against me until his thrashing stops. "Why?" He asks once more with a shaky voice that makes my heart break in two.

"You're tail..." I notice, looking with a sort of detached alarm at the nub where his tail used to be.

"Huh? Oh. That's old news by now, darling. Do try to keep up, yeah?" He tries for humor but it comes out as sounding flat.

"Does Myshica know?" I ask quietly, stroking his back absentmindedly, trying not to burst into tears yet again. Usually, he hated being "pet", but this time he doesn't say anything.

"Yeah, she's already, er, mourned. She left to see the triplets, wanted to break the news without them seeing the...um...body."

"And Amber?" I ask, glancing up at the sky where she still circles overhead with the other dragons.

"She saw it happen. Tried to stop it but, you know. He was faster. I think she's trying to blow off steam right now. The other dragons are there to make sure she doesn't set the whole forest on fire." He says weakly. I nod into his fur.

"Did you get to say goodbye?" I whisper after a moment.

"Yeah. He uh...he said he was honored to call me his brother for all this time and to be able to fight by my side. He thanked me for teaching him to be brave. But he also said...he said that if our sister woke up to tell you that he loves you and that he's glad he got to serve a queen as good as you." He laughs humorlessly. "I guess talking telepathically really has its perks in regards to your last words when you have an arrow in your throat, yeah?

"His death was...slow. He talked to Myshica for a long time, privately. Talked about his kids, Liam, and his past, among other things. His only wish was that we bury him on his old island where his and Myshica's family was killed. The stubborn idiot really tried to talk his way out of anything, huh? Even his own death..." He curls up tighter in my arms, and I squeeze him, closing my eyes.

"Kismed gained a lot of great warriors tonight." I barely whisper and he nods weakly into my chest.

We sit there silently for a few minutes, remembering our best friend, reminiscing in our memories. Eventually, though, I sit up and gaze at V for a long moment, setting down Renate and crawling over to his head. I stroke the scales under his eye, his body now gone cold. I wipe away the raindrops plopping silently on his cheek and press a kiss to his snout. I lay my forehead against him, Renate doing the same at V's neck.

"Goodbye, brother," I say under my breath. "Thank you. For everything." I take a shaky breath in, straighten myself and wipe away the tears flowing down my cheeks. Renate backs away with me, and after a long moment of staring at the lifeless body of our best friend, we turn away to go back up the hill.

If I've learned anything in the many times I've had to say goodbye it would be this: you can't mourn forever. It may feel like you need it, or you may want to, but at some point, you have to move on.

Though, I have a distinct feeling the grief will come back once this whole ordeal is done with and I can actually have some time alone to process all that has happened. But until then, there is business to be done.

I expertly file away the pain and guilt and grief, packing it away and shoving it back into the depths of my mind to be dealt with at a later date. There's no time for a breakdown right now. I feel my suffocating emotions bleeding away, leaving me numb for the time being.

My legs still burn, but they're seeing to remember how to walk again. I stumble here and there, but I mostly make the trip back by myself. When we reach the top of the hill, Liam is there, talking to a tall man in the armor of Willow Isle. He doesn't seem to notice me yet, but before I can make my way over to him, Renate breaks off and sprints to the right, running faster than I had ever seen him before.

I follow his path and see Elric, his mate, turning away from a wounded soldier they had just covered with a blanket. I watch with a clenched heart as Ren all but tackles his husband to the ground, holding him so tight I fear for Elric's ability to breathe. They pull apart just enough to look at each other, checking one another for wounds. Elric fusses over Ren's multiple cuts and bruises, Renate inspects the blood on El's temple, and then they're latched together again. Ren buries his snout in his mate's shoulder and cries, Elric holding his love tenderly, and with such care, it makes me long for the same.

I smile faintly, glad my friend has someone he can love so deeply and of whom who loves him back. Hesitantly I turn away from my Head Knight and Royal Messenger, and make my way back to Liam.

I unintentionally sneak up on Liam and his friend, and in doing so catch wind of some of their conversation.

"Are you sure you're alright?" The colossal man says with a silky, deep voice. His face is stoic and mean-looking, but his eyes are soft and warm.

"Y-yes, I'm uh, I'm fine," Liam says. Is he...stuttering? Since when does my energetic, talkative brother stutter?

"That's good. I wouldn't want my twig getting too wounded. That's my job." The man smirks in an obviously flirtatious way before punching Liam in the shoulder. Liam coughs and sputters, trying desperately to form words.

"I heard your friend, the white-haired one, met their untimely end. I'm very sorry. You two seemed very uh...close." The man's face turns solemn and soft as he speaks.

"Yes well...thank you," Liam says quietly, a shadow falling over his face. Deciding to save my brother from his own awkwardness, I step in.

"Liam!" I exclaim, placing a hand on his shoulder. He shakes himself from his stupor, his eyes lighting up when he catches sight of me.

"Sage! You're back. I thought you would have needed more time to, you know, mourn." He grimaces. "Sorry, that came out wrong."

