She sat on her chair, her back against the long table that laid in the middle of the room as she had turned her seat to face the window that usually laid behind her, her eyes fiddling with an object of her past, one which did not serve a purpose anymore, but had been a game-changer, back them.

She heard a knock on the door, before the person on the other side opened it, "Everyone's already here for the meeting."

"Perfect." She said, her voice loud and clear, not looking over her shoulder at the voice's owner.

"Should I let them in?"

She turned on her chair, putting the old artifact she had been playing with away, "Yes, Captain. Thank you."

The Captain nodded her head, "Not a problem," And disappeared behind the door once more.

She stood up from her chair, placing it back in its normal position, as people filled the meeting room she was occupying by herself.

She met eyes with every single guest, nodding her head in acknowledgement as they bowed. Once they were all standing by their respective chairs, she spoke.

"Thank you for coming today," She started, "I know many of you live far away and the journey here wasn't a short one, so I really appreciate the efforts that have been put into this meeting. For those of you who haven't had the chance of meeting me before today, let me introduce myself; I'm Irelia Lito, former Captain of the Guard. The woman who greeted you at the door is Sao Sato, the current Captain of the Guard. Now, we may all take seat."

As she worded it into existence and took a seat herself, everyone in the room mimicked her action.

"I doubt any of us in this room is ignorant to what has been happening in the First Lands, but considering some of you live in a practical isolation, let me freshen up our minds; since our animosity with our external enemies has died out and we can finally look into the country's internal problems so as to better ourselves, fix what's broken and improve what's working, we've finally had the chance of doing something about our government or lack thereof, considering our past yet constant battles with Noxus have left us with no Emperor sitting on the throne of this palace. A lot has been discussed within these four walls and, after making a decision ourselves, we decided to ask the people and see if they agreed. A poll has been held nationwide and the results are clear; the monarchy of sorts that we had going on will be replaced by a far better form of government, one that's more democratic, one that divides the power into smaller pieces and disallows people to abuse it. All of you have been invited here today because we have considered you were the best choices of people to take care of the government in general, since us in here —and the people out there— find you all likeable, agreeable and in tune with Ionian ethics." She took out a big scroll and opened it on the table, "As you can see, the power has been divided into ministries. Each ministry will need a leader who will be in charge of administering what's under their domain in all of Ionia. Of course, each minister will be able to hire those who they think could aid in their duty. At the lead of the ministries, there will be chancellor, someone who'll be the face of Ionia for those outside of our lands —which means they'd also be the minister of foreign affairs—, but who will just be a sort of administrator for the ministries when it comes to duties internal to Ionia. To aid with such responsibilities, they may elect themselves an advisor, someone to help them organize the ministries and to help them lesser the workload, for it'll be plenty. Every five years, we will hold a national election to determine whether each minister —and the chancellor— remain, being reelected, or get replaced by someone new, someone who the people may choose. You've been chosen to be the first ministers in all of the history of Ionia, but know that you may reject the role if you're not interested. No one will force you into anything."

She allowed her eyes to run over all of the people in the room. Seeing no one spoke, she continued.

"Karma," She started, "You've been selected as the head of the ministry of justice, for your constant aid in trials and your ever accurate eye on how to preserve that which Ionia's after; equilibrium."

The woman's expression remained calm, the hint of a smirk being the only indication of her mood, "I shall serve Ionia in its' quest for balance."

Irelia smiled, "Excellent." Her eyes moved onto the next person, "Soraka, you've been selected as the head of the ministry of health, for rather obvious reasons."

The Starchild laughed while nodding, "I can see why I'd be selected. Sounds fair to me."

"Lee," She called the blind monk's name, "For your dedication to gathering knowledge and wisdom beyond your years and for your deep respect for Ionia's most sacred traditions, you've been designated the head of the ministry of education and culture."

The man nodded his head, "And so it shall be."

She continued down the list, "Shen, considering the people you have at your service and the abilities they possess, you've been designated the minister of interior."

The ninja looked at her and nodded once, though a frown remained on his expression. "What would my role be?"

"You are to assist me in domestic politics, regarding you and your people are masters at knowing what's going on in these lands." She raised a brow, "I mean, Akali would have been the best option for this ministry —no offense, Shen—, but I know she'd play hard to get, so I'd rather put you in the position and let her be your employee of sorts."

