Chapter 10

"Mioko!" Dantess had just stepped into the tent when Raziel was at their side. He threw himself off his horse not bothering to tether it and snatched the girl from Meg's arms, collapsing to his knees with the girl wrapped tightly in his arms. The others stepped back politely to give him his moment.

"Hi daddy," she said childishly as he smothered her in his embrace. Kain smiled on the sight and looked away when he saw the beginnings of a tear forming in his son's eye; he didn't even know Raziel could cry. "Don't cry daddy," Mioko said, looking up at her father, "I gave them hell."

Raziel's smile stretched from one ear to the other as he beamed down upon her, "That's my girl," he said kissing her repeatedly on the forehead. Mioko giggled but revelled in the attention she was getting.

Kain turned to his own daughter and they too just smiled at each other before Kain did something that no one had ever seen before. He reached over and wrapped his arms around her, "Don't do that again," he whispered in her ear. She smiled into his shoulder and rested her head there glad to be back within the Empire once again. He held her like that for a while before he released her and resumed his role as Lord of Nosgoth barking orders for the vampires to start clearing up and burning the camp complete with bodies.

With Raziel lost in his own little world of Mioko and Kain deep in conversation with Rahab who looked thrilled at finding his sister and niece in one piece against the odds, Azrael and Meg were left alone for the moment. Meg was smiling oddly as she looked at the floor, Azrael just didn't know where to begin.

"I'm so glad you're ok," he said breathlessly, forgetting that she was no longer his love and just holding her, "If anything would have happened to you…I…I…" he couldn't even comprehend what would have happened if Meg had been killed at the outset.

Meg grinned up at him from between his arms, "I hear you led the scout party to find me and you cried?" For a moment he looked confused but then looking down at Mioko he realised how she knew all this. He didn't bother to deny it and nodded. She looked triumphant, "So you love me still?" she asked.

Again he didn't deny anything, "Meg I never stopped loving you, you know that."

"Ewww," Mioko grimaced as Raziel continued to smother her. He looked down at her with a raised eyebrow. "They're kissing again," she said nodding her head at the two firstborns. Raziel and Mioko rolled their eyes and rose together. Then with Mioko in Raziel's arms and Azrael's hand in Meg's they all took their rightful place in the restored world; following Kain home.

TBC