A.N.: If you've been with me this long, thank you. And your patience will be rewarded. The story is by no means over, but I think, perhaps, FINALLY, our reluctant paramours will finally figure it out. I struggled with drawing the courtship out this long - I've read some wonderful stories where they get together much sooner - but I wanted to stay true to canon, and I think there are reasons it takes them this long. Again, my thanks for reading, and don't go away - there is a LOT more story to come! (BTW, "M" rating begins here!)


In the last weeks, Casavir had become accustomed to her presence in his chambers most nights, and at his side as they camped on the trail as well. To his surprise and no small frustration, she continued her appearances even after the interruption that had ended the pretense of secrecy.

Now, with the blade reforged at last and as many allies as could be gathered standing at the ready, the time drew near to meet Garius' army. They had done all they could to slow the approach of Shadow King's undead horde. The Keeps defenders had spent the day destroying the very bridges Raewyn had built, hoping to buy precious time. Bishop's scouting had proved invaluable, and between his efforts and those of Raewyn's foster father, Daeghun, they had managed to pinpoint the locations where they could most severely hamper Garius' progress. But even slowed, the dark army's approach was inexorable. It was only a matter of time before they reached the Keep itself, and they would face their largest battle yet.

The entire Keep was rife with tension, It seemed the very stones themselves held their breath. With the battle looming, Casavir needed to speak to Raewyn; he could wait no longer. He considered simply speaking with her when she appeared in his chamber. But she might not come, especially considering the awkwardness of having the Keep crowded with their allies. He decided he could not leave it to chance. He waited until she had given orders for the men to be fed and the wounded treated, speaking quietly to several of them as she went, and sent Kana on her way.

"My Lady, forgive me. But there is little time remaining before the next battle, and I was wondering if I might speak with you. There has been something troubling me of late."

His lapsing into the stiff formality she had not heard from him in weeks told her how troubled he really was. She knew by now that his formality was not coldness, but rather the mask with which he covered his uncertainty. At present, he appeared to be truly nervous. She had seen the paladin awkward, confused, or uncomfortable many times, but nervous? She was worried about him, and was quick to reassure him.

"Of course, Casavir. You know you can always talk to me about anything that's bothering you. What is it?"

"Actually, my lady, I was wondering if we might speak somewhere privately, without interruptions. Perhaps upon the castle walls for a time? We could observe the troops yet there is little chance of us being disturbed."

"That sounds peaceful, and I think we could both stand a bit of peace just now. Lead the way, then." She smiled encouragingly, more puzzled than before about what was bothering him. As they headed into the Keep, she saw Bishop lurking at the edge of the courtyard. Raewyn turned to Casavir. "Give me a moment?"

His gaze flickered to the ranger, and he nodded.

She approached Bishop and saw his face go from surprise to uncertainty before assuming his usual haughty indifference.

"Yeah, princess? Finally decided you need a real man to warm your bed?"

Raewyn bit back her sharp retort as she noticed something in his voice, something in his eyes. She wondered, not for the first time, if his feelings for her ran deeper than the coarse innuendo seemed to indicate. She looked at him for a long moment, then gave him a small smile.

"If I did, you would definitely be on my list," she returned his teasing tone, and then grew serious. "You did really good work today, Bishop. Thank you." Surprise returned, softening his habitual sneer. "And I don't think we would have managed today without the maps you scouted for us. I'm truly grateful."

"As she spoke, one of the sergeants from Callum's detachment stopped, hearing Raewyn's comment, and turned to Bishop. "That was you, sir? That's some of the best scout work I've seen. Pleased to have you on our side." The man offered his hand, and the ranger froze, bewildered, before accepting the man's handshake. The sergeant turned to Raewyn with a jaunty salute, and continued on his way.

They watched him a moment before Raewyn turned back to Bishop. Smiling she put her hand on his shoulder. "I'm glad you stayed on, Bishop, I really am. Now get some rest, my friend." She turned to go, for once leaving the flustered ranger without a snarky comeback.