She man bit his own cheek to avoid laughing. "I understand. I'll do my best."

Irelia nodded, then looked at the noblewoman who sat next to him. "Senua, you come from a long lineage of wealthy economists and you've always known what was best for Ionia's coin. For that, you'll be the minister of economy."

The blonde woman nodded her head. "Sounds perfect."

"Kai," She said, looking at the last man on the table, "For your ties to every single family that has lucrative productions, you'll be the head of the ministry of development. Your goal will be to foment national productivity." She finished, watching him as he nodded, when the door suddenly opened up, "Ah, finally." Irelia said as her eyes moved towards the intruder. "I was wondering where you were."

"Apologies for my tardiness," Riven replied, before bowing deeply. "Asa and Shava required my assistance with a bit of housework and family comes first." She allowed her eyes to scan the room and she bowed once more, "Evening to you all." She said, before taking a seat.

"Riven," Irelia called her name, "You had already been briefed on the nature of this meeting, so I'll go straight to the point; due to your valuable experience, you've been designated to lead the ministry of security and defense. Your tasks involve taking care of the people's security, to protect them and serve them, taking care of criminals, as well as taking care of the country's defensive forces, protecting the nation from external threats. You will, therefore, have two different forces; the internal one, with the Captain of the Guard at its' lead and the external, with the Captain of the Army at its' lead."

Riven nodded, "Captain Sao and Captain Ban."

"Yes, they're both at your service."

Riven nodded, "Right away. I'll organize our troops with them as soon as this meeting is over."

"Excellent," Irelia said, "That leaves us with just the ministry of foreign affairs to be assigned." She looked at them all, "Since I was taking care of our external politics while we lacked a proper government, I was chosen by popular choice, but I would like to ask you all in this room whether you agree with such a choice or not." She declared, "I wouldn't want to give myself a role of power without having you agree, specially considering the minister of foreign affairs will also end up being the chancellor of Ionia."

"I think it's a wise decision," Karma voiced her thoughts. "You've been handling it pretty well."

"I think so, too," Soraka chimed in. "You've been doing it just fine up until now and, with your workload lessened by all of us, I think you'll do it even better now."

"Do we all agree?" Irelia asked, watching them all nod their heads. "Very well. I'll be the minister of foreign affairs and, therefore, the chancellor. The process to establish this new form of government will be long, messy and, right now, it probably is a bit precarious, but I think we're giving the first step in the right direction. We will make adjustments as we go and learn from our mistakes, until we manage to reach a style of government that suits us all, as a people." She smiled and stood up, everyone in the room mimicking her once more. "Thank you all for your attention. You're all invited to stay here in the Placidium for a few days, so we finish the paperwork these new actions ensue and we set up each ministry to have each of them working as soon as possible. Those of you who wish to remain here so as to speed up processes, please, follow Captain Sao Sato, the woman who brought you to this room earlier today. She will guide you to your respective rooms. Those who wish to go back home, you're free to go. We shall have another meeting tomorrow."

Everyone bowed their heads and, slowly, left the room, all of the trailing behind Sao.

All, except Riven.

Irelia looked at her and, upon finding her pouting, she raised a brow, "What now?"

Riven shrugged, "Empress Lito would have had a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

Irelia shook her head and, letting out a long, frustrated sigh, she looked away, out to all of Ionia, through the window. "Gods, no. Chancellor Lito already sounds terrible."

She heard Riven chuckle, before the sound of her footsteps as she approached her resonated within the room. "Come on, you'll do just fine, my Chancellor." She said, her arms snaking their way around Irelia's waist as she hugged her from behind.

Irelia laughed at that, "My Captain will always sound way better."

Riven laughed, the sound low against her ear, "I agree with you."

Irelia turned around, her arms lazily draping themselves around the white haired warrior's neck. "You know the things it does to me, right?" She smirked, "Hearing you call me that?"

Riven smiled, her expression cocky, "After so many one-on-one meetings between you and I, I'd dare say yes, I have at least an idea of what it does to you."

Irelia pulled her in by the collar, "You're insufferable." She growled, before kissing her.

