Peace, at Last

[Jen]

The urge to attend, to visit, to view the wonderous island the messenger spoke about filled Caela. The need and desire almost hurt as she made arrangements for herself, her children, and the nanny. The children went wherever Caela did and thus so did the nanny. With the help of the messenger who had been very eager for her to see the sights, the beautiful young woman had passage on one of the ships charged with carrying party goers to the island. In the day or two it took to get things in order Caela felt a nervous happy energy invade her body, and even the demenor of her usually quiet one year old twins became lighter.

On the ship, which was packed as much as was appropriate, the nervous energy turned into quiet excitement as passengers young and old spoke of the island. Caela herself made a few new friends, quite possibly people she never would have thought to speak to in the first place. The jovial attitude of the crew and captain smacked of opium induced hallucinations of peace and happiness, but no one cared. Everyone had an unexplainable desire to be on this magical island and meet the magical king. The phantom Queen of Xexoria, dethroned and exiled to Ulster, had that same desire.

When the boats landed at the island there was a sociable chaos where new friends mixed with old and every face could have been familiar. They were survivors, lovers, friends, and more all brought together by this island. Caela found herself smiling as she held her twins and looked around. For the first time in her all too young life the woman felt at peace. It was a sensation that gave her a giddy smile and made her quick to laugh. It made her far more beautiful where pain, fear, and exile had once reigned in her carefree nature. Here, her past was far from her. In fact, she was swept up in the mass of people until a young native woman came to her rescue. Instead of being lead to the throne room, Caela asked if she could freshen up first. The children needed changing and a bath. One didn't present oneself to Royalty with a salt spotted gown and disheveled hair. Despite being dethroned Caela had not forgotten protocol.

Once in her room, the nanny having been given one close by, Caela set the children on the floor and spent the better part of half an hour undressing, washing salt off her body, and dressing herself. The rest of the hour was spent chasing two small rascals evading their baths. The entire scene was one that was sweet and peaceful despite the giggling squeals of the children.

[Baleron87]

The scene in the palace garden had all but wiped out the joy he had felt at sensing Caela's presense in the castle. He had realized quite suddenly as he walked through the hallways that Fifteen had tricked him so easily into attacking him. One little slip up, and he had alienated himself from Eroina. It worried him that his actions might have some unintended consequences. If King Edric were to find out about his blunder, what would happen? Would he throw Baleron off of his island for such a transgression? At the moment, he didn't care if he was no longer allowed to stay, so long as he was given the chance to meet up with Caela beforehand. He simply wanted to see her alive and well, and he hoped nothing impeded him from his agenda.

After an arduous hour of searching, he was standing within the guest room hallway, facing a heavy wooden door. He knew Caela was inside. He could feel her blood much more strongly now. He smiled, noticing the amount of movement inside the room. More than likely Caela had given birth by now, and his suspicions were clarified when he noticed the smaller forms moving within the room. He couldn't help but smile at the vision in his mind, and he eagerly began to raise his hand to knock on the door.

However, when it came time to rap upon the wood and let his presense be known, he couldn't move his arm. His eyes bored into the door, expecting that his mind alone might make the necessary sound, but that worked out just as well. After a long minute of simply standing there, he lowered his arm and backed away from the door, resting his body against the wall nearby. His mind was a jumble of confusing thoughts, and he simply couldn't understand why he was so worried about seeing Caela again. He had searched for her for over a year, and when the time finally came to see her once more, he couldn't help but feel like he was intruding. His prior mood from before certainly didn't help the case, of course, but deep down he wondered if Caela even wanted to see him again.

In the end, he straightened up and took a final look at the door, the final imposing barrier that stood between failure and success. A final sigh accompanied his receding steps as he started on down the hallway once again, now lost in feeling and in purpose.

[Jen]

"Evelyn, will you watch the children for an hour? I need to go see those in charge of this island." Baleron would hear this through the door because she had her hand resting on the knob. There was a squeal from behind the door as she turned the knob and opened it. Caela laughed as the door swung open, her back to Baleron whom she didn't realize existed as of yet.

"Children, please. I'll only be gone for a few minutes." A smile, so rare when Baleron had known her, lit up her face as she knelt to accept hugs from her son and daughter, walking well for one year olds. They looked alot like her, but they had the tell tale signs of their fathers. That Caela loved them despite their fathers was a testament to her growth as a woman.