Bishop looked to where Casavir stood waiting. He knew the other man hadn't heard the exchange, but the paladin met his eyes and gave him an approving nod. Bishop did not return it, but turned to stalk off into the darkness.

Raewyn reached her waiting companion, and gave him a smile.

"After you, my lady?"

With that, they entered the Keep, each stopping to stow their weapons and armor. Then together they climbed the stairs to the top of the battlements in silence. Casavir gestured for her to precede him through the arched door leading onto the narrow walk that topped the outer wall of the Keep.

They stood quietly together for a few minutes, watching as the rising moon cast a silver glow on the surrounding farmlands. The night was quiet save for the calls of nightbirds, and a few occasional calls between the guards on watch. In spite of herself, Raewyn felt the peace of the moonlit night steal over her. She turned to her companion.

"What is it that troubles you Casavir?"

"There is death in the air this night."

"Yes, I sense it too. But you, at least, seem calm in spite of it."

He shrugged, suddenly seeming almost confident.

"I am here with you; there is little that could touch me in your presence."

She smiled at him then, touched as always by the depth of his devotion to her, even as his continued refusal to let her any closer to him frustrated her. Beside her, he drew in a deep breath, as though gathering his resolve.

"There is something I must tell you before this battle is joined. I wish to thank you, for all that you have done for me. You have made me stronger, restored my faith by making me see the good in feeling something for another. I do not want to repeat the mistakes of the past. The feelings which have tormented me, my feelings for Ophala, my blind obedience to Neverwinter instead of its people; those are in the past."

"I am glad to hear you say it. It has pained me to see you haunted by these things."

"You have freed me from my past, Raewyn. And although it is dark, you shine brightly to me."

She smiled at him, somewhat puzzled, but pleased by his words. "And you to me, Casavir. There is none other I would have by my side, this night or any other."

"There is nothing that can stand against us when we are together, my lady, in this life or the next." His voice had grown urgent, but then steadied and his next words were spoken with determination. "I shall follow you. My sword..." he paused, gathering one last reserve of courage "...and my heart, are yours."

Her eyes widened, and she studied him for a long moment. In his formal and cautious way, had Casavir just told her he loved her? She felt warmth rise like a bubble inside her, making her feel light and giddy, in spite of the trials ahead. She smiled broadly, but her reply was heartfelt.

"I accept both, Casavir. And I shall stand beside you as well, tomorrow, and always."

"Then nothing in the Realms can hope to defeat us."

"Come then, my paladin. Come and let us rest, truly rest, and take comfort in each other."

"Of course. I have followed you this far." To her amazement, his formality now held a teasing mischief. "Lead on, my lady."

With a happy smile she took his hand and led him down to her quarters. When they entered her chamber though, an awkwardness settled over them. Unwilling to surrender the closeness they shared a moment ago, she pulled him to her and laid her head on his chest. She began to sway slowly, as though to a gentle tune. He wrapped her in his arms and joined in her softly lilting movements. They danced slowly for a while as the sounds of the keep settled into silence. They drifted to a stop after a while, and she looked up at him.

She darted up to catch him in a kiss, soft and gentle, but persistent. Casavir broke off the kiss after a moment, unnerved by the sudden wave of raw need for her that swept through him.

"My heart is yours, never doubt it. But I would not dishonor you, my lady. We must not…."

"Must not what? Love each other? Touch each other? Your touch could never dishonor me, Casavir. Please…"

"My lady, you have shown me so much, and eased my heart more than I can express. You know that I am yours, but still, some of what I feel for you is…" he looked distinctly uncomfortable. "...hungry, it is not pure…I cannot…must not allow it to touch you. I wish to protect you...even from myself…."

The lilting joy that had carried her to her room evaporated. Yes, Casavir had finally allowed himself to admit that he loved her, but he still could not accept everything that love meant. He still had not come to grips with the passion that sang in him, the passion she could sense in his every glance, could feel in his every touch.