She felt rather than heard Riven hum in content, the warrior pushing her body against hers—

"This is new," Riven mumbled against her lips, her fingers gently pulling from the fabric of Irelia's clothes. "Isn't it?"

The blue haired Ionian nodded, pulling away to let the warrior take a good look at her; she was wearing a strapless white dress with golden details that reached down to her knees, a wide, golden belt keeping it in place around her waist, the lower end loose on her thighs, the higher one fit to her chest, hugging it comfortably. She twirled once, letting her see her back laid bare, before looking at her again, "Do you like it? Since I'm renouncing my duties as Captain of the Guard, I thought I could use a wardrobe change as well. Something a bit more elegant, maybe."

Riven's eyes were dark when she said, "I love it. It's a shame that I haven't seen it on your bedroom's floor as of yet."

Irelia laughed, before raising a brow, "You don't look too bad yourself, Captain Konte."

Riven grinned, before looking down at her own clothes; she was wearing a traditional, dark red full body suit that covered most of her skin, its' soft fabric covered by a few plates of armor that had been designed just for her, just like the suit; a breastplate covering her chest, a shoulder plate on her left shoulder, a gauntlet on her right hand and plates on her thighs, all of the armor made of a dark, greenish material, resistant as steel, with white-fur details on it.

"Minister Konte, since today," She winked, "And I've got no one but you to thank for it," She said, before looking at Irelia once more. "I was doing a fine job training the rookies these past few months, but I think I wouldn't have been able to train them as well as I have these past few days if it weren't for my great work uniform."

"Oh, no." The blue eyed woman said, "That wasn't a gift from me," Irelia frowned, "I thought you knew."

Riven's eyebrows rose. "No. Asa told me a package with my name on it had arrived at the house and I went to pick it up, thinking maybe it was a prank, only to find this armor in it." She narrowed her eyes, "I had thought it was you."

Irelia shook her head, "No, that was Sao." A beat, "And Ban." Another one, "And Orlon and some other of the rookies who had trained with you when you first arrived here."

Riven looked at her, surprised, "Really?" She saw Irelia nod, before looking down at her own armor once more.

"Feels different when you know that, right?"

Riven grinned as she nodded, "It feels different, indeed. It feels good." Upon realizing how that might have sounded, she added, "Not that I wouldn't have adored it had it been your gift, but—"

"But knowing they appreciate you feels nice," Irelia finished for her, "Don't worry, no offense taken." She said, looking at Riven as she relaxed, before dropping it on her. "Besides, I do have a surprise for you."

Riven raised a brow, "Oh, do you?" She asked, hearing Irelia hum in confirmation as she nodded, "My, my. And here I am, empty-handed."

Irelia smirked. "Pay it back later, Riven. I'm sure you already know how." And before her lover could comment on the potentially dirty declaration, she patted her arm, "Now, enough chit chat. Let's go see what I have for you."

Riven's eyes widened a bit, "Oh, you meant now?"

Irelia nodded, "It's in my office. I left it there before the meeting."

They walked out of the room, Irelia's arm linked with Riven's, a content smirk on Irelia's face, a full blown grin on Riven's.

As they walked through the hallways, Riven felt the former Captain's stare, "Do you like me that much?"

"Maybe I do," Irelia replied, "But I was actually looking at Soraka's handiwork on your wounds," Using her free hand, she daintily ran her fingers over Riven's temple, her cheek, her neck. "You're as good as new," She raised a brow, "Except for the new haircut."

Riven rolled her eyes, "I couldn't have one side of my head shaved and the rest long!"

Irelia allowed her fingers to run over Riven's hair for a bit; considering she had one side of her head hairless due to the fire, she had shaved the other side too, as well as the back, leaving only the top of her head with a bit of long hair, the rest of it as short as possible.

Riven used her free hand to run her fingers through it, styling it to the side, as she usually wore it ever since cutting it, "I promise I'll wear it as I used to when it all grows evenly again—"

"Don't," Irelia said, cutting her off. "Wear it like this, if you fancy it better. It suits you."

You're hot.

Riven raised a brow, "Do you really think so?"

Irelia nodded. "Yes." Absolutely, you hot idiot. "Besides, will it ever grow on the side of your head that had been scarred?"

