Elena lowered her scepter and stood before The Fuerza people. She let her eyes scan the crowd, they were all bowing to her. She glanced over at Gervaso. He was taking a knee right along side his fellow people but he looked up at Elena when he felt her gaze on him. He gave her a look and a slight nod that told her she had won. They were hers now. She then turned her head to see Gabe, staring at her with nothing but pride. Suddenly she began to sway and her head spun a bit. Gabe's eyes widened with concern and he mouthed "stay stong" to her. She couldn't afford to look weak now. Unfortunately it was all a side effect of using the scepter too much. Channeling the magic drained the energy right out of her. She and Mateo had done a lot of work at managing her vitality but she was clearly out of practice now. She agreed with Gabe . She needed to stay strong. She managed to steady herself and turn back around. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again the dizziness had slightly faded. "I can do this" she told herself.

Elena addressed the Fuerza. "I'm not here to take over. I'm not here to dictate my ways to you. I respect your way of life and I never asked to be your queen. But I am. I am your queen and all I ask of you is your loyalty."

There was silence. There was no resistance. They waited for her command. Elena obliged.

"My jaquin friends are to remain free. They will no longer live in a cage. My guard, Lieutenant Nunez, will remain by my side. Paola, my maid, will be free to go where she pleases. She is no longer a slave and will not be harmed. Prince Gervaso will take full command of the warriors." She then turned and spoke directly to Gervaso. "Four guards of your choosing will remain outside of my tent at all times. I trust you Prince Gervaso" Gervaso accepted Elena's request.

She then turned back to the Fuerza people. She took a deep breath as she began to feel a bit dizzy again. She needed to wrap things up. Her legs began to feel weak.

"You will take King Galtero and You will burn or bury or do whatever it is you do with your dead" Elena ordered. "You may mourn him tonight ... but in the morning I expect to have all of your allegiance"

Gervaso was the first to rise before his new queen. "You have my allegiance! Queen Elena!" He stated.

"You have my allegiance Queen Elena!" Said another warrior in the crowd as he too stood up.

The rest followed, their vows of allegiance echoing in the night. There was no more argument, There was no disagreement. They swore their allegiance to her and if the Fuerza were known for anything, it was faithfulness. They stood by their leaders. They would stand by Elena.

Elena looked over her people one last time for the night. She smiled ever so slightly. The night couldn't have gone any better. It was so much more than she had hoped.

She slowly turned towards the King's tent, It was hers now. She rocked back on her heels momentarily before catching herself. Her head spun but she kept her legs strong. Gabe reached towards her and offered her his hand as she stepped off the platform. She took it and her eyes met his, thanking him. She then held her head high and walked tall all the way to the tent, with Gabe right behind her, ready to catch her should she falter. She wouldn't allow it to happen in front of everyone though.

Elena took a few steps inside her tent and the moment that Gabe had closed the flap behind them she collapsed to all fours. Gabe ran to her, kneeling directly in front of her and placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Are you ok?!" He asked.

"Yeah... I think so..." Elena told him, catching her breath a bit. She inhaled deeply and then let it out. "I feel ok I think." She then sat back on her heels. "Yeah. I feel good now" She looked at Gabe and just lit up. "I did it." She said and let out a quick chuckle, hardly believing what had just happened. She was truly on a high.

"You did!" Gabe said, staring at her with complete admiration. "You were amazing"

Elena stared back at Gabe and realized that in that moment there was nothing holding her back anymore. She was the queen. She no longer had a husband. She was free. They both grew serious as they looked deep into one another's eyes. There was no more struggle, no more uncertainty, nothing standing in their way. There was no reason for her to hide and suppress her feelings any more.

The tension between them was heavy. Elena's heart raced and Gabe's expression told her that his was doing the same. It all became too much and Elena burst off her heels, threw herself into Gabe's arms, pressed her lips on his and released years of the pent of passion that had been between them. Gabe's eyes widened with surprise but he didn't dare pull away. It was the moment that he'd been waiting for since they had met. The sudden kiss was fast and hard but their lips parted slowly.

Gabe brought his hands up to her face, stroking his thumbs along her jawline. Elena placed her hands atop Gabe's, closed her eyes and rested her forehead on his. She felt more connected to him than ever before and knew that she wanted to feel more. Elena reached down to the back corners of Gabe's shirt and tugged it up and over his head.

"Are you sure..." Gabe whispered to which Elena, keeping her eyes on her guard, nodded without hesitation that she was. Gabe gave a slight nod of his own. He knew her well enough to know that this wasn't one of her impulsive decisions. She knew what she was doing and so he was determined to make the moment exceed her expectations. After everything she'd been through, she deserved it all.

Gabe timidly reached towards Elena's waist. He untied her robe and slipped his hands underneath, running them over her hips and wrapping his arms around her. The silky garment that she now barely wore brushed against his knuckles. He gripped the small of her back and pulled her close to him. Elena slid her hands up his chest and around his neck, gently stroking her fingers along the nape. He felt a chill and began to tremble.