"No, Casavir! Dammit, don't you dare try to love me by half measures! I deserve more from you, and so do you for all of that! Don't you dare try to 'protect me' from your passions!"

He drew back, startled by her sudden vehemence.

"You can't just sort out all the things in yourself or in life that you don't like, or that inconvenience you, or that intimidate you and choose to get rid of them. And you can't outrun them either, just like you can't lose yourself in some suicide mission because it's 'simple.' You speak to me of Old Owl Well? You would have dashed yourself to pieces against those orcs had others not seen more worth in you than you did and chosen to fight beside you. That's what you wanted, wasn't it? You wanted to die in some pigheaded, honor-bound blaze of glory."

"You were so afraid—yes, afraid—of losing control, of losing yourself even for a moment, you became the very thing you feared, Katalmach!"

Casavir winced to hear the name on her lips, but she continued on. "And maybe now you've given up on your quest for self-destruction, and let go your regrets, but you're still terrified of the passion within you. You're still trying to make everything all nice and neat and black and white."

Her voice grew louder as her frustration grew.

"Well, life is never nice and neat, Casavir, and it's never black and white, not even for a paladin! It's messy and confusing and hard, and that's the only reason it's worth a damn, because it's also complex and surprising and amazing. And you are not an automaton. You are a human being, a person with both passions and flaws. You are a warrior without equal, but you are more than the warrior, more than a paladin; you are a man. And flaws and all, you are the finest man I have ever known." her voice cracked and tears lined her cheeks. "But what now, will you just carve away half of who you are? Carve away half the man I've come to…." The word 'love' was on her lips but she stopped short of it.

"You keep trying to tear away your humanity and you'll leave a gaping hole down the middle, leave yourself half a man! Just a suit of armor with nothing underneath!"

She was yelling now, her voice broken by gulping sobs, and she dashed away tears as she went on. "And you tell yourself you're doing this for me? Well, no thank you, Casavir! If I wanted a fighting machine without a heart, I've already got one in the basement!"

She turned her back and struggled to take a deep breath. Casavir stood wordless, his eyes downcast. He had no idea how to answer her. It had seemed so simple once. He was bound to honor and duty, and nothing else should get in the way. He had let his baser passions blind him once before and vowed never to do so again. Hadn't he? He knew well her horror of the magically animated golem, and it had never occurred to him that by seeking to suppress his emotions, his passion, he might indeed seem that way. He recalled Shandra's word to him so long ago. "You are a paladin, and a good one. And you are a very passionate man...But you have this idea that you can't be both, so you're always at war with yourself over it. But Casavir, all you're gonna do is kill yourself that way."

He had gone to the Well to seek oblivion in battle, and tried to drown out the memory of his pain and heartbreak in a tide of violence, and failed. But that was then. He knew he had found purpose in life at her side, then a home, and finally, perhaps, a home for his heart. She had healed him more than he ever thought possible. He meant what he'd said just now, on the battlements. He had finally accepted his love for her, made peace, as she had said, between his duty and his love.

Yet he still held back, unable to embrace his desire. He remained afraid of the reckless tide of passion that she stirred in him, fearful that he would drown in it, drown in her. And part of him wanted just that, even as he feared he would find only the same oblivion he had once sought in battle. He glanced up at her.

She turned back to him, her arms wrapped tight around her middle as though she were in pain, and perhaps she was. Tears were still spilling from her eyes, but her voice was softer.

"Of all those who follow me—for whatever reasons I cannot fathom—and of all those who have fought beside me, I have chosen you, over and over, and not just when the fighting begins. It is you I want with me, in battle and…." she drew another steadying breath "and always. It is you I want by my side, you that I choose as champion, as companion, as...so much more. Not a machine, not an emotionless fighting thing. I want you, the man, the whole man."

She stepped closer to her to him, forcing him to meet her eyes. Her voice was quiet now, rough with tears.