Riven nodded, "Soraka said it would, since it's all properly healed thanks to her magic." She said, before adding, "I think I even see better with this side's eye."

Irelia chuckled, "So you healed you and enhanced your vision?"

"I think she just overdid the healing."

Irelia laughed, before feeling Riven's eyes on her. "What?"

Riven gasped, "You also got a haircut!" She said.

Irelia raised a brow, "My hair is as long as it's always been, if not longer."

"Okay, but those bangs are new."

"Oh," Irelia said, as if having forgotten about that, "Yes, they are."

"They look good."

You can't be this cute.

Irelia smiled, "Thank you."

As they reached Irelia's office, Riven opened the door and allowed for the blue haired woman to go in first, before stepping inside herself and closing the door behind her.

There was a big thing on Irelia's desk, wrapped in linen, a small piece of rope tying it up.

Riven's eyes were on it, "What's that?"

Irelia smiled at her, before moving towards her desk and motioning for the white haired warrior to come closer. "Something." She stepped to a side, leaning on her desk as she said, "Unwrap it."

Riven's eyes went from Irelia to the big thing on the desk and then she picked the package up. "It's a bit heavy," She said, getting excited, Irelia's grin only making it worse.

She undid the small knot and took the rope away. She then proceeded to slowly unwrap it—

A gasp escaped her mouth as she saw what it was; A broadsword made of a silvery metal, with golden details on its' blade that got bigger and more defined as they approached the hilt. The hilt in itself was made of black leather and also had some detailing on it; small, patterned lines of silver and gold that criss-crossed it. Coming out of the pommel, there was a thin, long red string that had been tied up in a fancy knot.

"You can't be serious," Riven mumbled, before her eyes went up to Irelia. "You got me this blade?"

Irelia nodded, "I've heard it said that the sword is the reflection of its' wielder's soul, so I wanted to gift you a sword that would reflect exactly who you are, what you consider important in life, the things and people you love and fight for." She said, approaching the other woman, "It took me a while to decide its' design and get the right materials for it, but no one can say no to the soon to be Chancellor Irelia Lito," She smirked, her fingers roaming the sword's silvery blade, "The blade is made of moonsilver, a courtesy of Targon, to represent the influence Diana has had on you, on your journey, on the first steps you've taken with someone by your side. It demonstrates the Moon favors you more than it does with any other warrior." She then moved to the golden details on it, "This is Demacian gold, donated by Orlon, to represent how you've surpassed your own self, your own prejudices, managing to befriend people who you once swore you'd despise for the rest of your life." She touched the red string on the pommel, "This little thing came from Sao and Ban. Red strings are omens of good luck here in Ionia, so it's their way of granting you good fortune in your battles. It represents how, despite the hardships, you always have destiny's grace by your side, for you've managed to bury the hatchet and make amends with your past, thus leaving you in your present; from Noxian to Ionian, you're now someone different and the red that once represented blood for Noxus, now represents Ionian good fortune. It's a statement to how far you've come."

Irelia's eyes on the blade, she didn't see the way Riven was looking at her. "And the hilt? Does it represent something?"

Irelia nodded, "The hilt was the most difficult part of the sword." She told her, "You see, there's a thing from your previous sword that I wanted to keep in this one because it made you who you were, but I wanted to give it my own little twist." She ran her fingers over Riven's, "I wanted something delicate yet resistant. Durable." She moved Riven's hand away so that she could touch the hilt, "After the blacksmith delivered it, I got to work and I gave it its' final touch. Here," She said, grabbing Riven's hand once more, "Feel the hilt."

Riven pressed her fingers against it and felt it, inspecting it, before an alerted frown drew itself on her expression, "It has runes carved on it."

"It took me months to learn them; how they're drawn, what they do, everything I needed to know to use them safely, but eventually I managed."

Riven looked at her, "How did you learn?"

"Cyrus," Irelia simply stated. "He taught me much. Apparently, he has learned a lot about them ever since getting his." She raised a brow, "We must give it to him; he was far more responsible about their power than you were."

Riven nodded, "He was more cautious, at least."

