Author's Note:

Hello my beautiful readers! I am so so so so so so sorry It's been so long since I've posted anything. To say that it has been a hectic several months would be a severe understatement. I quit my job of 3.5 years back in May, and started my own business. Things at my previous job weren't going too well, with new management coming in, departures of some key people at the company, and a lot of things about the future of the company uncertain. So, I decided to resign, and begin my own adventure. I never could have imagined the extra time and effort it would take to do this, but I'm SO happy I did. It's been the best decision I've made in a long time. The only bummer was that I was using almost all my free time for paperwork, time entry, billings, and various other tasks relating to my business; which left me with pretty much no time to write. I broke up with my boyfriend a couple months back, and I've been using some of that extra time to try and finish this chapter for you all. It's been on my mind for a long time, I just haven't had the time to do it until now. I hope I can start writing again on a somewhat regular basis. And, like I said at the beginning of this story, I PROMISE that I will see this story through to the end. It may take a while, but it WILL be finished.

So, with all that said, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I made sure it was nice and long for you, because you guys deserve it after such a long wait!

Sadly, I do not own Sym-Bionic Titan. I only claim ownership of my own OCs


The kingdom was filled with more excitement and joy than the king had seen in over ten years. People flooded the streets in their best outfits; Shops, homes, and restaurants all decorated with the greatest care by their owners. A stage had been erected in the center of the city for the musicians; and lanterns, lights, fireworks, and streamers were filling the sky with beautiful warmth and color; casting an almost heavenly glow on every street corner throughout the kingdom.

The king breathed in the fresh summer air of early September as he surveyed the city from his bedroom balcony. The sun would be setting soon, casting the kingdom into ethereal shades of purples, pinks, oranges, and yellows as twilight claimed the day's previous clear blue sky. The king couldn't imagine a better day for his beloved daughter's birthday celebration.

He had planned and overseen everything personally, to make sure that the entire palace was adorned and styled to his exact specifications. The enormous venue was covered floor to ceiling in white roses and delphiniums. The king knew that white roses were one of his daughter's favorite flowers, and he thought of delphiniums as a companion flower due to his daughter's love of the color blue.

Apart from the floral arrangements, silks, crystals, and gold trimmings finished off the effect. The palace truly looked like something out of a fairy tale, and the king prided himself on his success; now he only hoped that the birthday girl would love it as much as he did.

As he pondered that thought, he walked from his bedroom, down the grand staircase, and waited at the bottom for his beloved daughter to emerge from her room.

Right on cue, as if reading his mind, Ilana emerged from her bed chamber at the top of the staircase, and gave a large gasp. She couldn't believe her eyes; her home had been transformed into the magical castle of her childhood dreams. Everywhere she looked, she saw nothing but utter beauty. Now she understood why her father had requested she look through her massive piles of paperwork in her room today. All he had told her was that he had something to do, and that it would be a surprise for her; therefore, she wasn't to see it before the ball. So, she had obliged, and remained in her room for the day to attend to various categories of paperwork that needed to be seen to.

She took her time surveying the palace; taking in every detail before looking down the staircase at her father, tears welling up in her eyes. "Oh, father...It's more than I could have ever imagined. It's absolutely beautiful."

While the king was pleased to hear his daughter express her joy over her party, he couldn't help but stare at the gorgeous young woman at the top of the staircase, and wonder what on earth had happened to his little girl. Some of his fondest memories were of her trying on his harvest festival hats that were too big for her, only to have them flop down over her eyes while she squealed in glee. Now, he was watching her walk down the staircase as a grown young woman with a grace and elegance she herself didn't even know she possessed. She was wearing the dress she had custom made for the occasion; emerald green silk, cut into a form-fitting sleeveless mermaid style, with diamond embroidery, and gold trim. Her long blond hair was tied into a curly bun, and an emerald and diamond tiara adorned her head. She accompanied the outfit with emerald earrings, an emerald and gold necklace, and a gold bracelet comprised of emeralds and diamonds. The king was breathless.

"My darling...you look stunning tonight; absolutely beautiful." The king said, pride shining in his eyes as he smiled at his daughter, and offered her his arm to escort her into the ballroom. All of the guests had been found and gathered into the room earlier, and the invited personnel from the military had just arrived, so it was time to start the party.

Ilana gave a radiant smile back as she took the offered arm, allowing her father to lead her down the hallway, and toward the ballroom.