"Don't you know that I need you Casavir? I didn't accept your heart just now to do you a favor, or guarantee your sword. I need you. Not me the Captain, but just me, the woman. I need the unwavering Casavir and the Casavir who doubts, the Casavir who stands fearless and the Casavir who fears failure above all. I need the Casavir who fights…" she placed her hand along his cheek and felt wetness beneath her palm. "…and the Casavir who loves. I need the honorable Casavir…" her voice dropped lower, "...and I need the Casavir that has looked at me with lust in his eyes almost since we met."

He looked down, his face flushing. "I had hoped to have hidden such things from you, my lady. I am sorry….."

"Don't you dare apologize!" she softened her words with a smile. "I have seen your desire from the start, my Katalmach. Do you not recall my telling you I had sensed the passion in you? Surely you know I have shared it?"

Her arms stole around his neck, her hands tangling in his hair, her voice low and sultry as she spoke. "Don't you recall the day I came upon you at the lake? The sight of you then haunts my dreams to this day, Casavir."

She leaned in close, her breath fluttering over his ear, sending a shiver of longing through him. "Do you remember our dance at the Flagon? I almost went mad with wanting you that night, as I have every night since."

Her voice, low and teasing, inflamed him as much as her words. She drew back just enough to meet his eyes again.

"I love you, Casavir of Tyr, and I want you. All of you."

"I do not know why you seem to wish my weaknesses as much as my strengths, but I am yours, my lady, sword, and heart, and...all the rest of me."

"Casavir, your weaknesses are finer than most men's strengths. You know me in ways no one ever has. You have held my life and my soul in your very hands, and returned them to me stronger and purer than before. There will never be anyone else for me. Love me Casavir, let me share your passion. Please, just love me. And let me love you."

He seemed to weigh something inside himself then, before finally choosing to let go. With a soft growl that sent shockwaves all the way to her toes, he surrendered wholly to his passion for the woman before him. He drew her to him and claimed her mouth with all the hunger he had carried for her for so long. His tongue demanded entrance, and she complied with a whimper, desire arcing through her.

The arm around her waist moved to bring her closer to him, and she gasped as her body came into full contact with his tall frame. He slid his other hand behind her head, fingers tangling in her silken hair, deepening their kiss. She ran her hands up his sculpted arms, skimming his shoulders before kneading the nape of his neck once more.

He broke the kiss for a moment, and she gazed up at him, dazed. The sight of her flushed cheeks and kiss-reddened lips sent his need for her spiraling even higher. She wrapped her leg around his, pulling herself even closer to him, bringing her hips against his erect length. She moaned and ground her hips against him, drawing an answering groan from Casavir. Her lips returned to his, raining soft feather kisses on his mouth, his cheeks.

Sweeping her off her feet, he crossed the room in a few quick strides, and laid her upon the bed. She lay looking up at him, her eyes hooded with passion and her breath coming fast. Slowly, her eyes never leaving his, she drew her linen tunic over her head, revealing finely sculpted shoulders, the creamy luxury of her breasts, the slender contours of her waist. In another moment, she had slid her soft leather trews down her legs, letting them pool on the floor beside the bed. She lay back and raised her arms to the man before her.

He stared, frozen by the sight of her, revealed before him in the golden glow of candlelight, love and longing in her eyes. Stripping off his own loose linen tunic, he lowered himself beside her, his hands skimming over her shoulder and down her side. She shivered beneath his touch.

With a sigh, she let her own hands roam the broad expanse of his chest, spanning the width of him. Even without the bulky plate he wore, his shoulders were magnificent. She leaned forward, planting kisses on his shoulder, nipping lightly between kisses.

"Gods, Lady!" he gasped.

"My name is Raewyn, Casavir, and I have waited so long to hear you say it in just that way…." She repeated the action, nipping harder this time.

"Raewyn!' Her name escaping his lips felt like a caress, and she shivered again. Having surrendered to his passion, he gave himself over to her utterly. "Raewyn, my beloved..."