Ushering the children back into Evelyn's arms Caela made her goodbyes and closed the door, still not looking behind her because she didn't expect anyone to be there. When the door was closed she let out a great sign and rested her forehead against the door for a moment and turned from the room.

Caela was so suprised to see another living thing behind her that she let out a rather loud yelp of surprise. She pressed her back against the door and rested her hand over her heart, pounding frantically like a bird within her chest. Surprise turned very slowly into recognition as she narrowed her eyes, there were features that she recognized...

"Baleron?"

He would know her instantly, only her body had changed. Where it had been angular with youth, pregnancy had softened and rounded it into that of a woman. Caela was beautiful and there had never been a doubt about that. Her skin, soft and rosy with her beating heart, blended well with the rich blue gown she'd chosen to present herself in. It held tight to her curves and was achingly modest for such a young woman. She was only eighteen after all. As usual she'd chosen not to touch her face with an ounce of makeup which only added to the freshness of her youth and maturity. In the old world it had been a point of contention, here it made everyone smile.

"Is that you?"

In her heart she hoped so. Losing him had been the hardest thing for her to bear when she'd gone to Ulster. She hoped she wasn't imagining things. This island had that effect on her...

[Baleron87]

He had almost walked out of range of hearing Caela's comment to her nanny as he trudged away from the door, and the sound of her voice stopped him cold in his tracks. The simple, sweet voice he had remembered still lingered pleasantly in his mind, and it seemed as if time hadn't changed it at all. His heart couldn't help but lift at hearing Caela speak once more, and a final surge of purpose ushered him quickly back to the door, standing at attention as he had in the past when his job entitled him to do just that.

Patiently and quietly, he waited for Caela to notice him. Already as she moved out of the doorway, he could tell that she had changed physically much more than he had anticipated. Back when he had first met her, there had been a significant age difference between the two of them. He had already been at least 4 years older than her back when he had entered Rivenfelde City, but now she seemed almost exactly his age, if not a little less. It almost made him second-guess if it was really Caela, and his patient demeanor became quite fidgety.

The sight of her face is what ended up making his mind up for him. Her eyes gave away that she was truly the same Caela he had lost a year ago. Except now, there was a joy in her eyes that he had very rarely seen when they were both in the castle. He only imagined that the birth of her children had boosted her spirits, and memories of times they planned to have together came rushing back in a storm of feelings. He held his honor with her with no mistakes, as had been the case with that annoying noble. Immediately after she asked if he was really who she thought he was, he swept down onto a knee, bowing his head to her. "It is good to see you again... Your Highness."

[Jen]

Caela looked mildly alarmed at Baleron's kneeling and shook her head with a laugh. She rested her hands on his shoulders and looked down at him with her soft violet eyes.

"It has been a long time since anyone has referred to me as "Your Highness". Mother, perhaps, or even a council woman of Ulster -- but Highness..." She smiled, she couldn't help it, and bent to kiss Baleron on the forehead. Her eyes glittered with mirth and acceptance. If ever she were to find someone she had lost, why wouldn't it be here? She hadn't really been looking for him though, she'd thought Baleron had died with the Ascending of the Yuurei. With a glance over her shoulder, listening to the soft mumbling of the nanny reading to her children, Caela glanced at Baleron. She had loved him once.

Those times were so tumultuous in her mind that she was nearly convinced it had been a dream. If only the scars on her body would let her forget completely. Caela held her hand out to Baleron, but instead of waiting for him to take it she started down the hallway, a door leading to the brilliant tropical paradise close by. She turned and smiled at him, her blood red hair longer than he would remember, braided so meticulously and hanging over her shoulder. As she opened the door, the light flooded the hallway, washing over her and making her stand out like a precious gem. He had loved her once, and if he'd come to her perhaps he did still. She could only hope of course.

"Well, are you coming?" Her laugh, as with most things on this island, was intoxicating.

[Baleron87]

In the year of wandering he had subjected himself to, Baleron had partaken of alcohol and weed in a far-fetched attempt to return to him the feelings he had lost when Caela had disappeared from his life all too suddenly. He had been subject to the oddest sensations and feelings with his introduction to the island. But none of those things compared to the simple kiss that had been left on his forehead. Even Edric's touch of the hand could not place first when compared to Caela's sweet, soft lips on his skin. The simple gesture turned his body ice cold and firey hot all at once, and a confused shiver ran up his spine.