As the doors swung wide, all eyes turned to the crown jewel of the party; Ilana was the center of attention...and she was completely oblivious to it all. Her eyes had instantly found the one person she wanted to see as soon as the doors had opened. Lance stood toward the back of the room near the refreshment tables, dressed up in his formal military garb, and trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible. As soon as she entered the ballroom, his eyes had found hers. She instantly recognized the discomfort of having to attend such a crowded celebration mixed with the excitement to see her swirling in his dark pools. Ilana couldn't help but chuckle to herself. 'He never has been one for social occasions', she noted to herself with a smile.

Lance shot her an almost imperceptible smirk, which Ilana returned before her father led her toward the stage at the back of the ballroom.

The band occupying the space quickly withdrew toward the back as the king led his daughter up the side stairs, and onto the platform; Everyone in attendance gathering around to listen to the king's prepared speech.

The king withdrew his arm from his daughter's, and made the short walk to the microphone. With every step he took, a hush fell over the crowd of guests. All eyes turned to the king. Clearing his throat, his majesty began his address: "My fellow kings and queens, princes and princesses, lords, ladies, and gentlemen. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you all, as well as our honored military representatives in attendance, for sparing the time from your busy schedules to be here tonight to celebrate my daughter's birthday: princess Ilana."

The guests erupted into thunderous applause for the princess, which lasted for several minutes before it began to die down.

The king waited until quiet once more fell upon the room before continuing, "As I am sure everyone can attest to, it has been a trying several years; rebuilding what was almost thoroughly laid to waste at the hands of Modula. The princess has worked tirelessly alongside her people to resurrect from the ashes what had once been our beloved kingdom. Through her efforts, as well as the efforts of so many others, Galaluna once again stands as a beacon of hope, peace, and strength. Without her, we most certainly would never have been able to reclaim our land and freedom. As I am sure you all know, the Galalunian crest bears three symbols: the heart, body, and mind - united as one. She is the heart of this kingdom, and it is thanks to her spirit and love for her people that we were able to triumph over the evil that plagued our land. The final battle with Modula seems as though it was only yesterday, yet when I look at my beautiful daughter, it is no longer a little girl that I see. I see a leader; someone whom I know will become one of the greatest influences to have ever ruled over Galaluna. My daughter turns 23 today. As I watched her walk down the stairway just a short while ago, on her way down to meet me, I could not believe my own eyes. I was not staring at my daughter anymore; I was staring at the woman she has become. Fierce, loyal, commanding, brave, and fearless; yet filled with a compassion and love for her people that few could match."

The king turned to Ilana, locking eyes with his now teary-eyed daughter; no longer his little girl. "My darling, I am so proud of you. You will never know the extent of my pride, love, and admiration for you and the mature young woman you have become. Your mother would be so proud of you."

Ilana desperately tried to hold back her tears as she walked over to her father, giving him the warmest hug he had ever received from her. Though the moment was short, the embrace meant more to the both of them than any other they had shared before. The king gave his princess his warmest, most tender smile before releasing her and turning back toward the crowd. Facing the microphone once more, he continued his speech. "Though this ball is mainly intended for Ilana's birthday celebration, I would also like to incorporate one other celebration along with it. Could I ask Major General Lance of the Galalunian military and Octus, our head of scientific research and development program, to please join myself and my daughter on stage?"

Lance and Octus shared a brief puzzled glance at each other from across the room before shrugging to themselves, and making their way through the crowd. It only took them a moment to reach the stage.

The king ushered them over to stand next to Ilana; Lance on her right, and Octus on her left.

With the three assembled for the guests to see, the king once again turned toward the microphone. "This month marks the 4th anniversary of Galaluna's liberation from Modula. We have never held an official celebration to commemorate this event; however, I felt it should be acknowledged tonight. The achievements that these three have acquired over the past four years have been incredible; and I, as the king, could not be prouder of their accomplishments. It is because of the leadership of these individuals: Ilana, the heart; Lance, the body; and Octus, the mind; that Galaluna was liberated four years ago. They have since been instrumental in rebuilding Galaluna, and re-establishing our rank and pristige. Would you all please join me in thanking them for all of their efforts over these past few years?"

There were cheers and applause from the crowd as the king turned back toward the trio; a smile adorning his face, and pride showing in his eyes.

