There ain't nothin' not affected
When two hearts get connected
All that is, will be, or ever was
Every single choice we make
Every breath we get to take
Is all because two people fell in love
~Brad Paisley-Two People Fell In Love~
Khaidric was nursing happily nestled in his mother's arms. Cordana was reclining against Khadgar, who had not left her side for a moment.
Rashana and Skylar stood by, smiling.
They had landed in the dwarven city of Ironforge, and the good dwarves had rushed to help Cordana. After stabilizing her, they located a mage who sent them to Darnassus. From there, it was a portal to Sanctuary.
Cordana had been fading fast, and had Khadgar not done what he had, she would have succumbed. The dwarven healers who initially worked on her were astounded at her strength. A lesser being would have died from the trauma. Khadgar had a hard time reconciling his actions. He felt that his own magic should have been powerful enough to save his wife. That pervasive feeling of failure was eroding his confidence, something he had never had to face before.
It took two healers to stop the bleeding from the damage inside Cordana and bring her back around. It took a full day, and in that time, Khadgar held his son and didn't move from her side. He would put the baby at her breast to feed, but the rest of the time Khaidric was in his arms.
When she awoke the first thing she asked was "Is Khaidric hungry? He probably wants to eat by now."
The baby was quite pleased to be offered his food.
"Does he have the eyes of the Kaldorei?" asked Skylar.
Cordana smiled. "We do not know. He has not opened them yet!"
As if on cue, little Khaidric stopped feeding and turned his head, cautiously opening his eyes. At first it was just a little, then as he realized there was an entire world of color and shapes to experience, he opened them all the way.
"Oh by Elune!" cried Cordana. "Look!"
Everyone gazed down at the curious little boy. Not one of them had ever seen such magnificent eyes! Khaidric's eyes were the bright blue of his father's but also had the Kaldorei glow. However it was altered in such a way that they appeared as stained glass windows in a cathedral with a bright candle left on behind them, warm color glowing out onto the world.
"Light," said Khadgar.
"Indeed," said Rashana.
"Unbelievable," said Skylar.
Khaidric gazed at his father, then batted the air in front of him.
"You are beautiful, my son," said Khadgar, feeling his eyes prickling with emotion as he kissed the baby.
Khaidric was barely a day old and it appeared that just for a moment his little lips curved upwards in a smile.
Against Rashana and Skylar's better judgement, Cordana and Khaidric came home to the Tower. Cordana didn't want Khadgar to miss a moment of his son's life, and with the problem of his portal magic, she was not assured that he would be able to travel easily enough to see them. Khaidric loved his father and was always excited to see him, kicking his little legs and following his every move. Cordana could not bear the thought of depriving Khadgar of his joy either.
The baby's personality was typical of Kaldorei children: he never cried or fussed. He simply whimpered or made little sounds until his mother or father picked him up. It was rare for Khaidric to be left in his bassinette anyway. His parents adored him and were always holding and cuddling him, or gazing into his wonderful eyes.
Khadgar's focus, which had so long been on his mission, shifted to his precious son. He ignored the Orb of Dominion and Garona entirely, and did not go near Maiev. He place a sound barrier around them both, so no one need hear their curses and rants.
He kept Cordana and Khaidric near him at all times. He enjoyed taking care of the baby when Cordana went to visit Toriona, which he had to urge her to do. She just never wished to be away from her son. Khadgar played with Khaidric and read all manner of boring tomes to the child, snuggled him and took him for walks around the Tower and the garrison. Everyone became accustomed to the sight of the Archmage not in battle gear, but carrying his little son and all the trappings that went with his role as a father. Beautiful little Khaidric was the star of the garrison. His magnificent eyes garnered a lot of attention, and Jaaral and Toriona would drop what they were doing to visit with him. Amidst all the death and war, this new life brought much needed hope to those he met.
Khadgar would watch as the child nursed, peacefully suckling his mother who looked at him with eyes so filled with adoration.
"I cannot believe you are the same Kaldorei who showed up at my tent so long ago, full of fire and ice..." said Khadgar softly, stroking her leg and hip as she fed the baby.
"I took one look at you and thought I might be in trouble," said Cordana with a smile.