She had accepted his existance the way he had expected her to. Even after so long, she still held an amount of grace that could not be matched. He wasn't surprised that she hadn't given into her happiness and thrown herself upon him. He himself felt incapable of doing such a thing, either. Even though he had incredibly missed her every day he spent away from her, he couldn't help but still hold to his original station. Whether it was because of a certain level of shyness, however, he had yet to decide.

His thoughts and mind came back to him as he watched Caela walk down the hallway toward a door the led outside of the castle. He stared dumbfounded at the door, for only just a moment, as he wondered how he could have wandered for hours looking for the exit and not found it until finding his queen. He had a sneaking suspicion that the castle was playing games with him, and probably all the guests within it's walls. After the time he had already spent here, he was beginning to think it highly plausable that the castle was in fact alive. After all, if they could bring a girl back from death, why not animate a palace as grandiose as this?

Baleron returned Caela's happy smile as she teased him about his slow pace, standing straight and nodding. "Of course, my Que... Heh... Certainly, Caela." He quickly walked up toward her side, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword and walking with her. He couldn't help but feel he was back where he belonged once more.

[Jen]

It seemed much longer than a year that they had been apart. There had been pain of so many sorts that Caela couldn't even fathom how it had only been a year. Her children had kept her alive and from drowning in her own sorrow. She had failed her Kingdom, she had been betrayed by what she thought to be friends, her Father had disappeared (though that was one of the more happy things), and Kahlan had disappeared shortly after. Caela knew where she'd gone and knew that she'd been pregnant with her father's child. She could only hope the best for the woman that had saved her life, given her a purpose, and adopted her and her children. It wouldn't be terrible to have a half sister, after all.

Caela smiled and glanced at Baleron as she stepped out into the sunshine and looked back at him. The tropical island paradise had such a heady effect on her. Her shoulders, lightly tanned, glistened in the glowing light as she twirled and basked in the warmth. Her blue dress, form fitting and versatile, caught the light and gleamed with the promise of hope. There was always hope. Caela smiled again and looked back at Baleron. She was much the same, and yet so very different. If the Kingdom of Xexoria had only given her a chance...gods she would have been a powerful choice in Matriarch.

Her turn at power, given her mother's absence for so long, had been incredibly short. Perhaps a year at the most. She had blossomed under the influence and learning of the Kingdom, but she had suffered some of her hardest trials as well. Her body was riddled with scars from near assassinations from friend and foe alike. She was a half demon, but she was also half of her mother. She met her once, once when she'd almost died. She had her mother's mouth, body, and mind. Isabella was proud of her and that, in the end, was all that she'd needed to return to her children. Isabella Rivenfelde had been taken from Caela at birth because of complications and she didn't doubt that her father might have had something to do with it. Isabella had fallen in love with her lover's brother. It seemed all too close to what had almost befallen Caela.

So much intrigue! Ah, but that was gone now. Here, on this island, all she needed was standing right in front of her. Albeit, he looked a little ragged and confused.

"I thought you were dead. Baleron..." Caela took his hand, being so much more foreward than they'd been allowed in Xexoria when she was a Queen and he a guard. His hand felt rough and she remembered all that he'd done to save her and her children. Her eyes, so incredibly beautiful, searched his and she smiled. This was not a time for tears. She lifted his hand and flattened his palm against the shimmering skin over her heart. Caela was warm and soft and completely alive. If Baleron had thought she was but a dream he could not deny her existence any longer. He would be able to feel the excited leap of her heart beneath his palm. Her breathing was calm, the corset of her dress not restricting her, but her heart was very much alive with his presence.

"Ah, Baleron. So much has happened since we parted. Do you still feel as you did then?" It was too soon to ask the question, but Caela had believed him dead for a year or more. She couldn't stand to wait, and he would realize she could still be just as impatient as ever she was before.

[Baleron87]

It seems so easy... So simplistic. So many encounters had run through his mind over his months of wandering. Whether Caela would welcome him back to her as a guard or a friend, if he would be turned away because of old memories of pain and loss... Yet never once had he envisioned she would still hold such strong feelings for him. That she was able to be fully open about the love they once shared even now startled Baleron, and a lack of words followed her words. His fingers pressed against the Caela's smooth skin, reveling in the heat of her body and the heartbeat he once thought was meant for just him.