The trio smiled back at their ruler, and the king returned his attention back to the guests. While the king continued to speak, Ilana noticed Lance starting to fidget ever so slightly at her side. She smiled to herself, knowing that he never had been comfortable with being in the spotlight.

As the three were standing so close together, Ilana was able to put a comforting hand on Lance's back without anyone noticing.

Lance felt it, a small smile creeping onto his face as his fidgeting stopped. Only Ilana was able to give him this sense of comfort and calm.

Both of those feelings were short-lived, however, when the king turned to them and addressed Lance. "General, would you please do us the honor of opening the ball with the princess?"

Lance gaped for a moment before merely nodding his head. While he retained the external appearance of calm, internally he was panicking. 'I haven't taken proper ballroom dance lessons since I was 7! This isn't good!'.

He turned to Ilana, offering her his hand so as to take her out onto the floor. Ilana, seeing the panic in his eyes, accepted his offer and placed her hand within his; giving it an ever so subtle squeeze as she did so. Lance could see in her face that she was trying to tell him "Don't worry. You've got this, and I've got you.", and he very much hoped that she was right.

He led her off the stage, through the crowd of guests, and out onto the floor. Bringing her in close while taking one of her hands in his, his other placed on her waist, he gave her a small smile before beginning to repeat the few steps he could remember from childhood; soft, slow music playing in the background.

They both quickly fell into step together, Ilana guiding him every now and again when she sensed hesitancy in his movements. Lance found that the muscle memory from dance lessons as a child quickly came back; and, as they danced, the two of them almost seemed to blend into one being; graceful and elegant as they glided across the floor.

All too soon, the music ended, and Lance reluctantly released her from his grasp as the attendees applauded the performance. "Thank you very much, General. Now, may I cut in?" the king asked as he walked up to the couple.

Both Lance and Ilana exchanged smiles before turning to the king, and nodded their heads. "Of course, your majesty" Lance replied, bowing to the king before giving Ilana one more smile and walking back toward the refreshment table.

He took his place next to the champagne tray on the table, leaning up against the wall and watching his love dance with her father; a warm smile adorning his normally stoic face.

"Well, well, well, General. I never knew you could dance."

Lance smirked as he turned his head to the right, seeing Baron and Sarah approaching him through the crowd.

"Yeah, well, neither did I. I had to take lessons as a kid, but I haven't practiced since I was about 7 years old. Guess you never really forget anything your taught, after all."

Lance pushed himself off the wall, and the two men shook hands. "Good to see you, Baron. It's been a few weeks."

Baron smiled as he released his younger counterpart's hand. "Yeah, I guess we've both been pretty busy lately, huh."

Lace gave a nod in response before turning to Sarah. She cleaned up very nicely in his opinion, which did not surprise him in the least. While no one could top Ilana in his eyes, he could easily understand why so many men were after her. Her curly red hair was pinned up on the left side of her head by a gold barrette, while the rest spilled over her shoulders and down her back in elegant waves. The dress she had chosen was a beautiful sky blue to match her large, bright eyes. The gown was a sleeveless mermaid style, with a v-neck cut. The shimmering fabric was complimented by a gold and diamond bracelet, a gold necklace with a diamond pendant, and diamond jacket earrings. Lance also noticed a ring on her right-hand ring finger which, upon close inspection, looked very much like an engagement ring. It consisted of a gold band, with a single solitaire diamond; subtle, yet elegant. 'I'll need to ask Baron about THAT later on...' he thought with a smirk. Locking eyes with her, Lance extended his hand. "First Lieutenant Sarah Byers, I believe? I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm Major General Lance, an old classmate of Colonel Baron."

Sarah returned the smile, and shook Lance's offered hand. "It's an honor to officially meet you, Major General. I've heard so much about you from Baron."

Lance smirked in return. "Good things, I hope?"

Sarah chuckled, returning his smirk with one of her own. "Yes, good things. From what I gather, you two had a rather...strained relationship as cadets."

Lance chuckled in response before glancing at Baron. "Strained is a kind way to put it, but yes. Fortunately, I think we've both grown out of our childish ways, eh Baron?"

Baron merely smirked in reply, Lance returning the humorous look before reverting his attention back to Sarah. "Lieutenant Byers...I'd like to apologize to you as well. The first time we met was not under the best circumstances, I know. It wasn't my intention to embarrass you."