He brought her mouth to his and kissed her again, deeply, until her head spun and they broke apart gulping for air. He kissed her eyes, her cheeks, and moved down to her neck, her collarbones, kissing and licking over every counter, savoring the sweetness of her skin. He cupped one of her breasts in his hand, his thumb brushing over the nipple making her writhe beneath him.

"You are so beautiful, my beloved. You are as a goddess before me; I have longed to worship you."

He continued at a leisurely pace, kissing and caressing every inch of her, whispering sweet nothings, and setting her entire body aflame until she could stand no more. She reached for him. With a soft smile, he laid her back down, gentling her with touches and kisses.

"My lady, I have not completed my devotions" he murmured with mischief in his eyes.

"Gods, Casavir…." she panted, dizzy with the passion he was stirring in her.

But he was unmoved by her plea, and explored down her belly, worshipping her with his hands, his mouth, his eyes. He flicked his tongue into her navel and scattered sucking kisses on her hipbones. From there, he kissed his way down her thighs, lifting each leg in turn to ghost his lips over her calves before tracing his way back up the insides of her thighs, praising her beauty, the softness of her skin, whispering his love for her.

Raewyn's back arched as his mouth covered the apex of her thighs, carrying her on ever spiraling waves of pleasure. "Casavir!" His name burst from her lips as she shattered on a cresting wave that left her boneless and shuddering beneath him.

He moved back up to lie beside her, holding her as her shivers eased. As her mind cleared, she realized he intended to be satisfied with her pleasure alone, and decided she was not about to let him get away with it. After taking another moment to catch her breath, she rose up and knelt beside him him.

"Off. Now." He stared at her in surprise. "My lady…" he began. She silenced him with a finger to his lips.

"Ah-ah" she admonished him. "I have not yet begun my devotions…"

He opened his mouth and then closed it again, finding no suitable reply. She raised an eyebrow at his hesitation. The moment he slid his trews past his feet, she gave his shoulders a gentle shove, urging him back down on the bed, and quickly maneuvering herself to kneel between his calves.

Casavir had never felt as vulnerable as he did now, lying before her, even in the soft candlelight. He felt his face flush, knowing full well that his body revealed his desire for her. He felt his soul was exposed to her gaze along with the rest of him, and he wanted to hide, to look away from her, but he could not, for she held his eyes with her own burning gaze.

After a long moment, she allowed her eyes to travel down her lover's body, devouring his long, lean, sculpted frame. She remembered the day she had accidentally come upon him at the river.

"You are magnificent, my Katalmach." she murmured, meeting his eyes again. He flushed at the intimate inflection she gave his former title. She leaned over him, and met his lips in a searing kiss, her hands roaming his flesh, exploring with her touch what her eyes had mapped a moment ago. She broke the kiss at last, and with agonizing slowness and deliberateness, she kissed her way down his body, tonguing and nipping, brushing her cheek against him like a cat. His eyes squeezed shut as her hair trailed over his skin behind her kisses, the delicate touch a dizzying contrast to the searing heat of her mouth. The swirl of sensations she was creating had him shivering, writhing, his hands fisting in the sheets.

When she came to his hips, she shifted her body downward, settling between his knees, opening his legs further. With a final swirling lick at his right hipbone, she sat back for a moment until his eyes opened and returned to hers. Holding his midnight gaze with her own, she braced her hands on his thighs and lowered herself to run her tongue in a long sweep from the base of his rock-hard length to the weeping tip.

"Raewyn!" her name exploded from him in a harsh gasp as his hips bucked. "My lady…."

She merely grinned, and repeated the action, never releasing his eyes. With lips and tongue she caressed and explored him, swirling over his shaft, taking the soft weight behind it gently into her mouth. She let the tip of her tongue flicker across the taut space behind, making him gasp louder, now rendered inarticulate. She moved to the tip then, licking him clean of the salty slickness that covered him. Again her tongue flickered like a flame over every vein and ridge before she finally enveloped him in her mouth.

