AN: i had to include the chalamain gap in here because i walked (more like scrambled lmao) through it in april when i got more inspiration for this fic and it's actually an extremely beautiful walk. it's literally a boulder field which was super fun to traverse and the view you get of cairn gorm as you exit the small valley is stunning. the perfect view for riza to return home to : )

chalamain is pronounced "sha-la-main"

ryvoan is pronounced "rye-voan"

lairigh ghru is pronounced "la-rig groo"

"We'll need to head back through the Chalamain Gap," Roy explained, pointing to that exact point on the map. The Chalamain Gap was a ravine in which large boulders littered the ground. Some were as large as a table and as sharp as a sword so traversing it could be difficult and strenuous, however it was their only option at the minute.

The other route, through Ryvoan Pass, had been barricaded by Bradley and his men years ago and the effort to remove the debris and defences had only just begun. The land before the pass was flat as a pancake, however mountains stood tall as the edges of the pass. They prevented any access to go around the pass, so the Gap was their best bet. It was longer in distance, but shorted in time.

Just a short trip through the Lairigh Ghru, through the Gap, and Riza would be home.

There was a thrill in her stomach at the thought.

"We get to go through the boulder field?" a small, excited voice piped up from the back of the room. Riza turned with a smile. Her son was supposed to be in his bed, but of course, he was still up and running about the house. His nursemaid was probably tearing her hair out trying to find him.

Riza would need to ensure she upped poor Rebecca Catalina's wages. She deserved much more than she received already, but that was the thought Riza had every night after her son somehow managed to escape his nursemaid's clutches.

Young James wasn't a bad child, just very inquisitive and very excitable.

"You're supposed to be asleep, James," Roy scolded lightly.

"I heard you talking," he explained, striding over to them and climbing up onto the chair next to his mother, kneeling on it as his wide eyes took in the map before him. "And I couldn't sleep."

"Do you mean to say you left poor Rebecca frantically searching for you while you ran off?" Roy asked, turning to face his son with a disapproving look on his face.

James' excitement faded, his face falling. Riza rolled her eyes behind her son, shooting her husband a knowing smile.

As if fate would have it, one particular soldier passed by the door as Riza turned.

"Sir Havoc?" she called. The blonde soldier back peddled and entered through the door. The perfect person. "Could you head to James' quarters and inform Rebecca that our unruly son has been found."

Riza noted how his cheeks turned slightly pink. For two long Riza had watched the two beat around the bush. A little push was all they needed.

Well, in Sir Havoc's case, a large push.

"Tell her to take the rest of the night off, I'll see to my son." Out of the corner of her eye she saw James cringe, fearing the worst. Roy chuckled behind her. "Understandably, it's a high-pressure job," Riza turned and shot her son a look. "So, I ask that you offer her a drink and help ease her of the stress that comes with looking after the Prince."

"Ri – Right away, Your Majesty," he stuttered with a salute – one hand fisted over his heart as he bowed. He was out the door in record time.

"It's cute how excited he gets," Roy stated as she turned back to the table. She wrapped an arm around James' shoulder, pulling his body against hers.

"It is. They just needed a push. Consider them pushed."

Roy chuckled. "I will. I'm intrigued to see how this will turn out."

"As am I. However," she added, taking a deep breath. "It will be a while before we see the result."

Roy caught her eye and smiled knowingly. "It will," he agreed.

They were finally returning home.

While they both ruled the entirety of Alba, the North would always be her true home. Cairn Gorm was the seat of her family's power and while Riza hadn't ruled from there for seven years, there was a pull to return there. It was her ancestral home, so naturally that feeling was there, and she felt it was her duty to return.

Not to mention the fact she wanted to restore the area to its glory after Bradley destroyed it. However, one thing lead to another and it had been put off all these years.