A quick look of confusion overtook Sarah's face before understanding set in, accompanied by a deep blush. "Ah...yes, I'd forgotten about that, actually. I know it wasn't your intention, and I appreciate the apology, Major General. Rest assured, there's no need for it."

Lance gave her a warm smile accompanied by an acknowledging nod as the three of them decided to move to the lounge located in one of the adjoining rooms, so as to both escape the crowds, and talk easier. The three were so engrossed in conversation that they hadn't realized how much time had gone by until the princess came in to inform them that, as the party had been going on for about 3 hours now, it was time to transition from the palace to the streets of Galaluna to celebrate with the people. With this announcement being made to everyone by the king, some guests chose to retire for the evening while others decided to accompany the royal family and military to mingle with the townspeople.

EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F

Every citizen on Galaluna was estatic to be able to celebrate the princess's birthday with her in person. There were fireworks, performances, and as much dancing as anyone could wish for. Ilana went from street to street, greeting her people and celebrating with them, until finally stopping in the town square: the hub of Galaluna's civilian population. Everyone danced the night away, and enjoyed the beautiful sights around them; lanterns and lights glistening off the waters of the large fountain at the center of the square, the myriad of stars that painted the night sky, and the lovely decorations of silks, feathers, and flower garlands that the citizens had decorated the streets, homes, and storefronts with. Even Lance decided to loosen up a bit, and engaged in conversation with many of the Galalunian people in attendance. All in all, the party was an enormous success, and everyone enjoyed themselves to the fullest. By midnight, the king decided to end the festivities, wishing everyone a goodnight, and thanking the citizens whole-heartedly for the wonderful celebration they had put on for their princess. Goodnights were exchanged, and everyone made their way back to the palace.

Once all of the guests were safely within the palace walls, and on their way to their rooms, the king turned to the military attendees still present. "Well, I think that was a great success, wouldn't you say, everyone?"

The few servicemen and women that remained were Lance, Baron, Sarah, three-star General Richard Hagan, and Lieutenant Colonel James Matthews. All in attendance nodded their heads in agreement, with Lance deciding to speak. "Yes, your majesty. I think the evening went off without a hitch. The princess seemed to enjoy herself; which was, of course, the ultimate goal. So, I would consider this a great success."

The king nodded his agreement to Lance's statement. "I believe you are quite right, Major General. Thank you, everyone, for attending this evening. It was greatly appreciated, both by my daughter and myself. I hope you all enjoyed yourselves, and I hope you all have a good evening." With that, the king turned, and retreated up the staircase to his bedchamber.

Lance, Baron, Sarah, Hagan, and Matthews all wished each other goodnight before parting company, Baron shooting Lance a small smirk before turning and walking back toward his barracks.

Lance smirked back at the retreating visage of his older counterpart before discreetly making his way to Ilana's balcony. Making the familiar trek up, he landed gracefully on the solid surface, and let himself in through her sliding glass door.

Upon seeing her, his eyes softened; a gentle smile adorning his face. She was sitting on her bed reading a book, now in her pajama crop top and shorts made of baby blue silk. Her hair had been freed from its constraints, and now flowed gently down her back; all semblances of makeup and jewelry removed from her soft skin. This was his Ilana: completely natural; no fancy clothes, makeup, family jewels, or anything else. Just her; and he never thought she looked more beautiful than in these moments.

He took off his boots, and walked over to her as she smiled at him and put her book down. "Hey, you." She said as he bent down to give her a quick kiss before sitting next to her; stripping out of his formal suit down to his boxers, before retrieving a pair of sweatpants he had stuffed under her bed.

After putting the sweatpants on, he settled into bed next to her. "Hey. So, did you enjoy your birthday?"

Ilana's face lit up as soon as he asked the question. "I did! Everything was wonderful. The only thing I would've wished for was a few more dances with you."

Lance gave her a sympathetic smile, taking her hand in his. "I know. I would've liked that too. Sometimes it's hard, having to be so careful when around other people."

Ilana nodded in agreement, moving closer to him, and snuggling into his chest as he wrapped her in a warm embrace.

She looked up at him, then; a loving smile adorning her face. She brought her left hand up to cup his face, stroking his cheek with her thumb. "That's okay, though. That one dance we did get to share was perfect."