Irelia felt the runes, one by one, "He taught me that it doesn't matter how big the rune is, as long as the wielder knows how to use them. He also taught me that the more in contact with the wielder they are, the better for the manipulation of their power, so I decided I'd carve them into the hilt." She grabbed Riven's fingers and made her feel the runes, one by one. "They're strength, speed, wisdom and freedom." She looked into Riven's eyes. "Strength to aid your attacks, speed to aid your evasiveness. Wisdom to guide you in your eternal learning and search for knowledge."

"And freedom?"

Irelia's hand found Riven's cheek, "Freedom, so that you're never again a prisoner; not of a nation nor a squadron, not of a past filled with ghosts nor of a war filled with regrets, not of duties and morals and values and ethics that mean nothing to you, for they're tainted, not of a mind that's been tormented for years before it finally found release from the torture." She smiled, "And last, but not least, not of a runic power that, this time, will know you as its' master and not as its' slave. My gift to you, in this blade, is a rune of protection that will always grant you freedom, so that you are the only owner of yourself." She looked down at the blade again, "The hilt with its' runes carved into it, barely visible to the naked eye, only noticeable due to the feel of it, represents how you will always be yours and yourself, no matter what. Your power, hidden against your skin, for it's yours only, coming from deep within you. The fact that I placed the runes there, coming to represent that you've got me eating from the palm of your hand," She looked at Riven in the eye, "Because I'm yours, Riven. I'm yours as you yourself are and nothing will ever change that, because I chose you in my freedom and I'm not backing out of that anytime soon."

Feeling the red stare too intense for her, Irelia looked away, chuckling, "I hope you like the sword," She said, "It was a collective effort and it took us around six months to finish it." A beat, "Well, it took me six months to finish it. Runes are hard to learn, you know?" Upon the lack of response, she looked up at the warrior, "What?"

Riven replied by dropping the sword on the desk and kissing her fiercely, her hands on the other woman's cheeks as she pulled her in, before they moved to the woman's waist, not giving her the chance of moving away from her.

"I'm not of my own domain, my Captain," Riven said against her lips in between kisses, "Because my heart, mind and soul belong to you. You attempted to steal them and I gave them to you freely."

And then it was Irelia the one who could not keep herself from kissing her.

Riven growled at the feeling of Irelia's tongue against her lip, before parting them, both of them completely unaware of the door as it opened—

"Oh, by the Moon," Sao quickly let out, her voice making them both pull away, a look of utter fear on their faces.

Irelia felt her heart pounding inside her chest, her face red, "Sao, we can exp—"

"Nothing to explain, Lito." Sao said, laughing as she calmed down, "Like, really." She raised a brow, "I already knew."

Irelia gasped, "What?" She looked at Riven, looking for an explanation—

"You aren't exactly sneaky about it, you now?" Sao replied, "Everyone in the Placidium knows, by now." She chuckled at their faces, "Well, I think it's safe to say everyone in Ionia knows."

Riven was staring at them both, wide eyed, while Irelia stuttered, "You mean to tell me everyone knows about Riven and I?!" She exhaled exasperatedly, "But, but what about me being the Chancellor? About Riven being the minister of, and what about our roles in the government, and what will they—"

"Relax, woman!" Sao shouted, making her quiet down. "Relax," She repeated. "Everyone knows and nobody cares. You will still be officially granted the chancellery, Riven will still be granted the ministry she's after, the government will not see itself affected and, in the end, those who matter, don't mind, while those who mind, don't matter." Sao said, making them both shut their gaping mouths. "Really, it's okay. All we ask is that you both stop unclothing each other with your eyes the way you do because the sexual tension in the air is so thick I could cut it with a knife." She waved at them so as to drop the topic, "Anyway, I came here to tell you, Riven, that Soraka would like to know what your decision will be soon, whatever that means. That's all! I'm off."

And with that, Sao disappeared behind the door.

Irelia frowned, "What your decision will be?"

Riven looked at her, "Soraka offered to get rid of my hands' scars. Her healing made some of the ones I have on my body get smaller and when I pointed it out, she offered to get rid of them. I told her it was okay, but then she asked me about the ones on my hands and, well, I wanted to think about it." She frowned as she looked down at them, "I never had the chance to erase them and more than once I had fantasized about it."

Irelia walked up to her, "They are the empirical proof of the lessons you've learned."

