One Month Later

Seren POV

A pain in my left arm wakes me followed by my right. The doctor warned of this; a tingling sensation, though it resembles more of a thousand needles stabbing my arm in random patterns. Swinging my feet over the bed, the cold floor sends a shiver up my legs.

My prosthetic arm sits on the bedside table. I grab the device, biting my bottom lip when attaching it to the metal contraption attached to the elbow of my left arm. The prosthetic makes a short-lived hissing sound. Gears clink. A slight shock moves up my arm, making it twitch, then my fingers and hand move. It's strange. Sometimes I forget, other times I can't stop staring at the metal hand that has a slightly delayed reaction. The doctor said it'll take time getting used to a prosthetic. I should be grateful. Magic allows me to move my prosthetic like a limb, but every morning I swear I feel my left arm, then I look over and realize it's gone. There's a sinking feeling and I wonder if I'm being silly about it.

"Seren?" Lore calls half asleep. I glance back at him. He turns to rest a hand on my hip, then leans up to kiss my back. "Are your arms bothering you?"

"A little, yeah."

Lore rises fully. His hair tickles my back when he leans in to massage my right arm as the doctor said we should. While my right arm was saved, scars linger. The children said the marks resemble vines twisting up to my elbow. Hyun Woo likes that "we kind of match" in our prosthetics, so they were better reactions than predicted. I had worried they'd be scared or ask a lot of questions that I'd be hesitant to answer because I wouldn't want to frighten them even more.

"The doctor will be visiting again tomorrow for a check up," Lore says, making me groan. He chuckles. "He needs to make sure you're taking well to the prosthetic and that nothing goes wrong with your other arm. And no complaining when he's here. We don't want the children copying and complaining about seeing the doctor."

"I feel like you're using them as an excuse against me," I tease, retreating when Lore tries to lean in for a kiss. With his hold on my arm, he tugs me into his chest to kiss my cheek, then my neck.

"I'm merely making suggestions to keep in mind, seeing as the children have caught on to us. You'll be surprised how often they'll copy you."

"Oh, don't remind me," I grumble, recalling Angel repeating the word "shit" at least four times after she heard me say it. I've never been one to believe we should prevent children from cursing. They're just words, but a part of me cringed upon realizing how easily we influence them.

Chuckling, Lore gets out of bed to head for the bathroom. I follow, joining him at the bathroom sink to brush our teeth. Of course he tries kissing me with a mouth full of toothpaste. I narrowly dodge, managing to finish up before Lore.

Leaning against the doorway, I ask, "Have you been considering when we can move back to the manor?"

Ristain went on an outing to Silra and stopped by to inspect the manor. There was considerable damage, though less than we predicted. Mostly doors kicked in, windows busted, and furniture flipped over in search of anything or anyone left behind. The structure itself remains mostly intact.

"With everything going on, I doubt we can return within the year." He sighs, returning to the bedroom so we can slip into shirts. Lore grabs a hair tie on the dresser to pull his hair into a tight ponytail. "Though the church is losing members faster than we predicted, there's too much heat to risk revealing ourselves yet," he continues, snapping the band.

"The monarchy is keeping an eye out for us too," I add, recalling the last meeting we had with the Red Moon. The monarchy turned on the church quickly. About a week in, the king started announcing investigations into the church's "good for nothing" deals. Trying to throw this mess all on the church. Some believe that, most are hesitant after all that has happened, second guessing everything as we had hoped.

"Valyork probably is as well," Lore says.

"Now would be the perfect time for them to strike."

"Or it's the worst, because if they don't win quickly, it will force everyone back into what they've always known. The church and the monarchy will return to what they once were, like Loraleigh said, and we'll do what we must."

He said that last part with a wicked smile. No doubt referring to the killing he has done up to this point. A part of me feels that Lore almost wants that, that maybe he plans to continue even if our plans work and I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do about any of this. Loraleigh too, I hate that she's right in that sense. Should the vampires decide to attack, they could put an end to all that we've managed to do and all we plan to do. Lore and I agreed to lie low for a few months. Our names and faces are plastered throughout the kingdom. We're too recognizable. That irritated me in the beginning. I wanted to get out there, to continue this momentum, but having a month with Lore and the kids has done more for me than I thought. I feel like I can take a breath.

"What if Valyork doesn't call the attack, but his children do?" I ask.

"That's always a possibility, but I don't know if we need to worry about that." Smirking, he approaches me to rest his arms around my neck. "We have the great Seren Farshine who destroyed two of Vexsis' most powerful Warlords and single handedly battled the Prophet herself. He's an army in his own right, and rather dashing."

"Yeah?" I grab his waist to pull him in for a kiss. "Is that your type then, powerful and dashing?"

"I won't deny that I like a man who can take care of me in more ways than one."

I take his bottom lip between my teeth. He moans, slipping a hand into my hair. I push him back towards the bed, already eagerly marking his neck. Getting dressed seems to have been unnecessary, at least until the bedroom door swings open. I release Lore like he's burning metal.