Lance returned her smile, tightening his grip on her as he bent down, capturing her lips with his. Ilana hummed in satisfaction, moving her hand to the back of his neck, pulling him down further, and deepening the kiss. She shifted her position so that she was sitting on his lap, that way he wouldn't have to bend his body at an awkward angle just to kiss her. They exchanged a few more kisses before Lance pulled away, Ilana whimpering her protests. Lance chuckled at the dejected look on her face, giving her a quick kiss on the nose. "If you remember correctly, I haven't given you your birthday present yet."

At the mention of her gift, the dissatisfied look on Ilana's face dissipated, and was replaced by curiosity. Lance always managed to come up with very creative and unique gifts for her, and she always loved every one of them. She couldn't wait to see what her brilliant boyfriend had concocted this year. With that, she gave him a playful smirk, "Why, I do believe you're right."

Lance returned her smirk, and got up off the bed. He walked over to his discarded jacket, and started rummaging around in the many pockets the garment possessed. Once he found what he was looking for, he turned back toward Ilana, walking over to the foot of the bed. "Are you ready?"

Ilana gave him a look that clearly said 'Of course I'm ready, you goofball.'. "So, what did you come up with this year, babe?" she asked.

Lance could see the genuine curiosity in her eyes. He loved that she wasn't a materialistic person; it was always the creativity and ingenuity that he used to produce her gifts that she loved the most, not the thing itself. Lance hoped that on this occasion, though, she would love the thing itself, as well as the sentiment behind it.

A warm, loving smile overtook his face. "This is something different than in years past. I wanted to do this another way, but our circumstances make that pretty difficult, so...here it is."

With that, Lance got down on one knee, and produced a small blue velvet box. He opened the box, and inside rested a beautiful gold ring with an oval-cut diamond at its center, surrounded by small sapphires. Ilana let out a gasp, as her hands flew to her mouth; tears welling up in her eyes. Lance smiled, knowing that the tears he was seeing were happy ones. "Ilana, I know that circumstances right now won't allow us to officially progress further in our relationship, but I wanted you to know that I'm in this till the end. We've been through so much together, and I know that you're the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. Before I met you, the only thing that gave my life purpose, meaning, was the fight. That was all I knew in my life; that was all that mattered to me. You were the one who brought me out of that dark place I was in all those years ago. You're the reason I'm the man I am today. You saved me, and I don't want to go through the rest of this life without you. So, I want to ask you, Ilana: Am I enough for you? Even though we'll have to fight harder than we ever have before to make this happen, will you marry me? Will you be my wife?"

Ilana was barely able to choke out a 'yes' before she flung herself into Lance's arms, holding him tight, and kissing him soundly.

He kissed her back with equal emotion, before pulling back, and taking her left hand. Gently, he removed the ring from its velvet box, and placed it on her ring finger. A smile adorned Lance's face as he watched Ilana bring her hand up to inspect the ring with wonder in her eyes. As his smile morphed into a smirk, he looked straight at her, "Congratulations, you're stuck with the insubordinate General now."

Ilana tried to suppress the tears, but they would not stop flowing. Given their situation, she had doubted she would ever see a proposal from him in the near future. All she wanted was to be his wife, and have him by her side forever. It seemed ridiculous to her that she was a princess, and could, therefore, theoretically have anything she wanted; yet, the reality was that she could not have the one thing she did want: him. She would often dream of a future with him; their kids playing out in the palace gardens with her father, as she and Lance attended to the duties of the ruling monarchs. Lance, playing with the children outside before dinner; everyone coming in dirty, grass-stained, and smiling from ear to ear as they settled down for a family meal. These happy situations she would fabricate in her head made her incredibly sad every time she woke up and came back to reality, accepting that they would probably never come to pass. And yet, here they were. Of course, she had never doubted his love for her; she was quite confident in that. The actual, physical commitment of a proposal, however, was another layer to their situation; it made it seem more real, with higher stakes than before. He was committed to this; to her. He wanted the same future for them as she did, even if they would have to fight like hell for it. Those realizations made her cry even more tears of joy as she wrapped him up in another loving embrace.

"It's beautiful, Lance." She said as she felt his strong arms fully encircle her, and press her closer to him.

Lance smiled lovingly as he closed his eyes, completely relaxing in her embrace. "I'm glad; I hoped you'd like it. I chose Sapphires for the accent stones because they're your birthstone."