"You did? Why?"
"You had that aura about you. The quiet confidence with a mischievous edge. And when you smiled at me...by Elune I thought you were the most handsome human I had ever seen. I had heard stories of your flamboyant personality, and knowing that, and seeing you for myself...I suspected we might end up with issues!"
Khadgar laughed. "I liked the sound of your voice," he said. "That first night after we met, I remember laying there in my tent wondering what you looked like, and yes I even considered spying on you to see if you took the encounter suit off."
Cordana gave him an odd look. "I don't live in it, Khadgar! I would have had to take it off sometime to bathe at least and sleep."
"Mmm," he said. "If I had imagined you taking anything off and bathing, we would have been in trouble a lot sooner than we were I think."
"So you didn't think of me in that way at all? You are a strange human!"
"Remember you were sent as my protector and assistant. I had accepted my solitary fate at that point and while that wouldn't necessarily have stopped me from thinking certain things, I knew our relationship had to be built on trust and mutual respect. I considered that to be the most important aspect at the beginning so spying on you and letting my mind wander were not appropriate to me. However once I got to know you more, I allowed my mind certain...liberties...from time to time."
Cordana kissed Khaidric and lay him down in his little bassinette. The amazing eyes were open and looking around but when he was covered with his blanket he closed them and went to sleep.
Cordana took her mate in her arms, his head on her chest and she stroked his hair. "I stopped allowing my mind those luxuries centuries ago," she said. "I realized it did more harm than good, but spending time with you so closely I found it difficult to not let my mind wander into those forbidden areas. As time went on I found it nearly impossible to be near you and not wish you to touch me. I did not realize you had seen me with my helmet off, and as much as I desired more from you, I was terrified that you would find me as heinous as I believed myself to be."
He caressed her gently. "Oh, Cordana...that we were both so taken with one another from the very start...leads me to believe we were meant to be as one."
"Our son is proof of that truth, would you not agree?"
He raised his head and kissed her. "I agree very much."
He let his hand roam over her body, her soft skin feeling very comforting to him beneath his fingers. When he reached the tuft of hair between her legs, he played with it cautiously, unsure how she would feel about such contact at this time.
Cordana sighed and parted her legs, and he tenderly caressed her flower. She seemed hesitant when he touched inside her, so he withdrew and brought her to release a different way.
"Do you still have pain, Cordana?" he asked softly after they had enjoyed one another.
"Not generally, no," she replied. "Just when you went into me, it still feels tender. I will recover in time."
"My poor love," said Khadgar. "Khaidric's birth was very difficult for you. I didn't realize it while it was happening, I thought that all births were traumatic...I was wrong. I felt helpless and worried, there was nothing I could do to help you."
"Khadgar, your being with me meant everything," said Cordana. "At a certain point, I thought that I would be giving birth without you in Sanctuary. I was unhappy about it, and considered that perhaps you did not want a Kaldorei mate anymore."
His expression fell and he sat up, pulling her into his arms. "My love...I am so sorry. I was weak minded...I could not reconcile myself to the loss of your presence and the feeling that I had failed you both terribly and I got too caught up in it."
"I feared you had abandoned us, Khadgar. I always believed you loved us...but that maybe it was too hard for you to continue. I felt as though I had failed you and failed the Enclave. However my love for Khaidric kept me going. I knew if I were forced to bear him alone, I would bring him to you afterwards and see how you felt then. I never considered that you would not love our son. Not for a moment."
He held her tight, rocking her. "But you thought I could stop loving you. That will never happen Cordana. Never. I am a terrible man for making you feel that way...I am so sorry...ever so sorry my love. I will never allow myself to become so self centered again. When I nearly lost you, I realized how ridiculous I had been, letting my own feelings take precedence over yours. It was wrong of me, and I will spend the rest of my life trying to atone for that."
"All is forgiven my love," she said, snuggling into him.
After awhile, they looked over at Khaidric, soundly asleep in his bassinette. Cordana crawled to the edge of the bed and lay down, gazing at their son. Khadgar lay behind her and pulled the covers over them.
He held his wife, and they were silent, watching their precious baby sleeping and feeling a sense of peace and joy.