Never had he experienced anything like the slick and searing velvet that surrounded him. Her eyes, boring into his as she took him in such an intimate caress stripped him of all defenses.

She wrapped her hand around the base of him, and pulled back, her cheeks hollowing in delicious suction, then pushed back down, her tongue swirling against the sensitive underside of his length. He knew he could not possibly withstand such stimulation for long, and he feared he would finish, defiling her mouth...

"My lady…." he croaked. "You mustn't...please...I can't...hold back…."

"Mmmmm, I know." The vibrations of her silky murmur shot through him. He closed his eyes and his head fell back.

"No, love…I...oh, gods...won't be able…to stop…."

"I don't want you to." How she could answer him without stopping the maddeningly exquisite motion of her mouth he didn't know, but he had to make her understand.

"But….ah! my lady…"

"Let go, love. I've got you."

His breath grew even more ragged, and his hips and legs tensed almost painfully, unnoticed in the roaring pleasure that filled him. Raewyn kept one hand wrapped around him, and the other arm she slid up his stomach, holding him in a half embrace, as though she intended to hold him together as he flew apart.

And then he could hold back no longer. His hands flew to her hair, his back arched and his heels dug into the mattress as the world exploded around him. Sweet fire ran like molten honey from her mouth through every inch of him and back out as he spilled himself down her throat, his entire body bucking madly. She held fast, wrapped around him, riding out his release with him, never letting go.

She held him in her mouth as the spendings of his release subsided and the crest of his climax receded, her arm still wrapped around his torso. His heartbeat settled, his labored breathing slowed, and his muscles relaxed.

Gently Raewyn released him, and with a last soft kiss, she crawled up his body into his arms. He turned to her, gathering her close to his chest. He was shaking with the aftershocks that shivered through his body, with emotion, with vulnerability. His very soul felt raw, exposed, and yet he'd never felt stronger, more whole.

"I love you, Casavir," she whispered.

"My lady." He had tears on his cheeks, and his voice, hoarse with emotion, broke on the words. "My Raewyn, my beloved."

"Always yours, my Katalmach," she murmured sleepily.

They dozed lightly for a while then, wrapped together. But before more than an hour had passed, Casavir stirred, pulling the woman in his arms closer, nuzzling her hair. She stirred against him and he sought her mouth, claiming her lips in a demanding kiss.

Raewyn returned it eagerly, her arms stealing around him, her legs tangling with his, pulling him to her.

"Casavir…." she sighed against his lips.

He rose over her, his hands skimming her sides, curving over her hips to guide her legs around him, never breaking his kiss until he held himself poised at her entrance. He met her eyes then.

"My lady…." It was a question, it was a vow.

"Yes, Casavir." It was an answer, and an answering vow.

Another long heartbeat he gazed into her eyes, drinking in the love and devotion he saw there. She pulled him back down into a kiss, and as he claimed her mouth, he claimed her body. In a single heart-stopping motion, he seated himself within her until their hips collided. Tears pricked his eyes as he felt himself joined with her fully, at last, his home, his love, his heart.

Gathering his breath, he met her eyes, seeing the same sense of awe reflected there. Slowly he withdrew, only to return again. His movements were slow, profound, reverent, until the heat between them drove them both forward. He moved faster, more sure, and she rose to meet him, her hips seeking his with every stroke. Together they surged as waves of passion rose higher, engulfing them both.

Casavir clutched her to him, wanting to get closer, never close enough, though he buried himself in her to the hilt. She urged him on, her gasping cries echoing softly in his ear. She had stunned him before, and her responsiveness and her passion enflamed him now. What had he done to deserve this woman?

Raewyn shook beneath him as her release took her over the edge, her fingers clutching his shoulders, her nails leaving welts. He felt her powerful muscles clenching around him, and he himself followed her into ecstasy, losing himself within her as heat and light burst through him.

Shuddering, gasping, wholly spent, Casavir collapsed beside her, gathering her once more into his arms. They slept deeply then, safe in the haven they'd built between them.