Author's Notes: Here it is, guys! The epilogue and final chapter of Into Your Light!
Epilogue
One year later…
Cheers broke out amongst the children as they watched Iliana and her Sirens dance in the middle of the tavern. Iliana stepped forward towards them and crouched down, blowing kisses to each of the boys and then blowing multiple kisses to Gilly. The little boy blushed and smiled, trying to look away from her, but unable to thanks to his thoughts of how pretty her eyes were. Smiling at him, Iliana stood up with her back to him and then leaned back all the way, blowing him yet another kiss, to his embarrassment and the amusement of the children and Vanora.
Off in his usual corner, Tristan leaned back against the wooden beam, his eyes focused on her the entire time. Even after the passing of a year, Iliana still captivated him, be it her dancing or a simple look his way.
"Tristan, you are one lucky man."
Bors's comment snapped the scout out of his thoughts as the rounded knight joined him with a now one-year-old Eleven. While Tristan didn't say a word, the look in his eyes said it all for Bors, causing him to chuckle.
"Even after having Aria, Ili still looks good. I think Van might try to take up some belly dancing lessons from her."
The rounded knight wasn't from the truth on that as he glanced at Vanora, who held the baby in question as Iliana danced with her Sirens. She was a beautiful baby girl that just turned three months, and she was their creation and entire world. He imagined her as a miniature version of her mother: an ivory complexion, blonde hair, and the brightest of blue eyes to rival the sky above.
He watched as the girls concluded their performance with a synced pose, and the children cheered and bellowed once again. They flocked around them for a moment before the men cut in to give their ladies some attention of their own. Iliana, however, made her way to Vanora to collect Aria, and Tristan felt a sense of warmth at the sight of his wife and daughter.
After she recovered from her wounds, Iliana fulfilled her promise to Tristan as the two of them traveled to the island of Corfu. To her surprise, some old friends of hers from her childhood days were still around, and she spent some time catching up with them and telling them of her time in Britain. They also took a moment to pay a visit to her mother's grave, and after spending a few days on Corfu, traveled to Sarmatia. The lands were barren now, but it was still the same ocean of open grass and sky they both remembered. When a gentle breeze picked up, Iliana felt her father's presence, and the sun soon shined down on her.
After taking a moment to enjoy the sights, they returned to Hadrian's Wall, where Merlin married them with the men, the Sirens, Jols, and Vanora present. A couple months after their marriage, Iliana became pregnant with Aria, embracing her new role as a mother when she was born. Arthur and Guinevere soon married, making Arthur the official King of Briton, and the Sirens would marry their men afterwards in a quadruple wedding. They restored and fixed the town behind Hadrian's Wall, making it everyone's permanent home and welcoming refugees with open arms.
When she looked up at him, Iliana smiled and walked towards him and Bors, gently rocking Aria in her arms.
"I told you that you'd make a wonderful mother someday," Bors commented, adding to her smile and making her giggle.
"I admit I was nervous when I discovered I was pregnant with her, but when I first held her, all my trepidations about motherhood dissipated."
At her words, Tristan stood up and pulled her to him in a side hug, giving her a kiss on her temple.
"You are a wonderful mother, Ili," he said reassuringly.
"And you're a wonderful father, Tristan," Iliana said. "I can already see you playing the protective role when she's old enough to be courted."
Her smile widened at the protective look in Tristan's eyes, making Bors laugh.
"Better be careful. Gilly has mentioned wanting to court Aria when they're both old enough."
This earned him a glare from the scout, only adding to his amusement.
"Come on. Let us go home. We'll see you later," Iliana announced.
"Have a good evening," Bors said with a nod, and when Tristan placed his hand on Iliana's back, the two of them left the tavern and made their way to their newly gained home.
They built the house on the outskirts of town within the boundary of the Wall, near the forest of the spring where Tristan caught her bathing all those months ago. He was the one to decide that spot, for out of all the memories they made, that one was still clear and vivid, as if it had happened just yesterday. At the realization, Iliana chuckled, teasing him regarding bathing together, which they ended up doing on their wedding night before making passionate love on the fresh grass and sleeping there in each other's arms. As she thought back to that day, Iliana came to realize that specific moment ended up becoming the driving force that ultimately steered her in Tristan's direction. It just took her a while before she realized it.
As they neared the place they called home, Iliana smiled at the sight of Arion and Siria as they chased each other playfully within the confines of the fence they set up. Once they were close, she whistled, and Arion's ears perked up as he turned to look at her. Whinnying, he came towards her with Siria following, and Iliana giggled as they nudged her cheek with their noses.