"No, it's fine, muffin. I and Renate made peace with it. Well, as much as possible at this moment. I'm sure we'll do more, er, as you said, mourning, later." He gives me a pitying look and nods. I shake myself off and turn to the man he had been talking to. "Liam, why don't you introduce me to your friend," I say, sneaking him a not-so-sneaky wink. His cheeks go up in flames and he gives me the "I'm going to kill you" look.

"Sage, this is Rowdan. We met at an illegal slave-fighting ring. Rowdan, this is Sage, my sister." He introduces.

"Very nice to meet you Row- wait did you say slave-fighting?" I turn to look at him so fast my head hurts.

"Nice to meet you as well, Queen Sage. I've heard many great things about you. And don't worry about the whole fighting thing, I kept Twig here safe and sound." He winks at my brother, who in turn looks as if he's going to combust. I decided to ignore the previous statement and file it away for a later date.

Instead, I perform my sisterly duties and analyze the man. He's definitely handsome, that's for sure. A strong physique, extremely tall- even taller than Liam who is easily one of the tallest people in New Eladea- a stoically attractive face, and a high-ranking officer if the badges and cape are anything to go off of. He sounded concerned for Liam, which is a green flag, and King Malik is famous for only hiring the best to be in his army. Looking good so far.

"Rowdan, why were you in a slave-fighting ring? And why was Liam there, too?" I ask him, crossing my arms and narrowing my eyes in a sort of challenge.

"Well, your majesty, my king usually assigns me to take down any underground fighting arenas he learns of, due to my larger size and credibility in the illegal areas of the kingdom. My assignment was to infiltrate the innards of the ring and create an opening for the police to take it down for good. Your brother here just so happened to get kidnapped and put on the same cart as me when we were being transported into the arena. I simply helped them escape. Though, they did the most work." He responds in the most diplomatic and practiced way possible. He makes eye contact with me and holds it, narrowing his eyes slightly before flashing me a charming smile.

I take a step forward and stare up at him, not feeling a bit intimidated by the fact that he's a whole head-and-a-half taller than me. I stare intently at him, trying to dig through his hard outer later to see what lies beneath. After all, the last guy I thought was decent turned out to be a murderous, sociopathic psycho who almost killed me and everything I love.

"Oh my goddesses Sage, would you stop," Liam complains from behind me. Neither I nor Rowdan responds. After a long few moments of our staring contest, I smirk and take a step back.

"I like him," I say, glancing at my brother who has his head in his hands. He has gusto, that's for sure. The exterior of his eyes is cold and strong, but in the layers beneath he's kind and warm. I sense there's a reason he's one of the highest-ranking soldiers in Willow Isle's army.

"Yes," Rowdan responds, narrowing his eyes slightly in a curious way, our scrutinizing eye contact continuing. "I do too." He says with a smirk. I flash a knowing smirk back at him, and the ever-clueless Liam simply looks between us, confusion apparent on his face.

"Sage!" I finally break away to see Terrona sprinting up to me. I smile broadly and open my arms to accept her hug. It knocks the wind out of me and she squeezes me so hard I'm almost unable to get the air back. "Oh my dear, my sweetheart, I knew you would survive! I just knew it!" I smile against her hair and close my eyes briefly, savoring the feeling of her in my arms again.

Finally, she pulls away and is beaming ear to ear, yet her eyes hold a sadness that is no doubt in relation to Reid.

"Oh, dear..." She whispers, holding the sides of my face. I smile back at her, tears pricking at my eyes as I look into the eyes of one I had come to see as my mother. "Are you alright? I heard about Viserion...oh honey are you ok?"

"For now, yes. I'm saving the actual breakdown for later." I say with a humorless laugh. Her eyes search mine and her brows furrow in confusion. "But I guess I should be asking you the same question. How are you?" She ignores my question and studies me with motherly curiosity.

"But there's something else, isn't there?" She asks me after a moment. Then her eyes widened in realization. "Oh, sugar, who did you leave behind?" She whispers. I feel myself suck in a breath in surprise.

"How did you-"

"Your majesty!" I look up to see Elric trotted over, his paw clutching Ren's tightly. I smile and greet the rat. Then, two more of Willow Isle's soldiers walk over and Liam greets them like old friends. Finally, Kate joins our group and she and Liam have yet another emotional reunion. Liam actually hugs the touch-scared Kate, and a few tears are shed during the embrace.

"Right...what now?" Ren asks after the reuniting was over.

"Well, I'm assuming this whole thing was to get the capital back, right?" Everyone nods. "And I'm just going to go out on a limb here and say that Ivar is uh...no longer a part of the equation?"

"He's dealt with. Trust me." Liam said, a fog falling over his eyes. Yet another thing filed for discussion at a later date.

"So, if the knights in Derynas are without a leader, I suspect they can be defeated pretty easily. And you guys took out a pretty sizable chunk of the army here." I explain.

"The majority of his army only fought for him because he was holding their families hostage, according to Xandere. So, chances are most of them will probably just surrender." Ren offers. Liam's head jerks up at the mention of the name I don't recognize.

"Don't worry, that boy is going to be alright. It was a close call, but he'll live." Terrona assures him. Liam's shoulders visibly relax and he lets out a breath of relief.

"Good. That's good."