His gaze rose to Caela's, seeing the same fire that they had held in Xexoria, but now there was a sense of freedom he had never seen before. He knew that she had loved her country and wanted to lead it strongly. When the Yuurei had come, he had thought her spirit broken and her dreams destroyed. But, perhaps everything that had happened had really been for the best. She seemed so happy compared to when he would watch her from nearby, addressing the many nobles that wanted nothing more then to see the Queen fall. It brought his own spirits up much further then they had ever been since arriving on the island.

Baleron couldn't help but smile warmly and slide his hand down to her waist, keeping his eyes on hers. "Well, I don't think I'd be able to properly tell you how I feel. But..." He grinned, his other hand quickly slipping around her mid-section and pulling her close. "Maybe I can show you." He couldn't wait any longer for a response from her, and he swept her against him tightly, offering her the most passionate and loving kiss he could give her. Whether it was simply from a year of being apart, the air of the island, or both, the moment their lips met gave Baleron the most exhilarating rush he had ever had.

[Jen]

Maybe it was the island, maybe it was the warm air of the tropics, but there was nothing more that Caela wanted. Her heart skipped a beat as Baleron drew her close, tightening his hold on her slender frame. Her nerves of steel and her strength melted at his touch and she felt her knees give at the very warm scent of him. He had always smelled like the earth and spice, it was one of the many reasons Caela had been attracted to him. He reminded her of the days before her life as Queen, the days before her Father found liquor, the days when Vylrath had simply allowed her to live.

As Baleron drew her in for a kiss, her heart beat quickened to the point she felt dizzy for it. She melted against him as his lips touched hers. It was, after all, the very first kiss for a couple that had been separated by war and famine and everything horrible about a world. Her arms slipped around his neck in an effort to keep herself grounded and to make sure he was real. Until now there had always been the nagging concern that he was an illusion.

Suddenly, Caela drew in a deep ragged breath as she pulled her lips from Baleron's. She blushed and smiled. She had forgotten to breathe and she didn't dare open her eyes for fear that Baleron would disappear. She was close enough that she could feel his lips and his breath on her face. His muscles and the strength of his body was so close that she had a hard time thinking of much else. When she finally opened her eyes, the world spun for a moment and she clutched him a little tighter to her. He had always had an effect on her, especially the deeper senses of her demonic heritage. It was as if he knew how to stretch her senses to their limits. He'd done so while they were in Xexoria, but she doubted he'd known to what he was doing.

Caela smiled, her violet eyes brilliant with emotion. She rested her head against Baleron's chest, content for the moment to be so close to him.

"You have no idea how incredibly difficult it was to survive without you. To have so many plans suddenly disappear... I thought I'd lost you forever."

Caela moved her head and glanced into Baleron's eyes.

"Where did you learn to kiss so well, anyhow?" An impish smirk and teasing tone implied that she didn't care and she would be entirely open to another round.

[Baleron87]

It was more than he could have ever asked for. Baleron became entranced with the close embrace he and Caela shared, his lips offering a lingering, sweet taste from their kiss. He had almost forgotten what it was like to share such a moment with someone he cared so deeply about. All of his time alone had made him harsh and shielded from those around him. Sure, he had helped people along the way and given purpose to otherwise lost lives, but he could never really connect with anyone he met on his travels. The loneliness had grown over him so much, and he had turned to weed to comfort his sorrows, and a mask to cover his face, letting no one in to his thoughts or feelings. Now that he had Caela once again, though, he knew things would change.

Idly, Baleron drew his hand up, running his fingers through his former queen's soft, silken hair. Memories of being alone with Caela flitted about in his mind, but they all eventually led to his loss of her. He sighed softly, resting his head against hers gently. "I never stopped searching, you know... I returned to Rivenfelde hoping you would find me, but then... The End happened... I don't even know how I was capable of surviving for so long after that... I just knew I had to find you, and protect you like I used to." He placed his hand on the back of her head, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "Guess I just was too stubborn to give up. Thank the gods for that."

He smiled, a truly genuine and happy expression that he had been unable to express for so very long. Her teasing words released him from any remaining nervousness he held to the situation. He smirked widely, eyeing Caela in a knowing manner. A lighthearted laugh followed, and he playfully tapped Caela's nose with his pointer finger. "If you're suggesting I've had any practice, you are sorely mistaken. I believe you are just simply addicted to my lips, and as such can't help but be entranced by any use of them on you." Baleron gave her a playful and suggestive wink, licking his lips in a similar fashion. "Speaking of which... Perhaps we should later find a nice quiet place to... catch up on things. That is, if you believe your nanny could spare a few hours to take care of your children."