Their eyes were still locked on one another and neither dared to venture from the intense gaze. It was a look that held more than two years of unspoken emotion. A look that brought more pleasure than any glance at the other's exposed form could bring. Elena's eyes were alluring as she slowly moved her mouth towards Gabe and delicately grazed his lips, letting herself briefly linger. They simultaneously closed their eyes and deeply inhaled, savoring every sweet second of their time together. Time that until that very morning seemed impossible to obtain. Time that they weren't going to take for granted.

Gaining confidence, Gabe let his hands trace over Elena's spine until his fingers reached up and rested upon her shoulders. His touch gave Elena a chill and the feeling delighted her. She arched her back and lifted her chin, exposing her neck. Gabe leaned in and kissed her just above her collar bone. Elena couldn't help but let out a slight moan as her body's natural instincts began to take over. Gabe's kisses continued on a trail along Elena's neck, swept below her jawline and eventually returned to her welcoming lips. With each slide and with every taste brought on more desire, until they were nearly as deep as they could go.

They finally surrendered to their labored breathing, taking a moment to steady themselves.

"I love you" Gabe whispered, still panting.

Elena finally rose from her knees and Gabe followed. Sensuality filled her eyes as she kept them locked on Gabe. She tugged her robe off her shoulders and allowed it to fall to the ground. Gabe swallowed hard. He was nervous but he was ready. He cradled his queen in his arms and carried her over to the bed.

"I love you too Gabe" Elena confessed as they laid down side by side, completely intoxicated by one another and filled with anticipation as they knew what each look, each touch and each kiss was leading up to.

Elena woke up in the morning the next day and a smile spread across her face before she even opened her eyes. She felt refreshed, she felt loved, she felt powerful, she felt like the woman that she had always been destined to be.

she stretched out her arms and let out a long yawn as she finally opened her eyes. Her smile only grew larger when she saw Gabe, already dressed, preparing for the day. He too seemed to have a renewed energy.

"You're up already" Elena stated happily.

"I'm always up before you are" Gabe laughed. "It's a big day today!"

"I'm ready!" Elena proclaimed as she nearly bounced out of bed. Determination filling her soul.

"Good!" Gabe replied, excited to get the day started and watch Elena in all her glory. "I am on duty as your guard for the day, as always so... I will be waiting right outside the tent if you need me for anything" He then walked over to her, kissed her sweetly on the cheek and headed to his post.

Elena watched him leave and she sighed with satisfaction. The way he had made her feel more than met her expectations and best of all, they were in love and completely free to express it. Elena knew that she would have stars in her eyes for at least the rest of the day, probably longer.

"What an interesting night you had last night huh?" Paola said with a smirk, entering Elena's new tent.

Elena rolled her eyes at her friend. "What are you even doing here? Didn't you hear? You're free to go where ever you'd like"

"I know" Paola said with appreciation. "But I'd like to stay here with you"

"Really?!" Elena asked, genuinely surprised.

"Yeah! Of course!" Paola told her with complete sincerity. "Where else would I go? I mean, my family in Cariza is dead, I have no other friends or relatives. Plus, I believe in you. I want to stand by your side as you take back your kingdom. I want to help however I can. I owe you everything!"

"You owe me?!" Elena exclaimed. "You owe me NOTHING! After what you did for me last night... "

"You set me free Elena" Paola interrupted. "That was everything. Thank you."

The two girls shared a warm embrace. They were both grateful for the friendship they had formed in such a short amount of time. Elena trusted Paola completely and the unique bond they shared was one that would last a lifetime.

Elena had her breakfast, got dressed and then headed out of her tent. She stepped outside and felt the sun on her face. She closed her eyes and tilted her head upwards, fully embracing the warmth that it brought.

"Good morning Princessa!" Skylar called.

Elena opened her eyes to see him, Luna and Migs happily flying about over the village. She looked around at her surroundings and found that the people were carrying on as usual. Everything was functioning just as it had every morning.

Her first task was to collaborate a plan with Gervaso. They needed to prepare for the battle they would face upon returning to Avalor. They would also need to figure out how to get their entire army off of the island.

"Today we are dealing mostly with logistics" Gervaso reported to Elena once she found him at the training facilities. "We need to reassign officers and such and then training will begin"

"That's perfect. If you need my help at all let me know. I'm sure I could be helpful in letting you know the layout of the city or the palace..."

"Queen Elena!" A voice interrupted from behind them. There was a warrior running towards them in haste.

"What's wrong?" Elena asked.

"We just got word from the marketplace that a fleet of ships has pulled into the port. Their captain is looking for you!"

"What?! Do you know anything else?" Elena asked.

"Or a flag? Were the ships flying a flag?" Gabe added, stepping up into the conversation.

"Yes. They had a flag. It was topped with a red block featuring a star bust like flower and then blue and white stripes"

Elena and Gabe immediately turned to one another and any panic or fear had vanished. They both lit up at what they were hearing. "Norberg!" They said in unison. "Naomi!"