Morning soon came with Veredian making breakfast, Aloe sitting on the counter playing with something, and Wesley securing things among the treehouse to preserve it knowing they would want to visit.
Soon enough it was time to go as they hugged each other tightly as a family.
"Darling I'm afraid.", whispered Veredian.
"Of what my love?", asked Wesley with worried eyes.
"This has been our home. The only home Aloe has ever known. The home where you and I began our marriage. I just...", started Veredian.
"Aloe will love the palace and I have made it so we can come back any time. Darling say the word and we will stay here forever. But to me, home is wherever you are. I'm at your mercy, where you go I will follow.", he said kissing her neck with loving lips.
Veredian put her hand on his cheek, feeling his stability and safety against her unsure skin. She took a breath praying for the right answer.
"The people need us, we will go. You're my home.", said Veredian.
It was about the time they were told to standby to be beamed to the Sage Palace and before they knew it their view was suddenly of rubble and broken beauty.
He looked around holding onto Veredians hand tightly and Aloe up in his arm. Her other hand went to her chest looking at her past home in fragments. Her chest heaved shakily at the hard to look at scene.
The emerald green pillars that held up the palace layed on the once perfect, cracked marble floor. The surrounding trees sat like nothing evil ever touched their leaves contrasting to the disaster that they canopied.
The palace had been the only structure not built up above in the trees, but it sat on top of the wide river designed by incredibly unique architectural applications. There were builders up and down its walkways slowly restoring it's majesty, but the destruction represented what the people went through. Bits of small rubble and remains floated away with the current.
Beams of light projected into the open hall as the familar officers appeared. They looked around at the tragedy forgetting pleasentries. They obviously hadn't been down on the planet for as long as Wesley and his family were in hiding. Though they knew about the destruction The Seethe had left, it couldn't have described the ruins of bitterness they layed their eyes upon.
Two statues stood in the middle of the floor with only minor damage to their forms. No one was yet to say a word as Veredian walked towards them with a quick beating heart.
Wesley read her mind as he knelt down to Aloe pointing to the group of officers. He waddled over to Data who picked him up naturally.
His hands were suddenly on her shoulders as her eyes read a nightmare. The statues wore the faces of her mother and father, the base of them reading of blurred condolences.
Her distraught mind couldn't focus on keeping herself up as she found her knees touching the floor. Because of him they landed softly. Her trembling was evident as her sobs were muffled in Wesley's shoulder. Her heart overflowed in dispair that poured into the room.
The elegant princess that always held her head high and wore a smile of sincere grace for the world now melted into his arms with unfiltered grief. Her tears stained his chest as he held one hand behind her curls and the other on her back. Her own arms were curled around her torso gripping each other with disbelief.
They grieved with her in their hearts for the death of her parents, and the death of her home.