"Papa, Seren, it's time for breakfast," Oliver announces, shuffling into the room, while reminding me why we have to lock and unlock the door. Lock the door for obvious adult reasons and unlock the door afterwards because one of the kids may need something in the middle of the night.

"Thank you for letting us know. Are you taking over for Draven while he's away?" Lore asks, lifting Oliver into his arms.

"Yep! I woke everyone up... except Arline. She woke me up."

Lore and I laugh. We're about to head downstairs when Oliver whines. Lore gives him a curious stare, then full on howls while I choke at Oliver's demand, "I should get a good morning kiss too. You and Seren gave each other one."

"My apologies." Lore presses a kiss to Oliver's cheek, then leans the boy towards me. I kiss his other cheek, blushing a little, then head downstairs.

We've been staying in a six bedroom house that one of Lore's older children knew was vacant. Apparently, she works in the housing business so she managed to get us here and fabricated some papers that state someone else resides here. It's on the small side compared to Seymour manor, but the children are away from everything. Their lives are relatively normal, allowing Arline to continue teaching them and playing in the expansive yard.

The dining room's a tad cramped even without Cyan and Draven. They must not have returned from their mission. Lore managed to get a few staff members, though nothing compared to what he had at Seymour Manor. Breakfast's sat before everyone and I find myself scurrying about the table to assist the children. Ashby isn't the best at eating dippy eggs on toast, which he learned from me so I'm taking responsibility for the mess. Wiping the yolk from his chin, I catch a glimpse of Lore across the table with Reegan. It reminds me of when I first came to Seymour Manor, how much has changed, and that I wouldn't give up this new life for the world.

"Seren," Ashby calls.

"Yeah?"

"You really scared me when you first showed up," he says, confusing me, but then he smiles bright and warm. "But now I'm super duper glad you're here."

"Me too. I'm glad to be here with all of you." I laugh, breaking into a smile as bright as his.

I never expected to be like this, ever. Even if I hoped to one day marry and become a parent, it almost felt like an unattainable dream. In the back of my mind, I felt I didn't deserve that.

Just then, Cyan and Draven enter the dining room. The children are in an uproar welcoming them. Draven nods, a signal that he wants to talk. Since Lore's buttering more toast for the kids, I get up to join Draven in another room.

"How did things go?" I ask, shutting the doors to the small study behind us.

"Alright," he replies. "The monarchy is continuing to feign ignorance. They've set up a panel to send inquiries to the church, asking for records and proof against all the acquisitions. Many of the citizens aren't buying it."

"That's a good sign."

Draven's frown states there's more before he adds, "Many are demanding that the monarchy must send inquiries to Vexsis as well to return the mortals who were illegally taken there."

"Which we all know won't happen considering those people will point to the monarchy for capturing them."

Draven nods. "And the vampires won't return anyone, regardless of any demands. There's already talk of another war. I've heard from a few of the Red Moon vampires stationed in Vexsis that Valyork has summoned many of his war council, though it remains unclear if it's merely to protect what they determine to be their property or attack."

"Does Ristain have, or plan, to send anyone who could potentially hear these plans? You already spoke to him about all this, right?"

"Yes, we stopped at the Red Moon headquarters first. There are discussions of sending more members, but Valyork is..."

"Paranoid," I finish for him.

"Right. He won't be adding any new members to his council or letting anyone in that he doesn't deem absolutely necessary. So, we likely won't know of an attack until it's already happening."

Rubbing my temple, I let myself fall into a chair. "Although I knew this was just the start, I wasn't prepared for all this stress."

"None of us are." Draven sits in the chair across from me. "We'll be lucky if this only takes a few decades to fix."

"So does that mean you and Cyan will take a much needed vacation before or after all this?" I smile at the slight tension my question puts in his shoulders.

"We've yet to discuss that," he mumbles, keeping his eyes on the floor.

"You should or you'll keep putting it off, then who knows if it will ever happen."

Clearing his throat, Draven changes the subject, "Ristain has other jobs for us, but Cyan and I are taking a few days to rest and recover. You and His Grace should visit headquarters soon to receive further updates. Ristain likely has far more to speak about to the two of you."

With that, he gets up to head for the dining room. Before he leaves, I call, "One more thing, Draven."

He stands by the day, looking back at me.

"Should this work out as we hope, what do you think Lore will want to do afterwards?" I ask, momentarily puzzling him. "Do you think he will want to continue his own form of justice?"

He understands that and doesn't hesitate to nod. "Though that justice won't be aimed so fiercely on the church, but rather whatever crime he stumbles upon."

"And if I told him to stop?"

He hesitates to reply, "He'd probably do it behind your back."

That's what I thought.

"I do believe that he will listen to you in other ways," Draven adds. "If you keep an eye on him, tell him not that person, I think he'd listen. It'd probably do him a lot of good too."

"Maybe." I sigh and choose not to linger on it. Like this war, revolution, whatever it is, it can't be solved overnight. Lore and I will have more to talk about, one day, just not today.

