Months passed. The city of Eagle's Fall had been rebuilt and grown stronger than ever before. The Valerians learned from their mistakes and improved where they could. Hope reappeared in their hearts and the kingdom had risen with it. More and more they began to reach out to other planets in their galaxy, providing aid and supplies where needed to try and even their scores.

Everyone had left the past behind and learned from its mistakes to strive to be better like Aidan had told them to. All except for one. The queen was still lost in the clouds, seeking something to fill the empty void the jedi had left behind. She seemed to have left her past self behind and embraced the duties that came with being the phoenix, as she had promised herself the day they had left.

Instead of working as a healer she now instead aimed to prevent the people from getting hurt in the first place by quelling issues before they could get dangerous. Where a problem arose, the queen was first to attend to it, letting herself sink into her work to keep herself from facing reality.

As one would expect, the problems started to disappear the more she worked. Most saw it as an accomplishment, something to celebrate, a reward for her hard work yet the queen grew frustrated with the decline. She needed something to keep her occupied for when she allowed herself to rest she would begin to reminisce on what could have been and what she was still missing.

There was a growing restlessness within her, something that craved more. What, she didn't know and it scared her with its intensity. So instead, she drank her worries away when she had nothing to do, living to fight another threat the next day. The one thing that got her through was the dream, that promise, that she would see him again. 

What a beautiful dream it was. She fought against the last remaining rebels still roaming the kingdoms, hunted down the traitors that had fled court and killed the monsters that plagued the southern borders of her kingdom. Soon the legend of the phoenix became the most popular tale of all. The more often it was told, the more they left out the part of her unlikely allies that in the end made her who she was now.

If Lyanna knew what was happening she would've corrected them without a doubt but she was too far up in the clouds to notice. The queen often didn't return directly after facing down a threat. Instead, she occasionally visited an unlikely friend.

The cave was familiar to her, the tree of life still ever blooming, magic flowing through its branches and seemingly protecting the person they had placed beneath it, hidden deep within the mountains for no one to find. There was a secret passageway that only she and Aidan knew of, one that was impossible to find without the intel.

"I killed another dragon." Lyanna mumbled through tight lips, cleaning the blood off her sword while sitting on the cold stones. The leaves collided with her cheeks, ripping her from her train of thought. The wind whirled through her hair as she sighed deeply, lifting her gaze from the iron and watching the crystal prison. Her eyes focused on his, the brown irises clear through the encasing in which he was entrapped.

"It was the last of his kind. If he had given me a choice, I would've let him live." She stood up, pacing in front of the glowing crystal. "Now his only legacy are the ashes he left behind."

"I wish... I wish you had given me a choice." Dropping her gaze, she stalled. It was at that exact spot that her mother had been killed, she remembered. For as far as she knew, it was the final push that had taken Arthas down the path of darkness. 

Lyanna believed her spirit was still there, giving life to the tree and everything around her. She could feel her presence as she walked closer to it, her fingers gliding over the soft wood. It hummed with a power that was familiar to her but also completely unknown. Maybe with her soul accompanying him during his imprisonment, Arthas might see the light in the end.

"She must have had a reason the bind us." Lyanna tried to convince herself. "There has to be more to your fate than being trapped in time." Gliding back to his prison, she placed her hand against the cold stone, inches from his outreaching fingers.

"Anduin is waiting for you at the gates of Valhalla." She whispered to him, hoping that it might evoke a reaction from him. "He still believes there's good in you, that there's more to your life than this mad quest for vengeance. I have to believe that mother saw that too, that she chose to save your life so you could fulfil your true destiny."

"Arthas, you're more than a destroyer." Hopeful words spoken by a desperate queen. Light flickered in her eyes as she looked at his. "I have to believe it. For if I don't, I can't believe I'm more than a destroyer, either."

For a moment she thought she'd seen his eyes move, a token of life, a token that he was listening to her voice. Yet when she looked closer, he was still in the same position as the moment he tried to kill her. Biting her lip, she turned back around and gathered her things. "I'll be back soon, Arthas."

After almost 2 weeks of being absent she returned to her castle, covered in thick blood from the black dragon she had slain, still lost in her thoughts.

Aidan had organised another feast to celebrate her return, filling the throne room with warriors and peasants from all around the kingdom. The noise from the celebrations made her head ache the moment she landed near the entrance, wrapping her black wings behind her back after the last smoulders had cooled down. The few that stood there were already relieving themselves of the excess alcohol, too dazed to notice her arrival as she opened the great doors.