[Jen]

A conspiratorial smile crossed her lips as she glanced up at Baleron. She pursed her lips for a moment and rested her hands on her hips, lifting a slender brow.

"And just what sort of catching up are you thinking of, Baleron?"

She couldn't help but laugh. The feel of him, the taste of him, the very smell of him made her lighthearted and free. She couldn't live another minute without his touch. She'd lived what seemed an eternity grieving for the one man she thought she would never see again. To have him...

"Evelyn will take care of the children, but I can't go galavanting off with you into the sunset wearing this." She motioned down to her well fitted blue gown. It really was suited to greeting royalty and not to lounging on the beach. "I will have to change, that is if you don't mind?"

Caela glanced up into his eyes again, searching for something that would tell her that he thought that he couldn't wait. She smiled, turning quickly in his arms and with the strength of a bear, gently pulled his arms from her waist. She had good strength when she needed it. It wasn't always there, suppressed sometimes, but this island and the feelings of elation made her free some of her half demon heritage. Even now Baleron might smell a soft sweet odor about her, smelling much like jasmine or gardenia. It was a lure really, it always had been since the dawn of time for female Demons. Some of the older myths would refer to her as a succubus, and it was true -- she could very easily seduce men and kill them. However, she'd never been partial to drinking blood. That was something better left to the vampires. Consuming human flesh was something she avoided completely, afterall she was half human herself. Damn conscience.

She moved quickly toward the door they had exited and when she had it open she turned to Baleron.

"Would you like to meet Sebilla and Trydian? They're quite excited about this journey we have taken, so I apologize if they are hyper." She said it like she knew he would agree. She disappeared into the shade of the corridor and headed for the room. She could hear Evelyn reading to the children still. Had it only been a few minutes that she'd been gone? It hadn't been a lifetime? She exhaled softly and opened the door to her room.

"Evelyn, I've met an old friend and we're going down to the beach for a while. Do you mind?"

"Of course not. We weren't expecting you back for another few hours anyway. That was quick, meeting the royalty."

"I didn't get that far." Caela blushed when Evelyn smirked and then she rearranged the children on her lap. They were getting so big. Caela smiled as the children bubbled with laughter over some imagined creature that had been presented to them in the book.

"I promise to be back before bedtime."

"That is good, they won't let anyone but you tuck them in."

"I know." She smiled and leaned down and kissed Trydian and Sebilla on the forehead. They smiled up at their mother and quickly went back to whatever it was that they were bubbling about.

[Baleron87]

"Oh, mostly the kind that involves lengthy conversations about the past that fill in the gaps between what has happened over the past year. Unless you'd rather it be something completely different, that is." A playfully evil smirk curled on his lips as he responded to her question. With her here, he had almost automatically reverted back to the happy and open person he had been in Rivenfelde. He felt that there was yet some hope in the world now that she was once again there in it with him. He started to let himself fall into a daze with her presense and her scent, which was slightly different then he had once remembered it to be.

He was brought back to his senses only by her words, and he eagerly nodded to her question. "Sure. I'd be absolutely glad to help you out of that dress. Lead the way, my queen." He knew quite well that she wasn't really a queen anymore, but he had addressed her as such so many times in the past that the habit simply carried over to their current conversations. He allowed her to remove his hands from around her waist, not particularly surprised by the strength she seemed to now wield. This island made it quite difficult for him to keep his own abilities in check, so why not for Caela too?

Baleron let Caela lead him back to her room, offering a soft nod at the thought of seeing Caela's children. He was quite curious to see them, as they had yet to be born when he had last seen them. He recalled the history of their conception, and the haunting memory of Vylrath slid through his thoughts for a brief second. Despite the warm air, a shiver of fear ran down his spine. That man had caused so many problems. He was glad that the demon hadn't followed Caela here.

Upon entering the room, Baleron cast his glance to the people within, his smile widening at the sight of the hyperactive children sitting on the nanny's lap. With people nearby, his demeanor became quite professional. Being so used to having to hide the fact that Caela and he held feelings for one another, he stepped off to the side of the room, offering a polite nod to the nanny. "I'll wait here while you change, Caela. Take all the time you need. I won't be going anywhere."