First, her and Roy's marriage which had taken place at Torridon. Her whole court was present here and that was all Riza needed. Then, there was a terrible winter that year which made travel extremely difficult. Plus, she had to deal with the circumstances of such weather. Livestock had died thanks to the freak weather and frigid temperatures they'd experienced that year. Riza had to devise a plan with her court and her husband to try and replenish their food stores.

Shortly after that came her pregnancy. James was a gift to them both and the exact news the kingdom needed after the harsh weather. He was their pride and joy, even if he was unruly at times. He was just curious, and both Riza and Roy encouraged that trait. He was eager to learn all about magic and was desperate to discover what form he would take. Would it be earth like his mother's line, or fire like his father's?

Only time would tell.

After James had been born it was decided they would travel when the child was older. Now, at the age of six, he was full of energy and desperate to return to the mountain he'd heard so much about from his parents.

Riza shared his excitement, however, her throne was where her court was. That was what mattered to Riza, not some large fancy chair. So, Torridon had been a fine substitute for them to reign from.

But it was time to return home. It was time to face her past.

The whole trek through the Gap Riza's heart was in her throat. Roy had returned periodically to oversee the project that was rebuilding her ancestral home. Just another half a mile around this corner and Riza would get to see the progress that had been made over the last six years.

The other reason her heart was in her throat was because her son was leaping from boulder to boulder in the Gap with as much sure footedness as a mountain goat. James didn't have a care in the world as he jumped from boulder to boulder, completely unconcerned about the fact that one wrong step could break his leg.

As they rounded the last corner the sight took her breath away.

There, in the summer sunshine, stood her family's home, just as she remembered it. The tall spires reaching high but nowhere near breaking the view of the mountain summit behind it.

Her mountain. Her home.

An overwhelming happiness overtook Riza and she felt her knees shake. Trying to calm her racing heart, Riza placed a hand on her chest. She was unable to hold back the tears.

"Well, what do you think?" Roy asked, his tone holding a hint of nervousness. She knew he'd spent hours agonising over the designs his men had sent while working on her home. He never showed Riza them – "I want it to be a surprise" – so she never got to help, but seeing this…

It was beyond anything she'd ever hoped for.

They were still quite a distance away, however Riza's eyes could pick out the details stating that this house was an exact clone of the house she'd been forced to leave seventeen years ago.

Home.

One thing that did catch her eye, was a small copse of trees where there should only be heather.

"That's…" Roy trailed off before clearing his throat. "That's the vines you released as we fled all those years ago. One of the men is skilled in earth magic so I asked if he could work with it to turn it into a garden of some sort. A safe haven for whenever things become too much and you need a quiet moment to yourself."

Riza turned to face her husband, her friend, her King. He wrung his hands in front of him nervously, awaiting her to say something.

"We can remove it if you don't like it," he quickly added. "I just thought… It was born in a moment where things had been too much, and while I wanted to get rid of it because it was a painful memory, I also thought this might do us good. A reminder, and also something to learn from."

"It's perfect," Riza whispered, discarding all thought that her court stood behind then and she kissed Roy, trying to convey how she loved him with every single fibre of her being.

"Who knew you were such a romantic?" Hughes grinned, slapping Roy on the back as he passed by. "Come on lovebirds, we're famished, and this heat is oppressive. I'm desperate for a breeze."

"There's a stream down here!" she heard James call. Stepping closer to the edge of the slope, sure enough, James was squatting beside a stream gurgling its way down the mountain. "It tastes delicious!"

"That's all I need, James my boy!" Hughes called with a laugh, scrambling down the slope to join his god son.

Riza continued onwards with Roy, bringing her mountain further into view. Her house stood proud, the heather swaying in the now present breeze as it happily greeted her home. She felt a stir in the ground underneath her, as if the soil and the roots were shifting in greeting. Riza smiled and flattened her palm towards it. The roots shook but never broke the surface of the soil. Energy surged through the ground, drifting away from her in every direction, covering the whole of the moorland.

"Is everything all right?" Roy asked.

Riza nodded, tears in her eyes. "Everything is perfect," she whispered.