Lyanna tried to slip through the great hall unnoticed, keeping her head down as she walked to the end. Yet her black armor and red braided hair were too distinguishable for no one to notice. "The phoenix has returned!" The feasting warriors bellowed and raised their glasses, shouting in vigour and admiration. Soon she felt everyone's eyes on her, ceasing all their other activities to glower at her.

"All right, all right, settle down." Lyanna rolled her eyes yet smiled broadly, accepting a gallon of ale she was handed by one of her soldiers.

"How went the hunt, your majesty?" They all looked at her expectantly, hoping to hear the glorious tale they were craving oh so madly.

"Let's just say that dragons are not fireproof from within." Lyanna winked at them, raising her glass in victory. "Sköl!" She toasted, laughing when all the others followed her, shouting the words and downing their drinks within seconds. As quickly as she had gained it she lost their attention. Throwing away her now empty mug, she swayed as she turned around and resumed on the path she was previously taking.

She left the warriors' party for the war room where she was sure Aidan resided. He too had a hard time giving himself time to rest, be it for a totally different reason. He had taken up most of the more formal tasks that kingship had to offer. 

His grey eyes glanced up the moment he heard the door open, an excited glint soon appearing in his eyes only to quickly transform into a disgusted one. "Sister!" He greeted and folded his arms before his chest, waving at the blood that now dripped onto his marble floor. "Fresh from battle, I see?"

"Someone had to come check on you, dear brother, before you lose yourself in paperwork." Lyanna shrugged, placing her sword against the wall and started to take off parts of her armor. "How's the kingdom? Did I miss anything?" Her eyes focused on him as she fiddled with her pauldrons, glancing aside and smiling when she saw Stefan standing beside him. He only shook his head in dissaprovement yet a clear smirk played around his mouth.

Aidan only sighed, used to her now chaotic antics. "Well, the Greywaters have finally signed the peace treaty which is very beneficial for us. As we've been hoping for months, the fourth war is finally over." He pointed at the map, removing the last piece off of it. "Besides that, there isn't much. The crops have been harvested and are ready to be transferred to those in need, a new platoon has been formed and is ready for combat and farmer Johnson has been requesting funds for his cows, again."

"For Odin's sake!" Lyanna rolled her eyes, walking around the table and placing a soft kiss on her brother's cheek as a late greeting. "How many times do we have to remind him that they weren't killed by draugr but instead by his own carelessness. If he'd requested our aid before the wolves had killed the last of his livestock he wouldn't be in this predicament." She shook her head as she poured herself a glass of the royal wine, sighing in frustration.

"Well, our most prized huntress was gone on another adventure." Aidan looked at her intently, leaning forward over the table. Instead of acknowledging his meaning, Lyanna shrugged it off and let her own eyes glide over the maps.

"Anything else?" She asked, placing the red wine against her lips and savouring the sweet taste that followed.

"No, completely silent,-" Aidan hastily answered, only to be interrupted.

"What his majesty forgot to tell you, -" Stefan glared at him with a side eye and then turned back towards his friend. "The council is still of opinion that the king should marry. They say that the people are growing restless due to the lack off, well...royal offspring."

Lyanna snorted immediately on her wine, doubling over as tears sprang up in her eyes. As the coughs ripped through her she wiped away the moisture around her eyes, laughing when she finally regained the breath to do so. "Who do they want him to marry?" She giggled at Aidan's expression when it turned sour.

"Oh, I'm going to enjoy this." She sat down on a chair, watching in anticipation when the two men glanced at each other warily. As if watching a movie, she continued to sip her wine. "Well? I sure do hope they haven't chosen one of the weary-eyed teenagers that have been roaming around him. I'm sure they would swoon every moment he walks into the bedroom." She chuckled to herself, finding the pure image of it amusing.

"They have chosen you." Stefan clenched his jaw and tried to keep his face serious when Lyanna snorted again, the wine flying over the table. Aidan coughed awkwardly as her coughs ripped through her body and wiped away the few drops that had landed on his cheeks.

"You got me there." Lyanna's voice was high as she thumped her hands on her chest, trying to get the liquid out of her lungs as she laughed hesitantly. When Aidan pressed his teeth together and cocked his head to the side, hissing softly, she sat upright in her chair, glancing at Stefan instead. "You're serious?"