Draven steps out of the room and I follow, rejoining everyone to finish breakfast. The kids have an off day, so Lore and I join them in the backyard. Once pristine, the yard has come to resemble the manor's in the sense that it's crowded with toys and dirt castles. Isabella became determined to create an entire kingdom, even decorated with stick figures courtesy of Hyun Woo and Reegan. They return to their venture while I play hide and seek with the little ones. Lore assists Darika with training. All feels as it should be, happy, playful, and so exceedingly ordinary. It's perfect. It's what I want for the children everyday, although I don't know if I can keep up with them everyday. By noon, I need a break. My arms ache, particularly my left where the prosthetic attaches to my elbow.

Requesting a breather, I sit on the back steps of the house, listening to the children squeal and laugh. There isn't a sound more beautiful than that. Angel chases Nalo with a stick that I think is a make-believe sword. Oliver runs after her roaring, as a dragon I'm guessing? And Ashby shimmies after them with two leaves that... I have no idea what they're meant to be, but we don't question a child's imagination, especially when they're tiring themselves out. Bailey follows them, barking and swinging a giant stick around, so even the dog will need a nap later.

"Mind if I join you?" Lore asks, though plops next to me anyway.

"Tired already? Shouldn't a father as skilled as you have better resilience?"

"No father has the resilience that a child has." Lore leans against me. "What did Ashby say to you earlier in the dining room? You looked happy to hear it."

"Oh, he said he was super duper glad that I'm here."

"Super duper, wow, that's impressive." Lore whistles, then goes quiet. His attention warms me, a soft gaze I can't describe. "I'm glad too, that you're here, that you," He glances at my arm, slipping his hand over the metal that takes a moment to react to his touch. His brows furrow. "I never said how scared I was when this happened, when I saw how injured you were after the battle. I thought the children would lose you, that I would and that I never..."

"Never what?" I ask, puzzled by his pained expression. He surprises me with a kiss, desperate, quick, and still takes my breath away.

"I love you, Seren Farshine," he says, almost pleads. "And I'll love you in every life given to me."

I don't know why hearing him say that alongside my full name makes me choke up. Maybe because I understand that Lore always saw that part of me, even when he wanted me dead. He was able to see past the facade the church forced upon me, slowly picking and prodding at the man within until I was brave enough to step out. Seren Farshine likely would have remained hidden for the rest of my life, if not for Lore.

"I love you too. No amount of time will ever dull my feelings for you, Lore," I reply, tugging him in for another kiss.

Lore leans against me, breaths trembling against my swollen lips. Then we're kissing again and I know I'll never get enough of this, enough of him. I want to hear him say he loves me again, a thousand times over for all our lives to come. Out of everything from the Holy Mother's teachings, I hope at least that bit is true; that our souls will return to this world, so I can find Lore again and again until the end of time.

"When this is over," he whispers against my lips. "We can be a true family; the kids, you, and me. I'll give you everything you've ever wanted."

"That sounds like you're expecting to do all the work while I'm the stay at home dad."

"That is an option. I just want you to know you can make that choice now, Seren. Whatever you want."

"Whatever I want," I repeat, holding his hand tightly. My heart palpitates. To have so many choices, I thought the decision would be hard, but, "I'd like to try staying at home for a while with the kids. Stay at home dad doesn't sound so bad."

"Yeah," he whispers, short of breath, same as I. His eyes search mine, almost frantically. He sits a little closer, whispering every word, "When some time has passed, when we have a chance, Seren, would you... would you marry me?"

"I'd marry you right now," I answer without hesitation because I would. For once, the answers are coming to me so clearly, regardless of Lore's secrets, of my own past, and of the trouble I know to come.

Lore smiles, sweet and beautiful. He presses his forehead against mine, releasing a relieved laugh that I mirror. Then I'm kissing him, hoping for the day when we can have that black wedding he spoke about. Or red. Or purple. Or white. I don't care, so long as it's ours, so long as we're together.

"Papa, Daddy, come play with us!" Nalo shouts so nonchalantly that he doesn't notice what he said. I do though. So does Lore, who stands and offers his hand, smiling so brightly that he could rival every star in the sky.

"Let's go. Our children are calling," he says, pretending not to see the tears building in my eyes.

I take his hand, the one I'm eternally grateful to be offered, and walk with him towards my real family; the ones who love me and the ones whom I love and will love more with every passing day. I couldn't wish for anything better than this. I couldn't dream of anything better than this.

THE END

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Wow, endings are always difficult, but considering how this story wasn't really planned, I think I did okay lol The issues in this story became so deeply rooted in society that I realized there's no way I could address it all. Even then, fix is a word I use lightly. Issues will always remain, so I felt ending on a note that Seren feels happy with his family and prepared for a future with them was the best way to go. Our boys even agreed to marrying one day, which isn't my usual end of a story, but Seren and Lore are 100% the marry and have a big family type, which is obvious XD Anywho, I did have a lot of fun with this story even if I got a bit stressed by the ending. I hope everyone enjoyed it as well!

Make sure to leave questions for the Q&A. I'm going to post it on Sunday to give everyone a few days to respond. Reminder, my new free story is out, Out of the Office Romance, so you can always start that now that TSoLS is over. But yeah, it's the end, thanks everyone!