"And the constant reminder of the mistakes I've made."

She nodded, "They can be a beautiful reminder, just as much as they can be a tortuous sight." She mused out loud, before holding Riven's hands in hers. "What will you do?"

"I'm not sure," She looked at Irelia, "What's your two cents?"

Irelia raised her brows at Riven's hands, "I think I'd heal them a bit. Enough to erase the torture they represent, but not enough to get rid of the lessons they've taught."

Riven thought about it, before nodding, "Maybe I'll do that."

"Whatever you do," Irelia started, her hands going to the woman's face, slowly pulling her in, "I'm with you," She breathed out, kissing her.

Riven sighed against her lips, before her hands found Irelia's waist naturally.

As Irelia's arms snaked themselves around Riven's neck, both women remained there, voluntarily caught in their embrace.

Irelia's fingers were restless against the back of her neck, though, so Riven knew something was bothering her, "What's on your mind?" She asked her, her face still buried on the other woman's long hair.

"I'm afraid of being the Chancellor," Irelia admitted, "I feel like I'm not good enough for it," Upon hearing those words, Riven pulled away enough to look at her in the eyes, seeing the desperation in them as Irelia started, "What if I fail? What if I'm not capable of being the face of Ionia? What if—"

"When I first met you," Riven cut her off, "I could tell you were equal to me in terms of leadership." She smiled, "When I met you a second time, I could tell you had surpassed me and you were far better than anything I could ever aspire to be, anything I could ever hope for myself." She kissed Irelia's neck, her mouth against the soft skin as she mumbled, "You'll be fine, Irelia. You're perfect for the job. Besides, this time you've got several people ready to aid you with Ionia's every need." She sentenced, kissing Irelia's neck once more, before kissing her lips again.

"Could you do me a favor?" Irelia asked her, suddenly.

"Anything."

Irelia's nervous eyes met Riven's. "Would you serve me by being the Chancellor's advisor?" Her question had Riven pulling away a bit, surprised by the inquiry. "I know you're already at the lead of a ministry but I really could use your experience, you'd come very handy as my advisor. What do you say?"

Riven stared into blue eyes, before chuckling, "As if I'd say no to you." She nodded, "I'll serve you until I'm of no more use, my Chancellor."

Irelia sighed in relief, "Thank you," She said, before hugging her tightly.

Riven embraced her just as strongly. "I'm sure you'll do great, Lia."

Irelia laughed, "Lia?" She felt Riven nod. "That's new."

"Is it bad?" She felt Irelia shake her head. "Good. I'll keep it."

In the distance, out in Ionia, they heard the bells that indicated a ship had arrived, which prompted Irelia to move to the big window that was placed behind her desk, Riven following closely, before hugging her from behind as they both looked at the southern docks.

"That's a Targonian ship," Riven recognized it immediately.

Irelia hummed in confirmation. "There's still a week left before we carry out the ceremonies that officialize the new form of government and everybody's roles in it, but I thought it would be a wise thing to do to get started on our alliance pacts. Targon was first in the list, of course, so I invited Diana and Leona to Ionia, to discuss our alliance treatment."She smiled as she watched the ship, "They told me they had decided to come with their High Priestess, since she wanted to personally thank Soraka for helping her with her eyes."

Riven raised her brows, "The Starchild fixed her eyes, then?" She questioned, feeling Irelia nod, "And I missed it?"

"It happened right after your trial. You were busy with your citizenship's paperwork."

"Six months ago, then?" Irelia hummed in confirmation, prompting Riven to chuckle, "How time flies."

Time.

The word brought something up in Irelia's mind.

She took out the object she had stored between her dress and its' belt, right before the ministers entered the meeting room, earlier in the day.

Riven's eyes moved to it. "Is that Ekko's stopwatch?" She questioned, thus making Irelia confirm it. "I didn't know you still had it."

Irelia frowned at the broken stopwatch as her fingers fiddled with it."Riven, can I ask you a question?"

The sudden serious tone surprised her. "Anything."

"If you could go back in time," She bit her lip, a bit afraid of asking what she wanted to ask, "Would you stop everything that's happened to you from happening?"

And she was afraid because, truth be told, she feared that Riven's answer would be yes.

Because a yes would mean undoing their present together.