[Jen]

The children looked up at the sound of Baleron's voice. They stared for a moment, in the way only children can, and then went back to playing. They were beautiful even at such a young age. The girl, Sebilla, had long black ringlets and haunting silver eyes. She had the soft pale skin and rosy sheen of her mother, and the angularity of her father. Her father had given her few of his attributes, but she had his stubborn attitude. At least Mateo had seen fit to give his daughter something of himself. Trydian, on the other hand, looked a bit more like his father. He had the high cheekbones and angular face of Vylrath, but it was softer somehow. Perhaps that was what Vylrath had looked like as a child, before the anger and resentment? Trydian had pure silver hair and a curious pair of eyes. One eye was turquoise and the other violet, tokens of his feminine heritage.

"I'll just be a minute, Baleron." Caela called from a room joining the sitting room. There was a scuffling sound as she moved things around, but otherwise it was fairly quiet.

"Good afternoon, Master Baleron. It is a pleasure to meet you." Evelyn had a warm, welcoming smile. She was an older woman, probably in her late thirties. Her hair was a deep auburn and her skin was pale and milky. She was still a handsome woman, but like most mortals, she could not compete with the immortals in her presence. Perhaps, when she was younger, but now she looked completely content to be where she was and helping Caela.

"Sorry that took so long, Baleron!" The children glanced up at their mother as she walked out of the room. She had changed into a pale offwhite dress. It was sheer enough to withstand the heat of the island, but modest enough not to let anything be seen. She was a mother after all. The dress hugged her curves with a soft gauzy material that suited Caela very well. Her long red hair fell in waves down her back and shoulders and she smiled prettily for Baleron.

Trydian squirmed out of Evelyn's lap and toddled over to his mother. She knelt, the dress shifting with a soft sigh, and kissed his hands and forehead. Sebilla, not to be outdone by her brother, hurried over on slightly more steady and graceful legs. She too recieved her kisses.

"You two behave while I'm gone." They glanced over Caela at Baleron. He interested them and they couldn't understand why. He seemed special despite the look in their mother's eye. She loved him, that was certain, but what else about him made Baleron so special?

The pair didn't realize that while their mother had been pregnant with them, Baleron had saved her life on more than one occassion -- and he had loved her unconditionally.

"Yes, Mother." The children spoke together and with very good enunciation, even if it was only as a whisper.

"Good. Shall we, Baleron?" Caela kissed her children once more and turned to her once secret lover. She held a hand out to him and walked toward the door at the same time. There would be plenty of time for Baleron and the children to get aquainted. Now that he was back, Caela didn't plan to let Baleron go so easy.

[Baleron87]

Baleron had always been quite unsure of himself around new people, and the new faces of the children and their nanny at first kept him on edge. Having Caela leave his side, even to simply change into a different set of clothes, seemed utterly painful when he had just found her. With the presense of the others in the room, however, he hardly thought it would be correct to follow Caela back into the other room. He already had the princess of the island thinking he was a violent man, and the last thing he wanted was to add "pervert" to the list as well. There was already enough debauchery on the island as it was, and he knew that they would both be provided the alone time they both desperately craved.

As she disappeared into the other room to change, Baleron let his eyes wander around the room. It was decorated in much the same way as his own room, giving him the thought that the castle seemed to him like a giant and extravagant inn, and not a place for just the king alone to sleep and rule. His thoughts wandered back toward the idea that the castle was alive, and he idly wondered if perhaps the shape of the castle changed to fit the needs of its guests. If the palace could sense intent... He hoped it truly understood that he hadn't tried to harm Fifteen in such a honorless way, and that it would allow him to stay within it's walls with Caela.

The nanny broke Baleron out of his thought-filled trance, and he inclined his head lightly to the side, offering a genuine smile and a soft bow of his head. He didn't know this woman as well as he thought he should, but he held a good amount of respect for her. After all, he imagined that this woman had been with Caela for quite a long period of time to be trusted with her children. The worry and fear the she had held for her unborn babies had always seemed to keep her on edge, even when he was alone with her. Now that they were born, he had thought she might be even more protective of them. That they were both in the hands of a capable and caring woman, one who didn't seem like a fighter, showed that Caela had truly been able to continue her life in peace after he had lost her. It made him quite happy to know she had been provided such peace.