"I'm afraid so." Stefan numbly said. "They argue that you aren't siblings by heritage. Instead, they think you're the perfect match given you're both royals with a good claim to the throne and have both been chosen by the people to lead. Above all, they find the current power system unbalanced and unclear." He rubbed his head roughly, each word feeling odd in his throat. "They had a vote. It was unanimous."

"Huh." Lyanna narrowed her eyes and glanced at her brother. He had his eyes focused on his hands as they leaned on the table, too embarrassed to look her in the eyes. "Well, -" She diverted her gaze back to Stefan. "tell them they can stick it up their asses." Aidan cracked a smile immediately, a relieved sigh escaping his lips as Stefan only softly nodded in response.

"Marry my brother, for Odin's sake, have they gone mad?" She leaned back in her chair again, downing the remainder of her wine and focussing her eyes on the map as a silence ensued. The idea of marriage was still odd to her. Even after all this time, part of her was still waiting for the jedi to return. Her hope wavered with each passing day.

"They are scared, your majesty." Stefan mumbled quietly. "Their current powerbase is formed out of two people with no real ties to each other that have tried to kill one another in the past." He nodded, lifting his eyes back to her. "They need reassurance." Stefan stated. "I don't blame them for becoming anxious after these troubled times."

Lyanna nodded, understanding his meaning, yet still not in the least prepared to do it. They remained in an awkward silence, all of them thinking of any other possible solution to the problem. That until someone knocked at the door, entering carefully and holding up a holo.

"There's a holomessage from the republic for you, your majesties." The servant glanced at everyone's bewildered faces but placed the device on the table when Aidan waved his hand.

"Saved by the holo." Lyanna cheered and leaned forward, watching the blue opaque message appearing in front of her. She narrowed her eyes immediately when she first recognized the light brown robes of the jedi, hope fluttering in her stomach until she saw an unfamiliar face attached to it.

"Good day, your majesties." A dark skinned man greeted them, bowing slightly before focussing on Aidan again. "My name is Master Windu. I bring an urgent request from both the jedi council and the high chancellor of the Republic Senate."

"Go on, master jedi." Aidan nodded for him to continue while Lyanna's whole body was filled with nerves. She leaned across the table; her eyes focused on the master's expression.

"We have read the report Master Kenobi wrote concerning his time on your planet." Windu continued, his eyes flickering to the queen. She fidgeted nervously when she heard his name but didn't give any further reaction. It was the first time she heard it in months. "Some of the details are still unclear and we were hoping you could elaborate."

"Of course, master Windu." Aidan nodded and leaned back in his throne, grasping the armrests tightly in his hands. "Ask away."

"I'm afraid we will have to do it in person." Mace insisted. "The Chancellor has asked for the queen specifically. He hopes that with her visit, we could also discuss Valeria's possible entry into the Republic."

"That is..." Aidan's gaze grew worried the moment he glanced up at his sister. They had been venturing deeper into the galaxy and had come into contact with the republic before yet taking part in it still seemed far off the charts. Furthermore, the thought of her going alone to the galaxy's biggest city drove him mad with worry.

"That is a huge request, master jedi. Never before have we left our star system, let alone send a royal away to your capital." He folded his hands before him, his expression dropping. "We wouldn't want to risk joining another war after having just finished one on our own planet."

"I assure you, your majesty, she will be quite safe." Windu stated encouragingly. "I have sent master Plo Koon to come pick her up in a fortnight, as protection. And of course, if you wish, you could send an escort with her."

Aidan quickly glanced at Stefan. "I can go." He understood the message. "If it doesn't take too long, of course, I can't leave Finn to raise our child on his own." Stefan smiled. "Not if I want her to become more than a poet."'

"I assure you, commander, -" Mace quickly interjected. "it won't take longer than a few days."

"Lyanna?" Aidan looked into her direction, his eyes almost pleading with her to say no. It was clear with the way he fidgeted and his brows knotted together that he didn't like the idea in the least, yet he knew that he wasn't the only one that had to make this decision.

Lyanna hummed in response as her fingers tapped on the table in thought, focussing on the familiar clothes Mace Windu was wearing. For months she'd felt empty, without a purpose. With those few words the jedi in front of her had awakened a new flicker of hope that now blossomed within her chest, warmth spreading through her limbs once again and melting off the chains that had been placed around them.

That same hope blew the fires in her heart, its sparks awakening her once more. She smiled as she lifted her gaze, her eyes narrowing in determination. "Stefan, get your bags. We're going to Coruscant."