Because a yes would mean suffering in vain.

Because a yes could bring heartbreak with it.

Riven eyed the stopwatch, remembering the ominous way Irelia had behaved during their battle with Cyrus and Singed, "Is there something here that you know and I ignore?"

Irelia masked herself, getting a perfect bored expression on, before looking at Riven over her shoulder, "Just answer my question."

Riven stared at the watch, before looking out through the window, a chuckle escaping her lips. "I think my answer is obvious, Lia."

She closed her eyes, "You'd undo it, then."

She missed the way Riven's eyebrows shot up, "Of course not." She said, her tone demonstrating how surprised she was at Irelia's wrong guess, as if almost offended by the fact she even thought of it. "Why would I?"

"Because you could erase the pain you've endured. You could still have your squadron."

"At what cost?" Riven questioned, before a sigh escaped her lips. "We'll never know what could have happened, because it simply didn't happen, our present being the course of events that had to take place. Destiny is a curious thing, Lia, and it doesn't leave room for coincidences, for chances, for possibilities and second alternatives. I think that if I could go back in time, things would end up playing in the same way as they've done and I would be exactly where I must be, which is where I am today. Still, if I was given the chance, I wouldn't take it," She said, before making Irelia turn in her arms, so as to face her, "I wouldn't take it, because I've got too much to lose and I'm afraid of losing it. I'm afraid of losing the peace we've found, of losing the friends I've made, of losing the love I've found." She pulled Irelia even closer, "Of losing you, and I'd never dare even risk losing all of this, so my answer is a definite no. I wouldn't undo it because what's happened was destined to be, just like I was destined to be yours and, if I had to go back and I had to go through it again, I would let it play just as it has, for the story's ending is the one where I'm with you and you're with me. When you cannot save everyone, you have to choose who to save and I'll choose you over and over again because not only do I want to save you, I think you'll always be the one to deserve it." She raised a brow, "Does that make any sense?" She frowned at Irelia, "Why are you crying?"

Irelia shook her head, before smiling at the other woman. "It's nothing," She said, before giving her a light kiss, "Shall we go meet our guests?"

Riven stared at her for another moment, before letting it be. "Sure, let's go." She frowned once more, "I still have to scold Diana for not telling me about Leona's proposal, anyway."

Irelia raised a brow, "Proposal?"

"Leona asked Diana to marry her," Riven said, "And the idiot didn't think of telling me right away! I had to find out through a dream. She visited me there and invited us to their wedding, next month."

Irelia stared at her with wide eyes, "When did this happen?"

"Last week."

"And you didn't tell me?"

Riven's eyes widened upon realizing her mistake. "Oh."

They both stared at each other, Riven with a sheepish look, Irelia with a burning glare, but after a moment, the heat in her eyes faded as she bursted out laughing.

"What do you find so funny?" Riven asked her.

"Nothing," Irelia said, shaking her head, "I just really hope you don't forget to tell them when we end up where they are today."

Riven stared with shock in her eyes, "Are you asking me to marry you, Chancellor Lito?"

And despite the smile on her lips, Irelia playfully shoved Riven away.

"One step at a time, Konte."

Riven raised her hands in surrender, "Okay, one step at a time, but we give those steps together."

She missed the way Irelia looked at her when she gave her her reply.

"Yes. Together."


AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Aaaand that's the end, folks! Thank you all for reading BR and I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have.

In my last update, I mentioned I'd stop writing here in but apparently I have A LOT of readers who are from here. I think I will not stop, but let me tell you that you may also find me on AO3 (Yes, the page I didn't want to mention by name in my last update, mostly bc I didn't know if it was allowed LMFAO) And, over there, since the commenting is far more uh... interactive? I guess? I can actually reply to your comments. You're more than welcome to follow me there instead of here, but know that I MAY keep on writing here. In any case, you'll always be able to find me on AO3!

AND ANOTHER THING: If you want to talk with me or give me a follow somewhere else (so as to always be updated whether i'm writing or not, whether i'm working on sth or not), I advise you follow me on twitter! mililap1

I'll always be tweeting about what's on my head there. If not, you may also find me on Tumblr ( mililap).

Anyways, I think that's all! I love y'all! See you soon!