He felt Ilana squeeze him tighter, before whispering in his ear, "I couldn't have asked for a better present, my love. Thank you so much."

She felt Lance give her a reciprocatory squeeze as they lapsed into silence, holding each other close.

They stayed like that for a while, enjoying the other's warmth, and not wanting the moment to end. Unfortunately, though, it did end much quicker than they anticipated when a knock came at Ilana's door.

"My darling, are you awake? I wanted to give you your birthday gift."

Panic ran through them both as the door began to open. Moving as quickly as he could, Lance snatched his discarded clothes from the floor and slid soundlessly under Ilana's bed, while Ilana hopped up into her bed, sliding under the covers and wiping her eyes as her door opened fully, and her father walked in.

Ilana composed herself quickly, looking over at her approaching father with a smile on her face. "You caught me just in time, father. I was just about to settle into bed."

The king smiled back at her as he took a seat on the bed. "Well, I always did say to your mother that I had perfect timing."

'Yeah...perfect, alright.' Lance thought bitterly as he lay underneath the bed, concealed by the bed skirt. He was grateful that he was on Ilana's side, so the king's weight on the mattress wasn't pressing down on him at all. However, that didn't make him any calmer about the situation. After all, he was currently hiding under his fiancée's bed while her father was conversing with her directly above him...not to include the part where their relationship was pretty much equivalent to treason and insurrection by all current standards. He knew that the king was a highly perceptive man, and was hoping and praying that Ilana's demeanor wouldn't give away that something was off. 'You've got this, Ilana. Just stay calm, and everything will be fine.' He thought.

"I'm sorry that I had to disturb you so late at night, my darling, but I wanted to give you your gift in private." The king said as he surveyed his daughter. She had seemed a little panicked when he came in; though, he supposed that was probably because whenever he came to her at night, it was usually because of bad news, or some horrid event that had just taken place. He couldn't really blame her for looking worried.

"That's alright, father. I wasn't asleep, anyway. Why did you wish to give it to me in private?" she asked, a confused look on her face. Her father had never had an issue presenting her birthday present to her in public before, so she was curious as to why he didn't want to now.

The king smiled at her as a soft, far-off look appeared in his eyes. Ilana could tell that, in his mind's eye, he was reliving the days before she was born; the days when her mother was still alive. She had seen this look on her father's face before, many times; usually when important days to her mother and father came and went, such as their anniversary.

"I thought giving it in private would be more appropriate, as it's such a personal gift."
With that, the king opened up a large blue velvet box to reveal a stunning sapphire and diamond necklace.

Ilana's breath caught; it was absolutely beautiful. The necklace had two tiers. The first tier, which hung close to the base of the neck, consisted of alternating diamonds and sapphires in a teardrop cut. The second tier, which branched off of, and hung below, the first tier came down to a point in the shape of a V, and was comprised of all diamonds on both sides, meeting at a larger sapphire stone at the base. It was a thing of beauty, and looked rather old; like an ancient family heirloom.

Oh father...It's stunning" Ilana breathed as she gently lifted the necklace from its case, and held it up to examine it.

The king had a soft smile on his face, "It was your mother's...and your grandmother's before her."

Surprised, Ilana's head snapped up to look at her father as she placed the necklace back in the box, and the box on her nightstand. "This was mother's?" she asked.

The king nodded slowly. "Yes. I gave it to her on the eve of our wedding. My mother had given it to me years prior for my future bride. When she put it on..." at that point, the king fell quiet. Ilana could see he was reminiscing, from the far-off look in his eyes. After a moment of silence, the king looked back at her. "When she put it on for our wedding, I thought she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen; my very own priceless treasure." With that, the king smiled again, full of warmth and affection. He placed his hand gently on his daughter's shoulder. "She always intended for you to have it one day, when you grew up. I should have given it to you years ago, but I was in denial that my sweet little girl had grown into a strong, confident, wonderful young woman. Watching you tonight made me realize and accept that my little girl whom I used to shelter and protect is no more. Now, there is a mature young woman in her stead."

With that, the king pulled his now happily crying daughter into a tight embrace, hugging her as close to him as he could. "I am so proud of you, my darling. Both of what you were before you left, and what you have become today. You are your mother's daughter, and I know she would be proud of you too."

Ilana gave her father a tight squeeze, and he squeezed back. "Thank you so much, father. I will treasure it." She said as she withdrew from her father's embrace.