Once Caela emerged once more from the back room, Baleron felt his breath catch in his throat as he saw her in her white dress. No matter what she seemed to wear, or even if she decided to wear nothing at all, Caela always appeared truly regal. Her time as queen still weighed on her form and attitude, and it truly amazed him how it seemed to apply no matter the situation. Even when they had been captured by the Yuurei and been put in a truly awkward position by their captors, she was still able to hold to her natural position. Of course, such thoughts automatically brought many images to his mind that he had hoped to stave off until later, when they were able to be alone and undisturbed. The air of the island certainly wasn't helping his situation, and he idly decided that he would remedy the problem with a little of his own magic herbs when time alloted him a little privacy.

Baleron pushed himself up off of the wall and began to step towards Caela, but the children beat him to her. He took a few moments to look over each child, seeing the similarities they held with their respective fathers. It was more difficult to place Sebilla's similarities to Mateo, as he had not seen much of the man even during his time in Xexoria. Trydian struck a much higher chord in Baleron's mind, as the amount of time he had spent talking to and protecting Caela from Vylrath had burned the demon's image into his mind. He hoped that physical appearances would be the only similarity between Trydian and Vylrath, and that the demon blood burning within him wouldn't change him into the kind of person that his father was. Baleron had always believed that a demon could be a good person given their upbringing and personality, so his worry that they would have a Vylrath Jr. on their hands wasn't so much of a prominant thought.

He only just began to notice that the children were staring at him before Caela asked him if he was ready to leave with her. He offered a warm smile to the children and turned to meet Caela at the door, taking her hand with a firm grasp. He turned his head toward the nanny, offering a mischievous smile. "Sorry to steal her away from you. I'll have her back at a reasonable time." He chuckled softly at his own words, hoping they didn't sound as stupid as he thought they were, before leading Caela back out into the hallway, allowing her to lead him where she wanted to go from there.

[Jen]

Caela led Baleron outside into the fresh air once again. The warm sunlight made her hair and skin glow almost as much as her smile. She was utterly happy and content in this moment. She had everything any woman could ever ask for and now she had Baleron to. It was almost too much for her to bear, she felt as if her heart would burst with the absolute joy of the moment. As it was she could barely contain a girlish giggle.

"Oh Baleron, can this be real? Are we dreaming?" She turned to him as the neared the beach, the waves crashing rhythmically over the sand. The wind played with her hair and dress, picking and pulling like a curious child, and Caela looked up at him before pulling his arms around her waist -- pressing her back firmly against his chest. He'd aged while they were apart. Not physically, but emotionally -- she could see the haggard look on his face just beginning to fade as he realized she was very much real and alive. At least she had her children to look after to keep her going after she had lost him.

Caela tilted her head to the side, her bare feet buried in the soft sugary sand of the beach, staring out to the horizon. It was perfect here, absolutely immaculate, which made her smile. Mateo had inadvertantly impregnated her on a beach before she was made Queen of Xexoria. Ah, but what would she do without her little Sebilla? Or Trydian? Both of the children were everything Caela could have hoped for in offspring. They were truely good despite their heritage and that was something to be thankful for, in Caela's eyes.

A sigh of contentment escaped Caela's lips and she tilted her head back to look at Baleron. Time and wear on his heart had made him weary, but again, that was fading with the island and the longer she looked at him the younger he seemed to appear. So close to his body she could feel the hard angularity of physical labor in his chest and arms. They were solid and muscled well, something she had a hard time ignoring even now. Damn the island for making her so aware. Baleron was a fine specimen of a man and their time among the Yuurei would not have been so bad -- had they not been assured of their own deaths at the time. Then again, Caela did not much like the idea of being a breeder her whole life. Her body, for as long as she deemed fit to live, would be young and supple and able to bear as many children as she desired -- but who wanted an entire city. She was most certain there would be some wearing out of very important parts. There just had to be.

Caela blushed. Gods, what was it with this island that made her thoughts wander to such...inappropriate places! She smiled as she kissed Baleron's arm lightly, feeling his warm skin through his clothing. Okay, maybe it wasn't all the island's fault. Caela pulled Baleron's arms tighter around her middle. He wouldn't be able to help feeling how her body had changed since giving birth to children. She had more curve to her body in all of the right places, her skin was incredibly soft, and her body had lost not only the weight of child but the softness of childhood. She was a woman, pure and simple. While her body was not rock hard from years of training, it was warm and inviting. She was a mother after all.

Caela smiled up at Baleron again, her violet eyes completely content in his presence.