"Hello, my beautiful friends. I see you've kept yourselves occupied," she said in Greek as she took in the attention. When they sniffed a sleeping Aria, she almost stirred from her deep sleep, and Tristan pushed them back from her.
"Careful. She's sleeping," he cooed, stroking both their necks as they each took a step back. When Aria leaned her head towards their noses, Iliana smiled at the sight. She and Tristan would teach her how to ride when she was finally old enough, and she couldn't wait for that day to come.
With a last loving look at Arion and Siria, Iliana made her way inside the house, with Tristan following. She went straight into Aria's room, settling her in her crib and ensuring she was comfortable and tucked in her blanket. She watched her sleep for a moment, and then she turned to look at Tristan, who was standing in the doorway. With a deep breath, she walked over to him, grabbing his face with both hands and kissing him passionately. He groaned as she pushed him back against the open door, wrapping an arm around her waist as he answered her kiss with just as much passion.
"Hey. We're going to wake Aria at this rate," he whispered against her lips when he finally pulled away.
"Then take me to the bedroom," she whispered back with a suggestive smile.
He pulled away from Aria's door and closed it slowly and gently. Once it clicked, Tristan grabbed her by her hips and lifted her legs up to his waist. Iliana giggled as she squeezed her legs around him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, burying her face into her neck as he carried her to their bedroom in the back of the house.
The couple were lying together in the afterglow of yet another lovemaking session, their legs entwined with each other. Iliana had her elbow propped up on her pillow, tracing the outline of his muscles and the marred skin of his scars. Tristan had his arm wrapped around her, running his fingers through her hair as he gazed at her.
"How is it you still look so beautiful, even after giving birth to Aria?"
Iliana chuckled, knowing he was referring to how she dropped the baby weight she had in the three months since Aria's birth.
"Guess all that belly dancing and fooling around with you between the sheets must have paid off for me in the end," she replied with a seductive purr.
He chuckled, leaning forward to give her a kiss.
"You know, I am very fortunate to have met you, Tristan. My father's last wish brought me to you, and you have helped me find my place in life."
He let out another chuckle, and she tilted her head to the side at the look on his face.
"If anyone is fortunate, it's me, Ili. You were the ray of light that shined through the darkness in my heart. Even if we met under different circumstances, our paths would have crossed.
"You came here to shine for someone, and that is what you ultimately did. I believe that is why your father wanted you to come to Britain, so that you could shine for me and everyone else."
His words touched the depths of her heart, and she smiled at him before peppering his lips with small kisses and settling in for the night.
"I love you, Tristan."
"And I love you, Iliana."
At first, Iliana believed she did not deserve to be happy, viewing herself as a curse more than a blessing. Now, with a loving husband and the friends she made since arriving in Britain, things turned out much differently for her than she had expected. She had a promising, happy future ahead of her with Tristan, the husband she loved, Aria, the daughter she conceived, birthed and cherished, and her friends in Arthur, the men, and her Sirens. When the moon shone on her through the window, she looked towards the sky. Amongst the clouds, Iliana saw the image of Leoric smiling at her and looking at her affectionately, just like he always used to when he was still alive.
Thank you, Father. Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I am truly blessed and proud to be your daughter and your ray of light.
She nuzzled her cheek against Tristan's bare chest before finally falling asleep, a part of her forever thankful for the life and future Leoric had given her.
Fin
End Notes: And that concludes the tale of Iliana and Tristan in Into Your Light! I am shocked to believe I am at this point in time after spending the past year putting this story together. After almost nineteen years of the idea floating around in the back of my mind, I finally brought it to life, and I'm so proud of myself for taking the leap and going for it.
I want to thank everyone who took a moment to read, review, and favorite this story. Despite the occasional frustrations this story gave me in the past year, I really enjoyed writing it. It's been a long time since I officially completed a chapter story, and this is also the first time I've ever concluded a story as long as this one. I'm sure it will keep the record of being the longest tale I've ever written for a long time. I also hope this story will be one you all return to again and again down the line!
While this story has reached its conclusion, it doesn't necessarily mean I'm done writing tales with Ili and Tristan. There will be side projects coming along featuring Ili, the knights, and her Sirens as they deal with whatever situations I decide to put them in. Now that the story is complete, I'll be brainstorming. So, be sure to keep an eye out!
As for what I'll be working on next, I am slowly getting back into my Criminal Minds series, Spencer and Annette. The next three stories have been plotted, with the first of the three fully written and edited, and the second one is in the works. I would also like to return to my pet project, Beauty Slept in Sodom. I'm nearing completion of that particular story, and I would like to finally write out the last few chapters and get to editing it and publishing it. The completion of Into Your Light is giving me a push of encouragement, and I'm planning to take it so I can finally complete more works! Wish me the best of luck, and stay tuned!