The king smiled, about to respond until something caught his eye. A shock subsequently ran through his system. He saw a beautiful ring on his daughter's finger, comprised of diamonds and sapphires. It almost looked like an engagement ring. 'I haven't been aware of any suiters, though.' The king thought as he stared at the ring.

Ilana, noticing what caught his attention, started internally panicking, 'Oh no, I forgot to sneak the ring off!'

Slowly, the king looked at his daughter, intensity and probing curiosity in his gaze. "Ilana, my dear, where did you get that ring? I don't remember it, is it new?"

Ilana kept her calm composure as she brought her hand up, as if to examine the object. "Oh, yes, it is. It was a birthday gift from Octus. Seeing as how sapphires are my birthstone, he thought I might like a piece of custom-made jewelry from him with my birthstone incorporated. Do you like it, father? I think it will look wonderful with mother's necklace, don't you?"

The king stared at his daughter, as if he were a warrior trying to find a crack in a piece of armor. His stare made Ilana uncomfortable, but she refrained from fidgeting or looking away from him. The king stared at her a few moments longer before softening his gaze, and smiling. "Yes, I do. That was a very thoughtful gift. I would, however, wear it on the other hand, my darling. It almost looks like an engagement ring, being on your left hand. It is beautiful, though. Octus has good taste."

Ilana smiled, continuing to try and feign calm, "Yes, father, you're quite right. I'm sorry, I hadn't even given it a thought. I'll make sure I wear it on my right hand in the future."

The king gave her one last smile, this one not quite reaching his eyes. "Very good. Alright, I think it's time for bed now. Goodnight, and happy birthday, my darling." With that, he got up off the bed, kissed his daughter on the forehead, and walked through her bedroom door, closing it behind him.

As soon as she was sure he was gone and safely out of earshot, Ilana released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Slowly, she brought her hand back up, watching it shake from nerves.

Lance slid out from under the bed, coming to sit by Ilana, and taking her hand in his. "Ilana, are you okay?"

Slowly, she turned to him, visible fear in her eyes. "Do you have any idea what would've happened to you if he'd found out you were in here? I was so scared I'd let it slip by accident somehow."

Lance nodded, fully understanding what would've happened had the king figured it out. "Yeah, I know."

Ilana brought her free hand up to cup his face, gently caressing his cheek with her thumb. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you, babe."

Lance smiled softly at her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "You won't lose me, I promise. Not ever, no matter what. I'll always be here."

Smiling gently now, Ilana pulled him in for a tender kiss.

After only a few moments, they broke apart; Lance getting up and locking her door. "Juuuuust in case your dad comes back." He said, a wry smile on his face.

Ilana chuckled, sliding under the covers as Lance did the same on the other side of the bed. Facing each other, they enjoyed the quiet for a few moments, content to just lay there. Lance soon broke the silence, though, "So, did you have fun tonight, babe?" he asked.

Ilana's smile grew wider as she began to recall the evening in her mind. "Yeah, I did. I think this was the funnest birthday I've had in a long time...excluding my 18th birthday when you and Octus indulged my wish to try a cattle drive and ranch stay. Now THAT was fun!"

Ilana started chuckling, while Lance adopted a humor-filled smirk, "Most of your fun came from watching me look like a fool when I was helping to train some wild mustangs under saddle."

Ilana broke out into full-on laughter at the memory. It had been SO funny watching her over-confident fiancée get on the backs of those horses, thinking there was nothing to it, only to get hucked into the air, and land in a graceless heap face-first in the dirt. That was probably her most treasured memory from that trip, just for the humor alone...plus, he looked pretty damn good in cowboy attire, if she did say so herself.

"Okay, I'll have to give you that one." She replied once her laughter had subsided.

Both now donned affectionate smiles on their faces as they looked at each other. Almost like a magnetic pull, they moved at once, as their lips met once more and eyes closed. The soft, sweet kiss deepened as they slid closer to each other under the covers. When they finally broke apart, Lance pressed his forehead to hers, locking eyes with her. "Happy birthday, my love." He whispered in the dark as she pulled him as close to her as possible.

Lance shifted under the covers, hovering over her just enough to allow his arms movement. A smirk adorned his face; his eyes reflecting the same desire he saw in his partner's. "Now, time for part two of your birthday gift."