"Right then, I think that you guys have gone without a home for long enough. I say, let's go take our city back."

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。* 。 • ˚《

The city was ruined. Almost every building was either burned down, destroyed, or ransacked until there was nothing salvageable. We found a couple of dozen homes still in living order, and assigned a few families to each, but as for everyone else, we let them into the castle. Tears were shed as families relived their traumatizing flee from their homes, and friends were reminded of the people they had lost in the battle. But ultimately, spirits were high. We decided to let everyone have a week to gain strength back, tend to their wounds, and honor the dead. Then we would start work on rebuilding our city.

But for now, I stand at the large doors that lead into the courtyard with one of my few remaining knights. The others were with Renate and Kate (who I intend to knight as soon as I get the chance) and were taking inventory of Ivar's knights and putting them in the dungeons until they could face trial. Luckily, most of them surrendered without fuss as soon as they heard their leader was dead, and we released their families. The others that resisted were taken care of quickly. The servants that were left here tried to turn themselves in too, but we politely refused and sent them to prepare every available room and to set up the larger rooms such as the ballroom, throneroom, and council chamber to receive as many people as possible.

My people file slowly through the gates, trudging over the rubble and burnt pieces of their homes. They carry their wounded with them on blankets and make-shift stretchers and some limp from their own wounds. Though their eyes are haunted with the sights of war, all of their faces are triumphant as they march into the castle they had fought so hard for. I'm so very proud of each of them.

Some greet me as they make their way in, thanking me and praising me. I try to shrug it all off but it weighs on me. I did nothing. Liam should be receiving their thanks, not me.

The prince in question was somewhere in the castle, trying to settle people comfortably in the steadily filling palace. Maybe we could place some people in the hallways? It's not as if these people have had any privacy the past two months, perhaps they'll be ok with it.

Either way, we'll make it work. We've made it this far, we won't give up simply because of a space issue. It'll be fine, now. I'm sure of it.

"Hey! You, there! Halt!" I perk up at the sounds of a scuffle. I trot over to see my knight and one of Willow Isles' stopping a man from entering.

"What's the meaning of this?" I ask, looking between the two men.

"Your majesty." My knight greets me. "I don't recognize this man. I've spent two months with all of these people, gotten to know each and every one, and I've never seen him before." He reports. I nod, stepping between them to size up the man.

"Why are you here?" I ask, my hand firmly on my newly acquired sword.

"Well uh, I...I'm not entirely sure. I woke up this morning and I just kind of...knew I had to go here. I don't know why, I just had this compulsion, I guess is the right word for it." I furrow my eyebrows. The goddesses, perhaps? But why? I glance down as he shifts a sleeping baby swaddled in a fluffy blanket to his other arm.

"Ok then. Where did you come from? Do you know that much?" I ask him, suddenly feeling so exhausted.

"Um...north. I think. That way." He gestures vaguely behind him, the baby in his arms beginning to get fussy. He shushes it and bounces it gently, and after a moment the child calms down. It looks like a newborn. I wonder where the mother is?

I take that moment to get a good look at him. He's no taller than me, with a stocky yet fit build. His hands are calloused and chipped, perhaps a farmer or woodworker? Something that keeps him in the sun, based on his tan. In the low torchlight, I can't see much, but he looks around my age, with a gentle and kind face. His jet-black hair is long, brushing against his jawline and a closely groomed beard sits on his chin.

But it's another realization that makes chills run up my spine and tears prick at the back of my eyes.

It's this realization that makes me want to cry and scream and jump around and sing my praises to the goddesses.

It's this realization that makes my knees go weak and my eyes burn with forming tears.

It's this realization that makes the rest of the world fall away.

This man has eyes that I've only seen on one person. His accent is unlike any other, except for one very important man.

His eyes are the same color as a storm cloud on the horizon, and his voice...he talks in an accent just the same as mine with just a twinge of Irish underlying it.

I'm frozen, so shocked I almost miss the knight beside me ask him, "Well, if you don't know why you're here, and you don't know where you came from, do you at least know who you are?"

"I-I don't know." The man answers as if it's a realization he just came to, himself.

I feel hope fluttering in my chest. A single tear spills over my eyelid and falls down my cheek. The man looks at it with equal parts confusion and concern. It takes every fiber of my self-control to prevent myself from surging forward and hugging him and kissing him and holding him until my body stops shaking. I feel like sobbing and laughing and yelling all the same.

All of the grief and torment and strife I had been feeling for the past day falls away, replaced by pure, unbridled happiness. He looks just the same yet so different. It's then I decide that maybe, just maybe, it's going to be alright.

"I do," I whisper into the bitter-sweet night. "I do."

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。* 。 • ˚《

Word count: 7732

Wow....I hate to say it, but this was the last chapter. All that remains is the Epilogue. I can't believe it. It feels like yesterday I posted the first chapter, excited to continue the Eladea world, and now it's almost over.

I'm going to save all the mushy feelings until the ending notes of the epilogue, but I'd just like to say thank you for sticking with me.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter, I know a lot happened. I tried my best to not make it confusing, so sorry if that failed horribly lol.

Anyways, I will, for the last time, see you next week.